Steelmaker thyssenkrupp gets new funding for emissions projects

German steelmaker thyssenkrupp’s project to convert steel mill emission gases into chemicals and reduce CO2 emissions has received another Eur75 million in funding after proving commercial viability, thyssenkrupp said Oct. 29.

The German government provided further funding for the period through 2024 following the confirmation of technical feasibility and commercial viability. The government previously provided Eur60 million for the first phase of the project in 2016.

The “Carbon2Chem” project is expected to help reduce CO2 emissions at thyssenkrupp’s steel mill by 30% by 2030, while the steelmaker aims to be carbon neutral by 2050.

Thyssenkrupp started the project at the Duisburg mill in 2018 to convert mill emission gases, including the CO2 they contain, into chemicals. Thyssenkrupp’s separate hydrogen route involves replacing coal with “green” hydrogen as the reducing agent for blast furnaces so that in the long term no CO2 is created in the production of steel.

Thyssenkrupp will now test long-term stability in the interactions between steel production and chemical synthesis, show the technology can be upscaled and try to extend the process to other industries.

“Carbon2Chem can help CO2-intensive industries in particular on the road to climate neutrality – this applies not just to steel but also, for example, to cement or lime production,” said Klaus Keysberg, thyssenkrupp CFO.

The German government adopted a “hydrogen strategy” earlier this year giving funding to CO2-heavy industries to make necessary changes to reduce emissions.

— Laura Varriale