With hydrogen to green steel
The steel industry plays a key role in climate protection. Even in the most modern blast furnaces and smelting works, almost 2 tons of carbon dioxide are produced for every ton of crude steel. “The World Climate Conference in Glasgow should be used to agree concrete steps on how the ambitious climate goals can be achieved. Steel production worldwide accounts for 7 percent of global CO2 emissions and should therefore be placed at the center of climate policy considerations, ”said Hans Jürgen Kerkhoff, President of the Steel Federation. In Germany, steel companies want to reduce their emissions by around a third by 2030. This is only feasible through a fundamental technological change: coke and coal are replaced by gas, which dissolves the oxygen from the iron ore. Already natural gas,that ArcelorMittal uses in its plant in Bremen, promises a significant reduction in emissions. The way to practically climate-neutral steel leads through hydrogen, which is produced CO2-free with the help of green electricity (or nuclear energy). Instead of blast furnaces, direct reduction systems are required for the green steel. Industry leader Thyssenkrupp wants to put its first system into operation in 2024 or 2025, and Salzgitter is also aiming for the middle of the decade. The direct reduction does not provide liquid iron, but solid sponge iron, which then has to be melted down in a unit powered by green electricity, if possible. The liquid pig iron can then be further processed in the existing steelworks. According to calculations by the steel industry, the technical conversion of the systems alone will devour around 30 billion euros,of which 10 billion euros by 2030. At the same time, the industry is calling for operating subsidies to offset the higher costs caused by hydrogen and green electricity. German industry is playing a pioneering role with its investment projects, says Kerkhoff. But it also sees itself in danger of being overwhelmed by cheap imports from less ambitious regions.
Traffic emissions are increasing rapidly
Helmut Bünder
Business correspondent in Düsseldorf.
Follow I follow
Bernd Freytag
Business correspondent Rhein-Neckar-Saar based in Mainz.
Follow I follow
Martin Gropp
Editor in business.
Follow I follow
Uwe Marx
Editor in business.
Follow I follow
When it comes to the goals of the COP26 climate conference, traffic is also a decisive factor. Road transport causes 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and emissions are growing faster than in any other sector, according to the COP26 website. The switch to electromobility that has been initiated must therefore progress faster and include not only passenger cars but also vans, trucks and buses. In order to achieve zero emissions in transport, the COP organizers are calling on vehicle manufacturers to set a fixed date for phasing out internal combustion engines. From the year 2035, or even better, they should only sell cars that are emission-free, is one of their demands. Some automakers have already committed to withdrawing,albeit with a certain leeway. Opel, the German subsidiary of the Stellantis Group, wants to offer exclusively emission-free cars from 2028 onwards, but so far only in Europe. The VW subsidiary Audi plans to bring new models to the market only with electric drive from 2026, and the production of internal combustion engines is to expire in 2033. The announcement by Mercedes-Benz also reads flexibly: “By the end of the decade, the brand with the star will be ready to become fully electric - wherever market conditions permit.” A step towards this should be made from 2025 onwards to equip all new vehicle architectures exclusively with electric drive. Mercedes is aiming for CO2 neutrality for its entire new vehicle fleet by 2039.the German subsidiary of the Stellantis Group, will only offer emission-free cars from 2028, but so far only in Europe. The VW subsidiary Audi plans to bring new models to the market only with electric drive from 2026, and the production of internal combustion engines is to expire in 2033. The announcement by Mercedes-Benz also reads flexibly: “By the end of the decade, the brand with the star will be ready to become fully electric - wherever market conditions permit.” A step towards this should be made from 2025 onwards to equip all new vehicle architectures exclusively with electric drive. Mercedes is aiming for CO2 neutrality for its entire new vehicle fleet by 2039.the German subsidiary of the Stellantis Group, will only offer emission-free cars from 2028, but so far only in Europe. The VW subsidiary Audi plans to bring new models to the market only with electric drive from 2026, and the production of internal combustion engines is to expire in 2033. The announcement by Mercedes-Benz also reads flexibly: “By the end of the decade, the brand with the star will be ready to become fully electric - wherever market conditions permit.” A step towards this should be made from 2025 onwards to equip all new vehicle architectures exclusively with electric drive. Mercedes is aiming for CO2 neutrality for its entire new vehicle fleet by 2039.only offer emission-free cars from 2028 onwards, but so far only in Europe. The VW subsidiary Audi plans to bring new models to the market only with electric drive from 2026, and the production of internal combustion engines is to expire in 2033. The announcement by Mercedes-Benz also reads flexibly: “By the end of the decade, the brand with the star will be ready to become fully electric - wherever market conditions permit.” A step towards this should be made from 2025 onwards to equip all new vehicle architectures exclusively with electric drive. Mercedes is aiming for CO2 neutrality for its entire new vehicle fleet by 2039.only offer emission-free cars from 2028 onwards, but so far only in Europe. The VW subsidiary Audi plans to bring new models to the market only with electric drive from 2026, and the production of internal combustion engines is to expire in 2033. The announcement by Mercedes-Benz also reads flexibly: “By the end of the decade, the brand with the star will be ready to become fully electric - wherever market conditions permit.” A step towards this should be made from 2025 onwards to equip all new vehicle architectures exclusively with electric drive. Mercedes is aiming for CO2 neutrality for its entire new vehicle fleet by 2039.From 2026 onwards, new models will only be launched on the market with electric drive, the production of internal combustion engines is to be phased out in 2033. The announcement by Mercedes-Benz also reads flexibly: “By the end of the decade, the brand with the star will be ready to become fully electric - wherever market conditions permit.” A step towards this should be made from 2025 onwards to equip all new vehicle architectures exclusively with electric drive. Mercedes is aiming for CO2 neutrality for its entire new vehicle fleet by 2039.From 2026 onwards, new models will only be launched on the market with electric drive, the production of internal combustion engines is to be phased out in 2033. The announcement by Mercedes-Benz also reads flexibly: “By the end of the decade, the brand with the star will be ready to become fully electric - wherever market conditions permit.” A step towards this should be made from 2025 onwards to equip all new vehicle architectures exclusively with electric drive. Mercedes is aiming for CO2 neutrality for its entire new vehicle fleet by 2039.where market conditions permit. ”A step should be to equip all new vehicle architectures exclusively with electric drives from 2025 onwards. Mercedes is aiming for CO2 neutrality for its entire new vehicle fleet by 2039.where market conditions permit. ”A step should be to equip all new vehicle architectures exclusively with electric drives from 2025 onwards. Mercedes is aiming for CO2 neutrality for its entire new vehicle fleet by 2039.