Hydrogen will play a key role on the path towards decarbonising the steel industry. But how can the energy source of the future be used to produce climate-neutral steel in a cost-effective manner? Over the next three years the companies RWE, CO2GRAB, LSF and BENTELER Steel/Tube will conduct research in this area. Minister for Environment, Energy, Building and Climate Protection in Lower Saxony Olaf Lies announced the state’s commitment to providing EUR 3 million of funding to the CO2GRAB start-up. In 2022, the pioneering demonstration project for a green hydrogen direct reduction plant is to be built on RWE’s Lingen power plant site.In green direct reduction, iron ore is reduced using hydrogen. The hydrogen reacts with the oxygen in the iron ore and transforms it into sponge iron, also known as direct reduced iron. Unlike in traditional furnaces, steam rather than carbon dioxide is produced using this technology. The sponge iron is then melted down with steel scrap and further processed to make steel. BENTELER Steel/Tube will in future use this type of steel to produce low-carbon seamless and welded tube solutions. During the first stage of the research project, over 1 ton/hour of green sponge iron will be produced using green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is to be produced in electrolysers on the power plant site and fed into the DRI plant. The technical expertise of the CO2GRAB start-up, which will build and operate the plant, ideally complements RWE’s knowledge along the entire green hydrogen value chain. LSF will optimise electrolyser operation for fluctuating wind and solar power generation. BENTELER Steel/Tube will then process the reduced sponge iron further to green steel and climate-neutral quality tubes.
Hydrogen will play a key role on the path towards decarbonising the steel industry. But how can the energy source of the future be used to produce climate-neutral steel in a cost-effective manner? Over the next three years the companies RWE, CO2GRAB, LSF and BENTELER Steel/Tube will conduct research in this area. Minister for Environment, Energy, Building and Climate Protection in Lower Saxony Olaf Lies announced the state’s commitment to providing EUR 3 million of funding to the CO2GRAB start-up. In 2022, the pioneering demonstration project for a green hydrogen direct reduction plant is to be built on RWE’s Lingen power plant site.In green direct reduction, iron ore is reduced using hydrogen. The hydrogen reacts with the oxygen in the iron ore and transforms it into sponge iron, also known as direct reduced iron. Unlike in traditional furnaces, steam rather than carbon dioxide is produced using this technology. The sponge iron is then melted down with steel scrap and further processed to make steel. BENTELER Steel/Tube will in future use this type of steel to produce low-carbon seamless and welded tube solutions. During the first stage of the research project, over 1 ton/hour of green sponge iron will be produced using green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is to be produced in electrolysers on the power plant site and fed into the DRI plant. The technical expertise of the CO2GRAB start-up, which will build and operate the plant, ideally complements RWE’s knowledge along the entire green hydrogen value chain. LSF will optimise electrolyser operation for fluctuating wind and solar power generation. BENTELER Steel/Tube will then process the reduced sponge iron further to green steel and climate-neutral quality tubes.
