23 November 2023 | Last Thursday, Germany’s leading steel companies met with politicians and fellow campaigners in Berlin. The meeting, hosted by DWV’s HySteel expert commission, focused on the fundamental role of the steel industry in decarbonisation.
State Secretary Thorsten Bischoff, Saarland’s representative to the federal government in Berlin, welcomed representatives from politics and Germany’s leading steel companies to the panel discussion on 17 November 2023. The following took part in the discussion: Andreas Rimkus, Member of the Bundestag and Hydrogen Representative of the SPD parliamentary group, Dr Axel Bree, Head of Division for the funding programmes for the decarbonisation of industry and climate protection contracts at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK), Dr Bettina Hübschen, Managing Director of the Saarland hydrogen agency H2Saar, Dr Peter Maagh, Technical Director of Stahl Holding Saar (SHS) and Gerrit Riemer, Head of Governmental Affairs at thyssenkrupp Steel Europe.
Werner Diwald, Chairman of the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV), addressed as Chairman of the HySteel speakers’ panel the lack of planning certainty as currently the biggest challenge for the steel industry :
“More needs to happen at a regulatory level. In addition to CAPEX funding, the distribution and storage of hydrogen also play a key role in ensuring a secure supply for the industry.”
Current status of the transformation and job security
In his speech, State Secretary Bischoff emphasised the importance of the steel industry for Saarland. Dr Axel Bree pointed out that the BMWK would continue to support the decarbonisation of industry in order to maintain competitiveness.
Dr Peter Maagh from SHS noted that a significant proportion of H2 would have to be imported due to the high electricity prices. In this context, Gerrit Riemer from thyssenkrupp Steel emphasised the importance of hydrogen storage for a secure energy supply. Dr Bettina Hübschen commented:
“The steel industry is the crystallisation point, the core and lever, for the ramp-up of hydrogen. The pipeline will not come to Saarland without demand from the steel industry.”
The panellists agreed that jobs must be preserved. According to Riemer, thyssenkrupp is working intensively with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) to train the workforce so that skilled labour can keep pace with the growing demands. Maintaining the steel industry locations is important for the regions, also in terms of purchasing power and employment, added Hübschen.
HySteel’s particular successes
The German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV) e.V. has been campaigning for a sustainable energy supply based on green hydrogen since 1996. It represents the interests of 182 member institutions and companies in the fields of plant construction, production, transport infrastructure and application technologies with regard to the development of a green hydrogen market economy.
In the DWV HySteel Commission, companies and research institutions have now been working together for three years on the transformation to a climate-neutral steel industry. Simon Morgeneyer, head of the expert commissions at DWV, emphasises the achievements of HySteel:
“In addition to important studies and dialogue between all players along this value chain, we have also promoted dialogue with politicians in particular.”
About the DWV HySteel expert commission
The HySteel Expert Commission of the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV) e.V. is a cross-industry association of currently 24 members in the fields of energy generation, research, plant construction, steel production and grid operators. The aim is to develop a forward-looking strategy for low-emission hydrogen-based steel production in 2045. HySteel has been funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Agriculture, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) since the end of 2020. With the new legislative period, responsibility has been transferred to the BMWK. Further information at www.dwv-hysteel.de.
