German steel plant to switch to hydrogen in 2027

German mining and metals company Stahlwerk Thueringen GmbH and gas network operator Ferngas Netzgesellschaft mbH will partner to connect a steel plant in the federal state of Thuringia to Germany's planned hydrogen network in 2027.

Ferngas will establish the necessary infrastructure to transport hydrogen to the steel plant, Stahlwerk Thueringen has announced. This includes, among other things, the conversion of an existing natural gas pipeline of some 70 kilometres (43.5 miles) from the city of Erfurt to Unterwellenborn where the steel plant is located.

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The next steps for planning and technical preparation of the hydrogen connection to the network will be developed shortly.

The decision to source green hydrogen through the network infrastructure in the future is another step in the decarbonisation of steel production for the Thuringian plant which already uses renewable electricity in its processes. The green hydrogen supplied via pipeline will gradually replace the natural gas used in production. Initially, hydrogen is expected to account for more than half of the natural gas volume, with the hydrogen proportion gradually growing.

"Connecting to the hydrogen network will preserve our competitiveness and strengthen Stahlwerk Thueringen as a hub for low-emission steel production", said the steel company's head of procurement Alexander Stolze.

Stahlwerk Thueringen has been part of Brazil's CSN Group since February 2012.