thyssenkrupp and partners study ‘blue’ hydrogen for steelmaking

thyssenkrupp Steel Europe has joined up with Norwegian-based energy company Equinor and natural gas transmission system operator Open Grid Europe to explore the decarbonised production and supply of ‘blue’ hydrogen.

The study’s premise will be the production of hydrogen from natural gas and permanent offshore storage of carbon dioxide accrued in the process, Kallanish hears from the steelmaker. The gas is meant to be stored potentially in the Equinor-operated “Northern Lights” storage facility project on the Norwegian shelf, and then sent to tk’s steel plant in Duisburg.

Equinor is Europe’s second largest gas supplier and the largest operator of offshore gas and oil production facilities. Open Grid Europe will add its knowledge in transmitting and transporting gases to the study.

tk is currently pursuing two routes for fossil-free steelmaking. One is the avoidance of carbon dioxide emissions by injecting hydrogen instead of coal into its blast furnaces. The other, Carbon2Chem, is based