Thyssenkrupp to build test facility for melting DRI

Thyssenkrupp Steel has commissioned Grenzbach Maschinenbau to design, build and commission a DRI melting test facility, including auxiliary units, at its Duisburg facility. This is stated in the company’s message.

The contract is worth about €7.5 million, with 65% financed by the relevant Ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia, 35% – by Thyssenkrupp Steel.

The smelting plant, which is funded by the North Rhine-Westphalia state ministry (MWIKE), is part of the research activities for the climate transformation strategy at Thyssenkrupp.

The project is being carried out under the scientific supervision of the BFI (Institute for Applied Research) of the German Institute of Iron and Steel.

The first pilot campaigns to test various input materials such as DRI, alternative carbon products and recycled materials for pig iron production are scheduled to begin in early 2026. The demonstration smelting unit with a capacity of 100 kg/h of direct reduced iron is adapted to the DRI test unit. The two units form a research center for hydrogen-based direct reduction technology at Europe’s largest steelmaker.

«Hydrogen-based direct reduction in combination with melters is an innovative approach that is being implemented on a large industrial scale for the first time at thyssenkrupp Steel. It is therefore essential to practically apply and learn the new technologies along the way,» said Arnd Kefler, Chief Technical Officer.

According to him, the experimental melting furnace and direct reduction test facility are the basis for the company’s research into climate-neutral steel production of the future. They allow for flexible use of different feedstocks and accurate answers to technological questions.

Earlier, Thyssenkrupp and BFI selected TS Elino to supply the DRI test facility. The investment in its construction on a demonstration scale is estimated at around €10 million.