Steel crisis in Bremen: Klingbeil urgently demands solutions for green steel

Steel crisis in Bremen: Klingbeil urgently demands solutions for green steel

The mixed news about the steel industry also attracts everyone's attention in Cologne. The SPD leader Lars Klingbeil talks plainly after Arcelormittal officially canceled his plans for climate-neutral steel production in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt on Thursday. Klingbeil decidedly demands solutions to secure the future of industrial workplaces in Germany. Of course, the situation is worried, and so a summit for looking for a solution is being planned.

At an SPD state party conference in Cottbus, Klingbeil was concerned about the company's decision to give up the switch to CO2-reduced production methods. The company named the current market situation and doubts about the profitability of this sustainable production. The high risks related to price fluctuations and delivery bottlenecks when the green hydrogen required were also named as influencing factors. It looks as if the steel industry, one of the largest CO2 emitters in Germany, have to put back as they play a key role in the country's climate goals.

green steel: a future perspective

Klingbeil's demand for a solid perspective for “green steel” in Germany is not entirely unfounded. The SPD leader emphasizes the immense importance of this more climate-friendly production method for the future viability of Germany as a leading industrial location. The Federal Ministry of Economics regretted the decision of Arcelormittal and emphasizes that government funding for this project has never flowed. A funding contract that requested a start of construction by June 2025 no longer let possible action wait.

with a price of almost 1.3 billion euros, including 250 million euros from Bremen, one thought after a positive signal for decarbonizing the little thing. At this point it should be mentioned that the strategy of other companies such as Salzgitter and Thyssenkrupp, which have received a total of funding notices of 5.6 billion euros, is now in focus. These rivals seem to be significantly better in the race for the more environmentally friendly future and make it clear how important funding programs and transitional options are.

The role of green hydrogen

A central point of the problem: the availability and prices of the so -called green hydrogen. The former Federal Minister of Economics Habeck had already emphasized the importance of climate projects in the steel industry for the hydrogen economy. The American and European steel industry could progress in a direction that gives the climate goals a larger thrust. Many experts see the future in hydrogen-based production, which could significantly reduce CO2 emissions. With methods such as the electrical steel process, in which scrap is processed in electric laying stoves, CO2 emissions could already be reduced by 83 % today.

The Swiss Steel Group already shows how to do it right by using 100 % electric arc stoves and using green electricity. Such approaches could be groundbreaking when it comes to achieving the climate goals in steel production and at the same time increasing resource efficiency through recycling.

the population in Bremen and the remaining steel regions can be hoped that the announced summit can actually bring usable solutions and that the way to climate neutrality does not move far away.

For further information and insights into the developments of steel production, see the contributions by Bututenunbinnen , Zeit.de and Swisssteel-group .