At the Steelworks Day in Essen on November 19, Kerstin Maria Rippel, Managing Director of the German Steel Federation (WV), spoke about the current status of the transition from fossil fuels to hydrogen as part of the energy transition. Her focus was on the transformation towards more climate-friendly steel production. After all, around a third of the industry'sCO2 emissions are attributable to the steel sector.
"We have to get to work on this!" said Rippel in Essen. Hydrogen is one of the most promising energy sources for the future; the German Steel Federation estimates that steel will account for 30% of total hydrogen demand in Germany by 2030. There are already numerous electrolyzer projects, but this is not a reassuring signal. "The final investment decisions have only been made for three percent of these projects - the hydrogen ramp-up is stalling and there are no signs of affordable prices," warned the Managing Director. But until then, around 60% of CO2 emissions could already be avoided in steel production by switching from coke blast furnaces to direct reduction with natural gas as an interim solution.
