Feralpi Stahl and Juwi explore joint initiatives in renewable energy

Germany’s Feralpi Stahl, part of the Italian Feralpi Group, will accelerate its transition to low-carbon steel production thanks to a new partnership with renewable energy developer Juwi.

According to a statement from Juwi, the parties have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore opportunities for cooperation in a regional wind energy project. This initiative could lead to the supply of renewable energy to Feralpi’s steel mill and rolling mills in Risa in the future.

At the same time, both companies are seeking to strengthen regional value creation and increase local acceptance of renewable energy sources. The parties are jointly investigating how the use of renewable energy can reduce carbon emissions from steel production.

The initial wind energy facilities in Central Saxony are scheduled to be commissioned by 2029. The two Juwi wind farms are expected to consist of five and six turbines, respectively, with each turbine generating approximately 20 million kWh of electricity per year. Feralpi Stahl has the option to participate in the projects in the form of investments, provided they are economically viable.

According to Juwi Managing Director Christian Arnold, the cooperation with the energy-intensive company could, among other things, serve as a model for further projects in Germany and show that the transition to a climate-neutral heavy industry on the German site is possible.

The agreement between Feralpi Stahl and Juwi is seen as a step forward in an initiative by several large industrial companies that formed the EWI (Energy and Hydrogen) Alliance in the Meissen industrial arc in 2022. These companies generate an annual demand of approximately 2.1 billion kWh of electricity and around 1.4 billion kWh of natural gas per year.

It should be noted that in May of this year, Feralpi Stahl officially launched a new steel rolling mill in Riesa (Saxony) with a total investment of €220 million. This is one of the largest industrial investments in green metallurgy in Germany in recent years.