Thyssenkrupp Schulte and Tubos Reunidos partner for Europe’s sustainable steel transition
Spanish seamless steel tube producer Tubos Reunidos has announced a strategic partnership with German steelmaker Thyssenkrupp’s materials distribution and service provider subsidiary Thyssenkrupp Schulte to expand the reach of O-Next® sustainable steel across Europe.
The collaboration aims to decarbonize supply chains while meeting the stringent performance and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) requirements of industrial customers.
Partnership for sustainable growth
The declaration of intent makes Thyssenkrupp Schulte the exclusive distribution ally for O-Next®. This ensures that a wide network of European manufacturers, infrastructure developers, and energy companies can now access ultra-low-emission tubular steel solutions.
Thyssenkrupp Schulte strengthens its sustainability agenda through this partnership, having already cut 75,000 mt of carbon (Scope 1 and 2) from its operations.
O-Next®: redefining steelmaking standards
Tubos Reunidos has shifted away from traditional blast furnace methods toward electric arc furnaces powered by renewable energy. O-Next® achieves groundbreaking emissions reductions with:
- Scope 1 & 2 emissions: 0.045 metric ton of carbon per metric ton of steel
- Total including Scope 3: 0.4 metric ton of carbon per metric ton of steel
By comparison, conventional steelmaking typically generates more than 1.8 metric ton carbon per metric ton of steel.
Thanks to this partnership, customers across Europe can now access a broad range of carbon reduced steel tube solutions, including cold-drawn precision tubes, hydraulic line tubes, hot rolled tubes in C-grades and high-alloy and stainless steel tubes.
Iberdrola supplies renewable energy to Tubos Reunidos
Spanish seamless tube supplier Tubos Reunidos (TR) has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Iberdrola to power its production facilities in Álava and Biscay with renewable energy, Kallanish learns from the energy provider.
Under the agreement, Iberdrola will deliver 120 GWh of electricity, sourced from nearly 10 MW of its solar photovoltaic portfolio, to support the production of TR’s low-emissions O-Next seamless steel tubes.
“We are undergoing a continuous improvement process involving the entire organisation to ensure our processes and products are increasingly sustainable,” says TR executive chief Carlos López. “This agreement advances our strategy to drive industrial decarbonisation, enabling a green value chain and supporting climate neutrality.”
Iberdrola notes that the partnership highlights its role in electrifying industry, helping TR adopt and scale sustainable solutions in seamless tube manufacturing.
“Iberdrola España and Tubos Reunidos Group share a firm commitment to building a more sustainable and efficient future,” commentss Iberdrola’s customers director, David Martínez. “Collaborations like this are key to supporting renewable development and accelerating the energy transition in the industrial sector.”
Tubos Reunidos became the world’s first producer of seamless tubes with zero CO₂ emissions, having already delivered 2,000 tonnes of O-Next product to clients in Europe and the US (see Kallanish passim).
Todor Kirkov Bulgaria
Tubos Reunidos develops hydrogen distribution pipe
Spanish seamless tube supplier Tubos Reunidos (TR) is developing pipe capable of transporting hydrogen. As part of its participation in the H2Bidea project, the company aims to support the expansion of green hydrogen valleys and industrial decarbonisation in Spain, Kallanish notes.
“We are constantly improving our processes and products to make them more sustainable,” explains TR R&D director Jon Bikandi. “The Group is developing carbon steel piping capable of distributing 100% hydrogen at up to 160 bar, which currently does not exist. This proves that we can reduce our carbon footprint while also driving industrial decarbonisation and building a green value chain for businesses.”
The project is being led by a Basque consortium including Nortegas, Tubos Reunidos, Arizaga, Bastarrica y Compañía (ABC Compressors), Orkli, Comercial de Aplicaciones Electrónicas (Fidegas), and Calcinor Servicios.
Supported by the Basque government’s Hazitek R&D programme and the European Union, the project aims to be completed by 2027, culminating in the H2TESTLAB distribution network demonstration, a dynamic circuit designed to assess damage tolerance in hydrogen-compatible components.
Todor Kirkov Bulgaria
