Revolution in Duisburg: Researchers are fighting for climate-friendly steel!

Revolution in Duisburg: Researchers are fighting for climate-friendly steel!

On July 1, 2025, the University of Duisburg-Essen took a significant step towards sustainable metal production. Prof. Dr. Hauke ​​Springer takes over the professorship for sustainable metallurgy at the Faculty of Engineering. Its main goal: reducing CO2 emissions from metal production, one of the largest contributors to industrial greenhouse gases.

Springer, who previously worked as a Heisenberg Professor at RWTH Aachen University and led a partner group at the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research, brings extensive expertise to the new position. His academic career includes training as an industrial mechanic and degrees in mechanical engineering, followed by a doctorate and habilitation in his field. Steel production in Germany caused around 23.5 million tons of CO2 in 2022 through conventional processes.

Challenges in metal production

The metal industry is responsible for a third of all industrial greenhouse gas emissions. In the context of this challenge, Springer and his team are working on innovative metallurgical processes, in particular on the use of hydrogen instead of carbon for steel production. MPG.de reports that hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources could significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Despite these advances, there are major challenges, particularly impurities in recycled steel, which can affect the quality of metallic materials.

In a pilot plant in Duisburg, ThyssenKrupp has begun replacing some of the coal in iron smelting with hydrogen, which is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 19 percent. These developments show how crucial the transition to green production methods is to guarantee a sustainable future for the metals industry.

Advances in steel production

Traditionally, steel production takes place primarily via the blast furnace route, which causes significant CO2 emissions. Alternatives such as the electric steel process (EAF) reduce CO2 emissions, especially when powered by electricity from renewable sources. According to a study by the Swiss Steel Group The CO2 emissions of the electric arc furnace route are around 83% below the industry average.

The Swiss Steel Group is pursuing several strategies to further reduce climate impact, including using 100% green electricity in production and replacing natural gas in heat treatment furnaces with low-CO2 alternatives such as hydrogen. In addition, the recycling of scrap is promoted as a central raw material for the EAF route, which not only increases resource efficiency but also helps to conserve natural resources.

In the long term, hydrogen-based steel production could enable almost emission-free processes. Researchers such as Dierk Raabe and Martin Palm are working on optimizing these processes to improve the reactions of hydrogen with iron oxide and thus create the basis for more sustainable metal production. MPG.de emphasizes that these approaches are important not only for the steel industry, but also for the automotive and aviation sectors.

The Rector of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Prof. Barbara Albert, emphasizes the essential importance of this research and emphasizes how important it is for the future shape of social and economic systems. The strong focus on sustainable technologies could help strengthen the Ruhr area as an innovation location and pave a new path for the metal industry towards a more climate-friendly future.