Thyssenkrupp delays Duisburg green steel plant start to 2029

Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe now expects to start its hydrogen-based direct-reduction plant in Duisburg in 2029, about two years later than planned. A company spokesperson confirmed the delay and attributed it mainly to the engineering phase. The project costs around EUR 3bn, with up to EUR 2bn of subsidies from the German federal government and North Rhine-Westphalia; construction began in early 2024. Revised subsidy terms allow more natural gas to be blended with hydrogen during a transition period.

Why this mattersThe delay pushes back lower-carbon steel, and with it low-emission tinplate for can makers, from Germany's largest steelmaker, with ramp-up tied to hydrogen availability.

• Start-up now expected in 2029 instead of 2027, a delay of about two years
• Project cost of around EUR 3bn
• Up to EUR 2bn in subsidies, two-thirds from the federal government and one-third from North Rhine-Westphalia
• Construction began in early 2024; the direct-reduction tower is being erected and the melter foundations are under way
• Revised subsidy terms allow more natural gas to be blended with hydrogen during a transition period
• Even on natural gas, CO2 emissions would be more than halved compared with the blast-furnace route

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