RWE and ArcelorMittal promote low-emissions steelmaking

Energy company RWE and steel producer ArcelorMittal have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to develop, build and operate offshore wind farms and hydrogen facilities that will supply the renewable energy and green hydrogen required to produce low-emissions steel in Germany. The partnership centres on driving forward the production of carbon-neutral steel, with a plan to replace coal with wind power and green hydrogen as the main source of energy in steel production at ArcelorMittal’s steelmaking sites in Germany.

To decarbonise its production sites in Bremen, Hamburg, Eisenhüttenstadt and Duisburg as planned, ArcelorMittal Germany needs renewable energy on a large scale.

RWE and ArcelorMittal are assessing options for joint participation in tenders for offshore wind farm sites in the North Sea. The amendment of the “Wind Energy at Sea Act” (WindSeeG) currently under way is crucial for success, as it will permanently shape the cost structure in the German offshore wind sector. If the law were to establish “negative bids” in offshore wind tenders, financing wind farms would be more challenging and send the wrong pricing signals to the market by making wind power unnecessarily expensive. Competitive electricity prices are absolutely necessary, if energy-intensive industries such as the steel industry, which operates in a competitive global environment, are to have a future in Germany. RWE and ArcelorMittal strongly believe that with the right steer, green steel from Germany can become a benchmark worldwide for low-carbon emissions steel production.

RWE and ArcelorMittal also want to work together on the development of green hydrogen, by jointly looking for areas where electrolysis plants can be built to supply the steel production sites in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt, starting with a 70 MW pilot plant by 2026 with the clear intention to increase to Gigawatt-scale projects in the long term – subject to approval of public funding.

With the combination of RWE’s expertise in offshore wind farms and electrolysers, and ArcelorMittal as a guaranteed buyer of the green electricity and hydrogen, the two companies believe they have excellent opportunities for a viable partnership arrangement. RWE and ArcelorMittal intend to conclude long-term purchase agreements for both wind power and green hydrogen.

“ArcelorMittal Germany is embarking on a radical transition to ensure we reach our CO₂ emissions reduction targets, meaning that the energy used to make steel will need to be clean energy. The partnership we have announced with RWE today is significant for a number of reasons: it will provide us with the renewable, affordable electricity and green hydrogen that we need to produce low-emissions steel while remaining competitive in a global market. It also offers vital security in the supply chain, by integrating the supply of energy and hydrogen into our business. We are looking forward to working with RWE on this highly important project and benefiting from their experience and know-how, as we continue to lead the industry in the decarbonisation of steelmaking in Germany and beyond.”, says Reiner Blaschek, CEO ArcelorMittal Germany.

As the world’s leading steel producer, ArcelorMittal has ambitious climate action goals, including a target to reduce CO₂ emissions by 35% by 2030 in Europe, and a group-wide target to be carbon neutral by 2050. By 2030, ArcelorMittal is aiming to exceed this target in Germany, by moving away from coal-intensive blast furnace technology to electric arc furnaces (EAFs) and direct reduction (DRI) plants. They also plan to gradually replace natural gas with green hydrogen as the fuel for these facilities, once it is cost-competitive at scale.

In addition to the partnership on renewable electricity and green hydrogen, the companies want to investigate possible uses for ArcelorMittal’s low-emissions steel in components for RWE’s renewable electricity plants. RWE wants to be climate-neutral by 2040. To achieve this goal, the energy company needs to decarbonise its supply chain, and the use of low-emissions steel will make an important contribution to this.