thyssenkrupp Steel, Hydrogen-Ready Production Plant, Duisburg

To make steel, you first have to convert iron ore into pig iron by extracting oxygen from the iron oxide. This has been achieved for centuries using blast furnaces burning coal, which is an energy intensive and high carbon process. That’s why the steel industry accounts for about 30 percent of all industrial emissions in Germany. Until now. The country’s largest steel manufacturer is planning to substantially reduce its carbon emissions with a fundamental shift in technology. thyssenkrupp Steel launched one of the world's largest industrial decarbonization projects in 2024 to drive this transition. The company is building a direct reduction (DR) plant designed to run on green hydrogen, alongside two innovative smelters. Together, these facilities have the potential to eliminate 3.5 million tons of CO2 annually at the Duisburg site, which is a massive operation spanning an area roughly the size of 40 soccer fields. 

Pioneering Technology Requires Cross-Trade Coordination

Building the plant and its two smelters is just the first step. The site will ultimately become a massive industrial complex featuring more than 60 new buildings, facilities, and all the supporting infrastructure required. Drees & Sommer is providing cross-trade planning and consulting services to guarantee the necessary construction quality across the board. Successfully delivering a project of this scale requires precisely coordinating hundreds of individual planning and construction phases. A dedicated Drees & Sommer team of up to 80 transformation experts is managing this complex process, motivated by the opportunity to bring this sustainable, pioneering technology to life.