SALCOS (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking)

Salzgitter AG

Salzgitter AG is converting its steel production at its Salzgitter site in Lower Saxony to hydrogen. The SALCOS® (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking) program prevents the generation of CO₂ directly in the production process. The first expansion stage consists of a direct reduction plant with an annual capacity of 2 million tons, an electric arc furnace, and a 100 MW electrolysis plant for hydrogen production on the factory premises.

The IPCEI project is being funded with around one billion euros by the German federal government and the state of Lower Saxony.
Production is scheduled to start in the first half of 2027. In the first step, around one-third of production will be converted to the hydrogen-based process. The complete transformation by the middle of the 2030s is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by over 95 percent.