Through the tests, the company is substituting pulverized coal injections for hydrogen gas injections.

The initial test pushed hydrogen through a single tuyere on the No. 9 blast furnace at thyssenkrupp's Duisburg mill. But the testing eventually will expand to include all of the furnace’s 28 tuyeres and then, from 2022, to all three blast furnaces at the mill.

The company reports that CO₂ savings of up to 20% are already possible at this point in the production process.

thyssenkrupp said the tests are an important part of its climate strategy  as it looks to become climate neutral by 2050. An intermediate goal is to reduce emissions from its production and processes as well as emissions from the purchase of energy by 30% over the next decade. 

“We’ve set ourselves a clear goal with our climate strategy,” said Klaus Keysberg, chief executive for  thyssenkrupp Materials Services. “Steel production will play an important part in reaching our climate targets because the potential for reducing emissions is huge. That’s why we’re working flat out to drive the transition to hydrogen technology,” he said. 

The project is being funded under the IN4climate.NRW initiative.

“Today is a groundbreaking day for the steel industry,” said Premal Desai, chairman of thyssenkrupp Steel Europe. “The use of hydrogen is the key lever for climate-neutral steel production. Today’s test is another step in the transformation of our production which will culminate in green steel.”