Saarstahl, Dillinger look for new markets, innovation

Saarland steelmakers Saarstahl and Dillinger want to expand more in markets like wire rod and rebar for construction, but also other segments, said Saarstahl/Dillinger chief executive Karl-Ulrich Köhler.

“We must continue to evolve and look for future markets, where we can find our place,” Köhler said during their annual press conference monitored by Kallanish. “The turnaround will also require a strategic realignment, as we want to lead the market in our segments and close gaps in our product portfolio in order to occupy new market areas.”

Dillinger and Saarstahl are continuing to work strategically towards the goal of carbon-neutral steel production and are technologically ready to provide solutions for this, the enterprises claim. One solution is the implementation of hydrogen technology and electric arc furnaces.

“Until the political conditions for profitable production of carbon-neutral steel are in place, Dillinger and Saarstahl will be pursuing an intensified reduction strategy,” the companies said. “The efficiency limits of decarbonisation on the existing blast furnace route will meanwhile be further explored and improved.”

In addition to the coke gas injection system at the ROGESA blast furnaces, which were commissioned in August 2020, further projects are currently being advanced with the goal of carbon-neutral production. An IPCEI funding application was submitted in March for the H2SYNgas hydrogen project at the Dillingen site.

This project is developing technology at a ROGESA blast furnace to enable use of the company’s own process gases as well as considerable quantities of hydrogen for the blast furnace process. This will displace coke used in the blast furnace process and avoid carbon emissions.

Svetoslav Abrossimov Bulgaria