RWE and Arcelor Mittal want to build offshore wind farms

Essen (energate) - The energy supplier RWE and the steel producer Arcelor Mittal want to cooperate in the development, construction and operation of offshore wind farms and hydrogen plants. The partnership is aimed at advancing the production of CO2-neutral steel, both companies announced. The plan is to replace coal with wind energy and to establish green hydrogen as the main energy source for steel production at Arcelor Mittal's steel plants in Germany. Accordingly, RWE and Arcelor Mittal are examining options for joint participation in tenders for offshore wind farm sites in the North Sea.
 

Companies rely on hydrogen

RWE and Arcelor Mittal also want to cooperate in the development of green hydrogen: Together, the companies want to look for areas where electrolysis plants can be built to supply the steel production sites in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt. Initially, a 70 MW pilot plant is to be built by 2026. In the long term, the companies intend to expand their cooperation to projects up to the gigawatt range - subject to the approval of public funding.

In addition to the partnership on renewable electricity and green hydrogen, the companies intend to explore possible uses for Arcelor Mittal's low-emission steel in components for RWE's renewable electricity generation plants. RWE wants to be climate neutral by 2040. To achieve this goal, the energy company needs to decarbonise its supply chain, it added. The use of low-emission steel will make an important contribution to this. /df