On September 1, 2025, German steelmaker Salzgitter AG announced that it has marked a major milestone in its transition to low-carbon steelmaking with the groundbreaking ceremony of a new large-scale scrap shredder plant at its subsidiary Deutsche Erz- und Metall-Union GmbH (DEUMU).
The €30 million plant is designed to process old scrap into high-quality grades, supporting the company’s SALCOS® initiative - Salzgitter Low CO₂ Steelmaking program. Scheduled to begin operations in 2027, SALCOS® aims to revolutionize steel production with significantly reduced carbon emissions.
Why steel scrap matters
Steel scrap is already a critical secondary raw material in both:
- blast furnace and converter production (primary steel route)
- electric arc furnaces
As the steel industry shifts toward green steel, demand for high-purity scrap is expected to surge. To address this, DEUMU collaborated with Salzgitter’s research and production teams to develop a new “SALCOS® scrap grade 4”, specifically tailored to the requirements of low-carbon production.
“The construction of the new large shredder is a significant step towards making even better use of existing secondary raw materials such as scrap,” Sandrina Sieverdingbeck, managing director at DEUMU, commented.
Strategic partnerships
The shredder’s construction involves strong collaboration with:
- Germany-based machinery and plant manufacturer Lindemann GmbH
- Belgium-based engineering and technical solutions provider Lybover
The welded parts of the new shredder leverage 112 tons of structural steel supplied by Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH, another Salzgitter AG subsidiary.
