Duisburg hydrogen start pushed to 2029

Germany has approved a more flexible transition to hydrogen at thyssenkrupp’s direct-reduction iron plant in Duisburg, according to Shanghai Metals Market. The decision addresses concerns over project financing and the availability of hydrogen as the group works to replace coal-based steelmaking.

Thyssenkrupp has received revised financing that allows construction to proceed. The company said the schedule change does not alter the estimated total project cost, while possible compensation and measures to accelerate construction remain under review.

Hydrogen Timing Remains Unsettled

The Duisburg facility is intended to replace one of thyssenkrupp’s four blast furnaces and eventually use green hydrogen instead of coke. Green-steel production is now targeted for 2029, two years later than the previous plan, according to the company spokeswoman and a European Commission document cited by Shanghai Metals Market.

The delay reduces the immediate risk of a construction halt but leaves the operating path less certain. Hydrogen prices, supply infrastructure and the pace of the fuel transition will influence the economics of the steel business during the ramp-up. The project has received 2 billion euros in German government support and carries an estimated total cost of 3 billion euros.

Thyssenkrupp stock traded at 12.52 euros on Lang & Schwarz at 6:29 p.m. CET on Wednesday, November 11, 0.24 percent above the Xetra close of Wednesday, November 11. The move was recorded after the Xetra session and is separate from the project’s industrial timetable.

The DAX market remains the wider reference point for German equities as investors assess industrial investment, energy costs and the outlook for lower-carbon production.

More news and analyses on Thyssenkrupp stock