„Green Steel“ offensive with Dillinger France: State subsidies for the modernisation of pusher furnace no. 2 in the framework of the decarbonisation programme of the French industry

Dillinger France are currently in the process of refurbishing one of their heating furnaces in the rolling mill, pusher furnace no. 2, in the framework of the corporate plan to continuously develop and sustainably secure business activities. The furnace’s recommissioning is scheduled for July 2021. With this refurbishment project, Dillinger France will be enabled to increase their slab steel heating capacity for the rolling of heavy plates, whilst at the same time optimising their energy consumption and CO2 emissions by installing new "high-performance" burners, a heat recovery system for the waste heat inherent in the flue gas, the limitation of thermal losses, and the utilisation of new IT-based furnace operation management models.

With their strategy, the Dillinger Group and its subsidiary Dillinger France are pursuing the targets of the Paris climate agreement and intend to produce top-grade products in a sustainable steel industry environment. Just as their parent company Dillinger, Dillinger France have also been certified for energy management according to ISO 50 001 since 2013, have been striving for the protection of our environment, and have already realised a reduction of their energy consumption by about 6% as well as of their CO2 emissions by approximately 5% during the past seven years. Accordingly, the company has ensured that 60% of the investment volume are spent on the improvement of the furnace’s energy efficiency.

The state subsidies of 1.8 Million Euro provide support for Dillinger France in partially financing their investment volume connected with the decarbonisation, with the objective of increasing the furnace performance by 11 % and of saving 12 GWh of natural gas annually. This corresponds to a reduction of CO2 emissions by 2,300 tons per annum or 2.7 % of the overall emissions produced at the site respectively.

This new investment project of Dillinger France is an inherent part of the Dillinger Group’s "Green Steel" offensive, which furthermore included the introduction of Germany’s very first steel production based on hydrogen in their blast furnaces in August of 2020, following an investment programme of 14 million Euro.