Salzgitter participates in new program to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in metallurgy

Salzgitter participates in new program to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in metallurgy
The German plants of the Salzgitter group of companies will carry out work on the production of hydrogen on the basis of metallurgical production. This is part of an effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from metallurgical processes. The EU is supporting the project with € 4.5 million.

The Salzgitter Group participates in the international GrInHy program from Green Industrial Hydrogen, or industrial, green hydrogen. Theoretically, metallurgy is one of the industries that takes part in it, but in practice it is implemented by only two companies and 6 more research institutes are involved in the work.

A key element is the construction of one of the most powerful reversible high temperature electrolysis (HTE) plants in the Saligitter Flachstahl facilities. For hydrogen production using thermal and technological waste gases. In the process of electrolysis, not only hydrogen and oxygen will be obtained from water vapor, but also electricity. Commissioning of the equipment is scheduled for the summer of 2017.

Hydrogen can also partially replace coal as a reducing agent in blast furnaces and is also used for annealing. This provides new solutions to reduce carbon dioxide problems in metallurgical processes.

The program was launched in 2015, but this year it is being accelerated by the European Union, which is contributing € 4.5 million.