- Project is key to Tata Steel’s green steel strategy, aiming to produce steel with zero carbon emissions by 2050.
lJmuiden, Netherlands—Tata Steel has announced that Hatch will be part of the team to deliver the hydrogen route to make green steel at its lJmuiden plant in the Netherlands. Hatch has been selected to provide the engineering for the reducing electric furnace (REF) package, which, when coupled with a direct reduced iron (DRI) plant, will enable the production of green steel using hydrogen.
The hydrogen route project is part of Tata Steel’s commitment to produce steel with zero carbon emissions by 2045. To achieve that goal, Tata Steel will convert its steelmaking facilities from coal based to hydrogen-based utilizing DRI technology, in which iron ore is directly reduced using natural gas and progressively increasing amounts of hydrogen and subsequently melted and refined in large and efficient rectangular electric smelting furnaces.
Due to the use of green electricity and green hydrogen, the CO2 emissions associated with steel production are considerably lower compared to steel from the blast furnace process routes. Scrap can also be recycled in the new process, which means even greater circularity. Importantly, the DRI+ reducing electric furnace route allows the production of the same high-quality steel that Tata Steel is recognized for.
Tata Steel has engaged Hatch to develop basic engineering for the DRI reduction smelting complex, and to design and supply the reducing electric furnaces and ancillary process equipment within the complex. The Hatch scope broadly includes feed mixing, hot mix transfer, primary and secondary off-gas systems, electric furnaces, and slag granulation.
“We recently made agreements about our future with two ministries and the province of North Holland. We also indicated that we want to be CO2 neutral before 2045 and that we want to emit between 35 and 40% less CO2 before 2030. This will largely be done via the hydrogen route. We are replacing the blast furnaces with modern technology that uses hydrogen or gas instead of coal,” said Hans van den Berg, CEO of Tata Steel Netherlands.
“Efforts to reduce CO2 emissions from iron and steel production are critical to mitigating the impacts of climate change. Transitioning to low-carbon emission steel production enables the building of a sustainable steel industry . We look forward to working together with Tata Steel on this landmark project and congratulate them for their leadership in accelerating this change,” shared Joe Lombard, Global Managing Director, Metals, Hatch.
Learn more about Tata Steel Nederland’s green steel strategy and Hatch’s electric furnace technology.
About Hatch
Hatch is a global multidisciplinary management, engineering, and business practice consultancy. Its group companies have more than 9,000 staff in 150+ offices around the world. In 2022, Hatch was ranked as a top 20 International Design Firm according to the Engineering News-Record (ENR) rankings. The company has more than 65 years of experience bringing innovative solutions to the metals, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
We use our decades of experience and expertise to create relevant, high-value market solutions and technologies. Our broad experience in testing and scaling technologies, and our history of forming collaborative engagements with researchers, end users, government, and funding organizations, has given us a proven track record of successfully implementing new technologies around the globe. www.hatch.com.
About Tata Steel Nederland
Tata Steel Nederland is one of Europe’s leading steel producers. The company supplies high-quality steel products to the most demanding markets, including construction, automotive, packaging and engineering. Tata Steel Nederland works with customers to develop new steel products that give them a competitive edge. Tata Steel Nederland has sites in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and elsewhere in Europe and is part of the Indian Tata Steel Group, one of the world’s largest steel companies. Tata Steel Nederland recorded a turnover of 6.9 billion euros in the financial year ending 31 March, 2022. Tata Steel Nederland is working on producing steel with zero carbon emissions by 2045. It will do so by switching to producing steel by using hydrogen instead of coal.
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