Thyssenkrupp to build a direct reduction unit at its Duisburg plant

The project is aimed at the development of research on the production of direct reduction iron (DRI)

The German industrial company Thyssenkruup is planning to build a direct reduced iron (DRI) test facility, including auxiliary infrastructure, at its steel plant in Duisburg, Duisburg-Nord. TS Elino is the contractor. This is stated in the company’s press release.

The project is aimed at developing research into DRI production. The customer is the German Institute for Applied Research VdEh (BFI). Investments in the construction of a demonstration-scale plant are estimated at about €10 million. The project is part of the H2Stahl initiative funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.

The facility will be able to produce pig iron using various reduction methods. As the unit is not tied to a specific production process, it can be operated with different raw materials, including pellets, ore and scrap, as well as different fuels, such as hydrogen, natural gas and mixed gases. The unit’s capacity is estimated at 100 kg/h DRI. Energy resources will be supplied by the Carbon2Chem technology center.

The test run of the unit is scheduled for early 2026.

«The test facility will make an important contribution to the commercialization of hydrogen-based direct reduction of iron,» the company said.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Thyssenkrupp Steel has received a permit to start construction of the first direct reduction plant at its Duisburg site ahead of schedule. The tkH2Steel project is funded by the federal and state governments of Germany in the amount of €2 billion, with the company’s own investments amounting to almost €1 billion.