Steel producer Salzgitter has ordered a 100 MW plant for the production of green hydrogen from plant manufacturer Andritz of Austria. According to the company, it is the largest in Europe. The purchase marks the crucial part of stage 1 of Salzgitter's SALCOS® project, which aims at the massive use of hydrogen for steel production.
As announced by the steel producer today, Andritz will build a 100 MW electrolysis plant on the Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH site in Salzgitter. The plant, which will be supplied on an EPC basis, will incorporate technology from the Norwegian company Hydrogen-Pro for pressurized alkali electrolysis.
Starting in 2026, the electrolyzer is expected to produce about 9,000 tons of green hydrogen per year, which will be used for the production of green steel. The operation of the plant will mark the beginning of the industrial use of hydrogen within SALCOS®, he said.
Green steel in three stages
Salzgitter intends to implement its hydrogen program in three stages. The first is scheduled to start in 2026. It consists of a direct reduction plant, an electric arc furnace (both already ordered) and the 100-MW electrolysis plant from Andritz.
The conversion to virtually CO₂-free steel production at the Salzgitter site is to be completed by the end of 2033. Financing for the first stage of the program has been secured through subsidies from the Federal Republic of Germany and the State of Lower Saxony as well as Salzgitter AG's own funds. The Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, Robert Habeck, handed over the corresponding funding notification to Salzgitter CEO Gunnar Groebler in April.
(Source: Salzgitter AG/2023)
