Erdemir successfully completes hydrogen injection trial in the 1st Blast Furnace
Aiming to reach net zero emissions by 2050, Erdemir has achieved a significant milestone in its green steel transformation journey. Investing in the future with innovative solutions, Erdemir successfully completed the injection of hydrogen into the 1st Blast Furnace, a first in Türkiye. Erdemir, which is determined to continue its efforts toward greener production processes, will also contribute to Türkiye's 2053 net zero target.
Erdemir, one of the leading producers in the Turkish steel industry, is shaping the future of the sector while implementing the steps outlined in the green transformation roadmap announced at the beginning of 2024. Erdemir, having successfully completed the hydrogen injection into the 1st Blast Furnace on October 17-18, 2024, marking another first in Türkiye, became the third steel producer in Europe to adopt this practice.
In collaboration with Erdemir Engineering and Linde, hydrogen gas was injected into the 1st Blast Furnace over the course of two days. In addition to approximately 2.2 tons of liquid hydrogen supplied by Linde via tanker, additional hydrogen was provided by the hydrogen plant within Erdemir's Cold Rolling Mill. In this process, Linde managed the automation systems for the gasification and pressure reduction stations, while Erdemir Engineering handled detailed engineering and overall project management for the injection system. The system installation and commissioning were carried out jointly by Erdemir and Linde teams.
Hydrogen injection began on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 10:00 with a flow rate of 250 Nm3/hour of hydrogen supplied from Erdemir's Hydrogen Facilities through a single tuyere. With the commissioning of Linde's liquid hydrogen tanker at 16:00, the 1st Blast Furnace was injected with hydrogen at a flow rate of 2,000 Nm3/hour through four tuyeres. During the trial, which concluded successfully at 14:00 on October 18, 0.6 kg of hydrogen gas was injected per ton of liquid raw iron. Additionally, a higher injection rate of 1 kg per ton of liquid crude iron was also tested.
As a result of the trials and simulation efforts conducted by several companies worldwide in collaboration with Erdemir, it is estimated that up to 28 kg of hydrogen injection per ton of liquid crude iron can be theoretically achieved in blast furnaces, potentially reducing direct CO2 emissions by 15-16% during the blast furnace process.
The findings from the successful trial have provided valuable data for higher utilization rates. Thanks to the experience gained, and in line with the increasing availability of lower-carbon hydrogen gas in Türkiye, the path has been cleared for applying this process across all blast furnaces within OYAK Mining Metallurgy. Moreover, a major step has been taken in bringing the technological infrastructure critical to the green transformation to Türkiye.
Erdemir, now ranked among the world’s leading manufacturers for hydrogen injection into blast furnaces, has once again demonstrated its forward-thinking vision, commitment to sustainable development, and engineering know-how and competence. By pioneering this transformative practice in the Turkish steel industry and aligning with the net zero emission target, Erdemir continues its determined efforts towards cleaner, greener production and remains a key contributor to Türkiye's 2053 net zero goal.