Sustainability

ZERO CARBON – A CHALLENGE AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ECONOMY AND SOCIETY

Reducing emissions while staying competitive: Both society and the economy face the task of reducing carbon emissions in all areas, ideally to zero. Drees & Sommer supports organizations, companies, and local and city authorities with their transformation to zero carbon. The challenge here is to design the transformation in a way that ensures intergenerational equity – while at the same time focusing on Germany as an industrial location and securing our technological competitive advantage.

WHAT DOES ZERO CARBON MEAN?

Zero carbon means the necessary and comprehensive decarbonization of all sectors. Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas will have to be completely replaced by renewable energies (such as solar, wind power and geothermal) – and raw materials in industry, replaced, for example, by ‘green’ hydrogen. The use of waste heat as green process heat is also of central importance as an element of the green heating transition. In a broader context, carbon cycles must be established – for example, CO₂ from (industrial) processes and in the atmosphere can be turned into usable resources through the use of technologies such as Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU), Carbon DioxideRemoval (CDR) and Direct Air Capture (DAC).

WHY AND TO WHAT EXTENT IS ZERO CARBON RELEVANT FOR YOU?

Humanity cannot afford to allow climate change to continue unchecked if we want to preserve the fundamental basis of life. Societies and economic players must take responsibility.

Future viability and corporate sustainability are at stake for all of us.
The EU Green Deal – with the associated Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) and regulatory framework (taxonomy) – mean that companies must start laying the groundwork for a sustainable future today if they want to remain competitive.
This process starts with transparent sustainability analysis and the progressive reduction and replacement of fossil fuels and energy production systems with renewable technologies.
It also requires the tracking and further development of solutions – leading to entire business processes becoming climate neutral.

THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS ZERO CARBON: OUR APPROACH: A HOLISTIC CARBON STRATEGY

We help you develop a holistic strategy for carbon neutrality. We work according to the ‘measure, reduce, offset’ principle:

First, we carry out an analysis of the current situation and audit your carbon emissions. Based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the focus is on direct emissions from combustion processes, indirect emissions from energy generation, and on all other indirect emissions from business activities.
We then examine and define your carbon savings potential and show you economically feasible measures to reduce carbon.
If required, we can support you with the implementation, monitoring and reporting of these measures.

Scope 1

Direct emissions within the company

Burning fuels
Heating and cooling
Company fleet
Processes

Scope 2

Indirect emissions within the company

External energy supply (electricity, district heating / cooling)

Scope 3

All other indirect emissions

Business travel (by air, rail, bus, car and taxi)
Employee commuting
Water consumption
Paper consumption
Building materials used
Procurement of materials, products and services

ELEMENTARY: SECTOR COUPLING TO CREATE AN INTEGRATED OVERALL SYSTEM

The effective key to successful implementation of zero carbon is sector coupling: Industry, mobility, heat and electricity are then no longer considered in isolation, but interact with each other. Existing infrastructure is indispensable and must be integrated economically and intelligently.

Green heating transition

Alongside the expansion of renewable energies and power grids, the green heating transition is of increasing importance. High-temperature industrial processes, hot water – and, above all, indoor heating – account for about half of the energy consumed in Germany. In order for the energy transition – and thus zero carbon – to succeed, it is essential to transition heat generation to renewable energies and to expand and convert existing district and local heating networks and establish new ones. In addition to large-scale heat pumps or deep geothermal energy, waste heat must exploited by means of heating networks.

Drees & Sommer experts support you with the strategic development of complex energy projects and programs. We accompany you from the first potential analysis and concept development right through to operational realization and commissioning of plants and systems.

Green hydrogen

In addition to the further expansion of renewable energies and the accelerated expansion of the grid, there is an increasing focus on the hydrogen economy. Germany, too, has recognized its potential. Drees & Sommer provides support throughout the entire green hydrogen value chain – from production, transport, stockpiling and storage to its use. Our expertise includes structural, engineering and infrastructure consulting for plant and equipment, as well as concepts, planning and efficient realization.

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Power plants and fuel switch

In the course of the energy transition, existing nuclear and coal-fired power plants are gradually being shut down and dismantled. In addition to the challenges that this complex and often lengthy work entails, the question arises as to the future use of the buildings and areas. One possibility could be to switch to a sustainable, green fuel. Teams of experts from Drees & Sommer support operators in making this transition.

Renewables

Massive expansion of renewable energy production will be necessary to compensate for the loss of conventional generation capacity. The energy transition requires a holistic approach and visionary solutions, such as sector coupling and innovative storage technologies.

Drees & Sommer experts support you with the strategic development of complex energy projects and programs. We accompany you from the first potential analysis to realization and commissioning of plants and systems.

Green industry

The industrial sector faces major challenges if environmental and climate protection goals are to be achieved. Industrial processes must be adapted to meet legal requirements. Production of iron and steel is energy intensive, as are the chemical sector and the cement industry. But they have access to an ever-increasing range of options, including, for example, the production of green steel – which uses direct reduction with hydrogento avoid carbon emissions. Our technical know-how and project experience make Drees & Sommer the perfect partner for your future industrial site: From site analysis and assessment, conceptual and economic consulting, planning, tendering and contract award to implementation support.

Restructuring of the power grids

New construction projects in the energy sector place great demands on all parties involved. The expansion of the electricity grid, in particular, involves complex long-term projects requiring resources that are in scarce supply. Such projects also place considerable strain on the principal’s organization. Drees & Sommer supports clients at critical points with its experience, methodological expertise, and digital tools.

Green mobility

The mobility sector has set strict targets for environmental and climate protection. Operators must adapt their systems to meet legal requirements. But they have access to an ever-greater range of options: Improved technologies for alternative drives are now on the market. This applies to both road and rail, but also to aviation. We offer tailor-made solutions and develop cross-location concepts. Our technical know-how and project experience make Drees & Sommer the perfect partner for your future mobility: From site analysis and assessment, conceptual and economic consulting, planning, tendering and contract award to implementation support.

HOW ARE WE IMPLEMENTING ZERO CARBON AT DREES & SOMMER?

On the way to becoming a Beneficial Company

As a Beneficial Company, we give back more to the environment than we consume through our business activities. In this way, we make lasting positive contributions to the environment and society, and provide the greatest possible benefit in these areas.

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Press 10/06/2026

Low-Carbon Steel Production for the Future: Drees & Sommer Supports German Steel Manufacturer thyssenkrupp on the Construction of an Innovative Production Plant

On a construction site roughly the size of forty soccer pitches, thyssenkrupp Steel is building a hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) plant and two open bath furnaces (OBF) at its Duisburg steelworks. © thyssenkrupp Steel

Since mid-2024, civil engineering works have already been underway for the new direct reduction (DR) plant. It is being built not far from the existing power plant in Duisburg-Walsum. © thyssenkrupp Steel

Duisburg, Germany, June 10, 2026. At Germany’s biggest steel manufacturer all signs are pointing to transformation: the blast furnaces at thyssenkrupp Steel’s steelworks in the German city of Duisburg are ultimately to be replaced by a modern direct reduced iron (DRI) plant. Low-carbon pig iron is to be manufactured there using environmentally friendly hydrogen technology and innovative open bath furnaces (OBF). This is a groundbreaking move, as the steel industry accounts for around thirty percent of Germany’s total industrial emissions. The German federal government and the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia are contributing two billion euros to this future-oriented project. Stuttgart-based Drees & Sommer SE focuses on consulting services for the construction and real estate sectors. The firm’s expert teams support thyssenkrupp Steel in the areas of project design and structural engineering, building services engineering, building physics and infrastructure planning. SMS Group, a company with headquarters in the German city of Mönchengladbach, is responsible for the construction of the direct reduced iron plant.

The new plant heralds a technological watershed. It is one of the largest projects in the company’s history. With a capacity of 2.5 million metric tons of direct-reduced iron, the planned direct reduced iron plant is one of the most important decarbonization projects in the world. Dr. Florian Kremers, Chief Operations Officer Upstream Operations and Head of DRI & OBF Plant at thyssenkrupp Steel, commented: “With the direct reduced iron plant and the two downstream open bath furnaces, we can save up to 3.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year when operating on hydrogen. This corresponds to about one-fifth of the total emissions of carbon dioxide caused by Germany’s steel industry. What is referred to as ‘the direct reduced iron method’ is a sustainable alternative to the energy and carbon dioxide intensive blast furnace process, with hydrogen being used as the reducing agent instead of coal. However, before the first environmentally friendly steel can leave the plant in Duisburg, there is excavating, drilling and construction work to be done.

Demanding the Highest Level of Planning Expertise

The substructure work on the site, which is not far from the existing power plant in Duisburg’s Walsum district and is the size of around forty soccer pitches, began back in mid-2024. Almost all of the foundations have now been prepared and stabilized with massive piles, access roads constructed, and pipes laid. In addition to the new direct reduced iron plant with the tower and two open bath furnaces that form the centerpieces, numerous functional facilities and structures are being constructed, including a large office and workshop building, a completely new traffic infrastructure and storage areas.

“We are dealing here with a very huge industrial complex comprising over sixty new buildings and facilities. So, the planning work is indeed challenging. The project demands the highest level of planning and construction expertise, and the utmost of all the stakeholders in terms of communication and coordination,” said Christoph Blessing, who is responsible for the large-scale project at Drees & Sommer. The consulting firm is commissioned to provide planning and consulting services across all trades. In the building design phase, Drees & Sommer facilitates technical discussions, and the company’s experts ensure the quality of plans and documents.

A High Impact Passion Project

The planning expert explained: “Hundreds of planning and construction steps must be coordinated thoroughly in order to make sure that the plant construction work runs smoothly. This is one of the project’s biggest challenges." Despite the great complexity of the project, Christoph Blessing and his 80-strong team are enthusiastically committed to it: “We are hugely motivated by the fact that we are implementing a pioneering technology. The DRI plant we are building will contribute to the transformation of the steel industry from one of the biggest carbon dioxide emitters to a climate-conscious producer.“

thyssenkrupp Steel is also highly invested in the project, which marks a turning point in the group’s history. However, the necessary green hydrogen remains very expensive, and it is not yet available on the market in sufficient quantities. The new plant will therefore operate on natural gas initially, which already saves more than fifty percent of carbon dioxide emissions. In the long term, for large-scale industrial users, such as thyssenkrupp Steel, it is crucial that the hydrogen network be expanded to meet the growing demand. This development is necessary to ensure market viability and competitiveness of green hydrogen.

In Focus: Strategies for a secure and zero-carbon energy supply

Our energy supply and industrial processes are still based on coal, oil and gas. But it is essential that humanity transitions to zero carbon emissions. This requires all sectors to be optimized – turbocharged by green power and hydrogen. This scale of this transformation will be at least as far-reaching as the three previous industrial revolutions. And in view of the war in Ukraine and its unpredictable consequences, the issue of energy security adds a further dimension of uncertainty.

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