Carbon dioxide from steel production becomes a raw material
in brief
Ten years of Carbon2Chem: Thyssenkrupp sees the former research project as a blueprint for a climate-neutral industry. The focus is on using renewable hydrogen and CO₂ from steel production as raw materials for the chemical industry.
Carbon2Chem combines steel and chemicals
After ten years of pilot operation, Carbon2Chem represents an industrial approach that views CO₂ not as a waste product, but as a raw material. Thyssenkrupp’s aim is to close carbon cycles and link industrial value chains more closely together.
“We started with a shared idea: we regard CO₂ and other components of blast furnace gases not as waste, but as a raw material,” says Matthias Kammel, Managing Director of thyssenkrupp Carbon2Chem GmbH. Thyssenkrupp uses this raw material to close carbon cycles and systematically link steel production, the energy sector and the chemical industry. “In this way, we can contribute to reducing industrial emissions,” says Kammel.
Since 2016, Carbon2Chem has been expanded into a cross-sector research and development project involving more than twenty partners from industry and academia. Various Thyssenkrupp companies are involved, as well as research institutes such as the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT.
Metallurgical gases as the starting point for new value creation
At the Duisburg pilot plant, the focus is on how metallurgical gases from steel production can be utilised as raw materials. These gases contain valuable components such as carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. These can be used to manufacture chemical products such as methanol, ammonia or synthetic fuels.
The approach is cross-sectoral. The steel industry, the energy sector and the chemical industry are not viewed in isolation, but as interconnected systems. CO₂ from steel production can thus be channelled into new value chains, rather than being treated solely as an emission.
Nadja Håkansson, COO of Thyssenkrupp Decarbon Technologies and CEO of Thyssenkrupp Uhde, describes this connection as follows: “By integrating and linking different systems and value chains, CO₂ is utilised to create new value chains for sustainable chemicals and fuels, whilst simultaneously reducing harmful emissions.”
Scaling up takes centre stage
As technological maturity increases, the focus is shifting more strongly from research towards industrial application. The processes developed within the project form the basis for new business models along sustainable value chains.
At the same time, the product portfolio is being further developed. It is intended to meet the rising demand for climate-friendly chemicals and energy sources. Carbon2Chem is thus moving beyond a single research project to become a platform for industrial transformation.
Dr Markus Oles, project coordinator for the participating industrial companies, sees growing cross-sector interest: “Interest in carbon recycling applications is now evident across all sectors. By establishing CO₂ as a raw material, we are sustainably strengthening economic resilience. In addition to large-scale industrial applications, innovative SMEs are now also showing increasing interest in these technologies as a means of keeping carbon flexibly within the cycle.”
Hydrogen as the key to industrial operations
A central component of Carbon2Chem is hydrogen produced from renewable sources. The Duisburg site already has an electrolysis hall housing a pilot electrolyser from Thyssenkrupp Nucera. This infrastructure is to be expanded to include a further electrolysis hall.
The expansion is a key prerequisite for continuous industrial operation. It creates additional opportunities to produce and further develop green hydrogen under real-world industrial conditions.
“Carbon2Chem has been and remains invaluable for the further development of our electrolysis technology,” says Dr Werner Ponikwar, CEO of Thyssenkrupp Nucera. The site offers an industrial environment in which new technologies can be tested under real-world conditions. “Ten years of Carbon2Chem demonstrate just how important such industrial test and development environments are for bringing technologies towards application and scale-up.”
CO₂ utilisation for sustainable aviation fuels
In parallel with the expansion of the electrolysis infrastructure, the go-ahead has been given for the construction of a plant in Duisburg to produce sustainable aviation fuels. Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF for short, is regarded as an area of application where more climate-friendly alternatives are in particularly high demand.
With the planned SAF plant, Thyssenkrupp is extending the use of CO₂ as a raw material to the aviation sector. This means that Carbon2Chem is not only relevant to the steel and chemical industries, but also to other industrial sectors that remain dependent on carbon-based energy sources.
The combination of CO₂ utilisation, hydrogen and chemical synthesis demonstrates how industrial emissions can be integrated into new raw material cycles. For energy-intensive industries, this offers a potential way to drive decarbonisation not only through emission avoidance, but also through the material utilisation of carbon.
Key facts at a glance:
- Carbon2Chem uses CO₂ and other components of metallurgical gases as raw materials for chemical products.
- The project brings together steel production, the energy sector and the chemical industry.
- Potential products include methanol, ammonia and synthetic fuels.
- In Duisburg, the hydrogen infrastructure and a plant for sustainable aviation fuels are being further expanded.
FAQ
Carbon2Chem is a decarbonisation project by Thyssenkrupp that uses CO₂ and other components of metallurgical gases as raw materials for chemical products.
The products mentioned include methanol, ammonia and synthetic fuels.
Hydrogen produced from renewable sources is a key component in converting CO₂ and components of steelworks gases into chemical products and fuels.
The plant is set to produce sustainable aviation fuels and extends the use of CO₂ to the aviation sector, an area with a high demand for more climate-friendly alternatives.
