ArcelorMittal Hamburg – for Cleaner, Greener Steel and Cities

With its transformer recognised as the flagship project for the city’s European Green Capital 2011 Award, and its recent ISO 50001 certification, ArcelorMittal Hamburg demonstrates how even in countries like Germany where energy costs are high, by using energy efficient techniques, significant savings and emissions improvements can be made.

To produce about one million tonnes of steel a year, the Hamburg site uses 800,000 tonnes of iron ore and 600,000 tonnes of steel scrap. In fact, raw materials and energy account for 79% of the site’s total costs, with €100 million spent on energy every year. This has made efficiency in energy and resources a focal point at the site for many years, even though ArcelorMittal Hamburg already ranks among the most energy efficient plants worldwide.

Benchmark level for CO2 emissions

Welding wire is one of the products of our Hamburg site. When made using the standard blast furnace route, this product requires approximately 1800 kg of iron ore, further raw materials and coke as a reducing agent.

Only small amounts of scrap steel can be used. CO2 emissions from this method are approximately 1,800kg per tonne of welding wire produced.

Hamburg, which operates a DRI plant (direct reduced iron) and an electric arc furnace (EAF), uses natural gas as the reducing agent instead of coke at its DRI plant. The EAF uses electricity to melt the charged material. This production route requires 1,140 kg of iron ore and 400 kg of scrap steel, and releases 840 kg of CO2 per tonne of welding wire produced.

Energy efficiency projects

In addition to the energy efficient production route, ArcelorMittal Hamburg has also implemented specific energy efficiency projects.

In 2008 a new transformer was installed in the melt shop. With this project, both the melting of DRI and scrap were improved, reducing emissions by 15,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Another example of energy efficiency at the site is the usage of waste heat from the compressor which is recovered and recycled for the heating of water in the showers and in standard radiators around common areas.

As a result of these and many other projects, since 2007 emissions have been cut by more than 60,000 tonnes of CO2. This means ArcelorMittal Hamburg has already exceeded its initial CO2 reduction target, which was to reduce its emissions by 50,000 tonnes between 2008 and 2012 - a target that was collectively agreed between the authorities of the city and ArcelorMittal Hamburg.

The site’s efforts were recognised last year by the European Green Capital Award, when Hamburg was named the green capital of 2011. The award recognises and rewards cities on the basis of local efforts to improve the environment, the economy, and the quality of life of growing urban populations. The ArcelorMittal Hamburg transformer was honoured as one of the flagship projects in the city for this award.

ArcelorMittal Hamburg’s energy management system was also certified according to the DIN ISO 50001 standard in February 2012. This is an important achievement for the plant. From 2013 when a new energy and electricity tax (ecotax) law comes into force, “energy intensive operations” will require a certified ISO 50001-compliant energy management system. Without the certification, electricity costs would have increased by nearly 50%.

The site, which strives to continuously improve its energy efficiency and management, serves as a good benchmark for other ArcelorMittal facilities and steelmaking worldwide.