Danieli and Tenova were commissioned by Tata Steel Nederland to provide basic engineering for a direct reduction plant (DRI plant), an electric arc furnace (EAF) and other equipment at its plant in IJmuiden, the Netherlands. The contracts will result in an engineering package that will form the basis for approval of the first phase of Tata Steel's Green Steel plan. The company is expected to apply for the necessary permits before the end of this year.
Hans van den Berg, CEO of Tata Steel Nederland, explains:
“Steel is the metal of the energy transition. It has been used in buildings, trains and all kinds of everyday objects for more than a century, and more recently in wind turbines, solar panels, electrolyzers, hydrogen pipelines and electric cars.
The demand for steel remains and the need for recycled and sustainably produced steel is increasing. Due to its location on the North Sea, our factory in IJmuiden is one of the best locations in Europe to carry out the transformation to more responsible steel production - clean, green and more focused on the circular economy.
And we are working hard to achieve this goal. At the same time, we are following the demands of our stakeholders to further minimize the impact of our company on the immediate living environment, and to do so more quickly. That is also in our interest. Cleaner steel production and the fight against climate change cannot be postponed.
Further reducing impacts
Tata Steel has refined its Green Steel plan over the past year. He has a clear schedule, goals and an end point. Health and climate play an important role in this. The plan is specifically aimed at residents and other stakeholders in the IJmond region of the Netherlands.
The Dutch government formally decided at the end of April that it wanted to implement Tata Steel's plans to become more sustainable more quickly. Now the government has finally decided what the negotiating mandate of the outgoing Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Adriaansen and the outgoing State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management Heijnen is. Negotiations have subsequently commenced with Tata Steel, which are expected to result in a legally binding and enforceable tailor-made agreement.
Now Tata Steel is fully focused on the first phase of its Green Steel plan. Once the tailor-made agreement with the Dutch government is in place, the company can start ordering long-lead products based on the advanced technical work. In this way, the steel manufacturer ensures that it is on the right track to achieving its reduction targets set for 2030.
Complete carbon neutrality by 2045
Tata Steel Nederland will transform into a clean, green and circular steel company over the next few years. The goal is to produce the entire product portfolio without any loss of quality and to become one of the first steelworks in the world to be completely CO2 neutral by 2045. Tata Steel will implement its Green Steel plan in three stages.
The first stage will go into operation as early as 2030 and consists of a direct reduction system and an electric arc furnace. These replace the blast furnace 7 and the coke and gas plant 2. This leads to 40 percent fewer CO2 emissions. The company will also take measures to further reduce emissions and particulate matter and use more scrap in steel production (from 17 to 30 percent).
In the second phase of the transition, Tata Steel will shut down blast furnace 6 and coke and gas plant 1. This in turn will lead to a total CO2 reduction of around 80 percent. In the following years until 2045, Tata Steel will become completely carbon neutral.
