By 2030 Thyssenkrupp aims to reduce emissions from production and processes in its own company by 30%, as well as emissions from energy consumption. That’s why the company has started a series of tests in which it intends to gradually replace the coal dust used in the production of steel with hydrogen. One ton of steel typically requires 300 kg of coke and 200 kg of coal dust. Replacing coal dust with hydrogen reduces CO2 emissions by about 20% and produces water vapor instead.

According to the Federal Environment Agency, the ThyssenKrupp plant in Duisburg is the German industrial plant with the highest CO2 emissions. Only big lignite-fired power plants have even higher values. However, the only way to make steel production truly more sustainable is to generate hydrogen from environmentally friendly electricity, such as from wind turbines. According to estimates by the German Steel Trade Association, converting Germany’s complete steel production to hydrogen would require at least 130 TWh of additional energy per year. This, in turn, would require around 12,000 new wind turbines.