Salzgitter starts construction of a large-scale hydrogen production plant

On February 12, 2025, the Salzgitter steel company began construction of one of Europe’s largest green hydrogen plants. Starting in 2026, the Salzgitter facility is expected to produce about 9,000 tons of hydrogen annually, which will be a key milestone in the implementation of the SALCOS® (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking) program to reduce CO2 emissions in steel production, according to a press release from the company.

Hydrogen production will be carried out using a 100 MW electrolysis plant supplied by the international technology company ANDRITZ. The plant will be based on HydrogenPro’s high-pressure alkaline electrolysis technology.

“We are doing our part by introducing hydrogen production at our own facilities. Now we expect governments to create the necessary conditions to support the development of the hydrogen economy and ensure competitive electricity tariffs,” said Gerhard Baresh, CTO of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH.

Sami Pelkonen, Executive Vice President of Green Hydrogen at ANDRITZ, noted that this construction is part of the strategy to decarbonize the industry and support the steel industry in the transition to sustainable production.

The SALCOS® project involves the gradual introduction of new environmental technologies: the construction of a direct reduction unit, an electric arc furnace and an electrolysis plant. The transition to low-CO2 steel production is expected to be completed by 2033.

Earlier this year, Salzgitter Flachstahl signed long-term contracts with Germany’s Energiekontor to supply electricity from two solar parks to be built by mid-2026. Their peak capacity will reach 113 MW.