ArcelorMittal Eisenhüttenstadt looks back on a long tradition. The steel company emerged from the Eisenhüttenkombinat Ost, which was founded in the early 1950s, and is now a steelworks equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and technologies. Now the next transformation is on the horizon: the company aims not only to set an example as a major employer and training provider in the region, but also to pioneer environmental protection.
Until now, steel production has accounted for a significant proportion of industrial air pollution. In Eisenhüttenstadt, this is set to change: The company plans to use innovative technologies to produce green steel in future and drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The plant is still fired by coal, but from 2030 onwards, steel is to be produced using so-called arc furnace technology fuelled by hydrogen. This will enable CO₂ emissions to be cut by over 90 per cent. During a transitional phase, the company intends to use natural gas initially, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 70 per cent by 2026.
It goes without saying
that the transition will involve immense costs. ArcelorMittal is therefore relying on financial support and a favourable policy framework. Applications for funding have already been submitted to the relevant ministries, and the company is awaiting the green light to get started as soon as possible – with the transition to green steel.
Photo: ArcelorMittal