TSR Recycling and thyssenkrupp Steel are proceeding with a joint venture to build a plant that incorporates the use of ferrous scrap in a blast over furnace (BOF) based on a technology developed by TSR.
The industrial-scale recycling production plant in Duisburg, Germany is anticipated to be commissioned by Q4 2022. The site was selected due to its proximity to thyssenkrupp’s BOF mill and TSR’s large Duisburg scrap yard along with the mill’s advanced measurement and monitoring systems to facilitate joint development.
The recycling process at the plant will use common recovered ferrous scrap to produce high-quality steel products within the BOF, which normally relies more on iron ore or high-end scrap alternatives such as pig iron. Scrap is used by BOFs for cooling in the production process, however, scrap use in high-quality primarily steel making is limited within such plants.
The process will be further developed in thyssenkrupp’s Duisburg BOF to optimize process and yield. The technology includes the development of a pre-processing plant. The process will remove the undesired materials from scrap so that it can be used by the blast furnace.
The German steelmaker will be able to reduce carbon emissions from the BOF process using the updated TSR technology. The project complements the hydrogen-based transformation path pursued by thyssenkrupp Steel.
Bernd Fleschenberg, chief operating officer at TSR said that the new process to produce certified raw materials for BOFs will satisfy the EU industry and meet the EU Green Deal targets as recycled raw materials will replace pig iron, which uses high carbon-emitting reducing agents. One ton of the recycled iron block could save about one ton of carbon dioxide.