German steelmaker Salzgitter AG has announced that it has awarded the contract for the construction of a new electric arc furnace (EAF) at its newly acquired subsidiary Hüttenwerke Krupp-Mannesmann GmbH (HKM) in Duisburg, marking a major step in the transformation of the site toward low-carbon steel production.
HKM and Italian technology supplier Tenova signed the agreement, covering the delivery, installation and commissioning of the EAF, together with key auxiliary facilities. Construction is scheduled to begin in August 2026, with commissioning planned for 2029.
Germany's largest EAF
According to Salzgitter, the furnace will have a 285 mt tapping weight and an annual production capacity of up to 2.5 million mt, making it the largest electric arc furnace in Germany and the second largest in the European Union. The planned annual output is approximately 2 million mt of steel.
The project has secured €200 million in funding from the German federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia under the Federal Funding for Industry and Climate Action program, reflecting its strategic importance for the decarbonization of Germany's steel industry.
Salzgitter CEO Gunnar Groebler said the project integrates HKM into the group's low-carbon steel strategy, strengthens the long-term future of the Duisburg site and reinforces Salzgitter's position as a supplier of green steel.
Tenova technology to improve energy efficiency
The new furnace will feature Tenova's Consteel® technology, enabling continuous scrap charging via a conveyor system. The process uses waste heat from exhaust gases to preheat scrap, improving energy efficiency, reducing peak electricity demand and increasing productivity.
The furnace will also be capable of using a flexible mix of raw materials, including direct reduced iron (DRI), hot briquetted iron (HBI) and steel scrap, allowing the production of a broad range of steel grades.
In addition to the furnace itself, the contract includes the installation of a conveyor-based scrap charging system, a furnace transformer, a water cooling system, electrical transformers and an exhaust gas treatment system.
