• The SYRIUS Project will provide scalable solutions for decarbonising the steel industry, one of the most carbon-intensive sectors.
• It is expected to be completed within five years.

Elcogen, a company that develops affordable green hydrogen and other greener technologies, has announced that it has undertaken an initiative, called SYRIUS Project, along with its partners to decarbonise the steel industry.

The project is expected to be finished within five years with €10 million in funding from the Horizon Europe Programme. As part of the project, the largest Solid Oxide Electrolyser (SOEC) demonstration in Europe, a 4.2 MWel unit, will be installed at a steel plant operated by Acciai Speciali Terni in Terni, Italy.

Once this system is in place, 100 kg of green hydrogen will be produced in an hour, which can be used to fuel a 280-ton steel/h, 84 MWth slab reheating furnace. Hydrogen plays an outsized role in reducing dependence on fossil fuels in steel production.

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SYRIUS will also adopt several innovations with the objective of increasing circularity and energy efficiency. It will recover furnace off-gas heat to generate steam for the SOEC, reuse oxygen by-products in the steel plant, and adopt water recycling solutions.

By doing so, 5,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will be eliminated annually from the steel reheating stage, improving energy efficiency as well as reducing the environmental impact of steel manufacturing.

Martin Skov Skjøth-Rasmussen, CTO at Elcogen, said: "This is the largest SOEC project in Europe, backed by a formidable consortium of experts. By demonstrating the SYRIUS concept in a working steel plant, we are not only advancing industrial adoption but also providing a tangible, scalable solution that will unlock new market opportunities.

"We’re talking about decarbonizing one of the most challenging sectors and endeavoring to make it commercially viable to do so. The potential impact of this initiative is truly exciting, and we’re very proud to be a part of it."

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Multiple partners are involved in delivering the project: Elcogen will provide SOEC technology; Baker Hughes will oversee the design and installation of the electrolyser prototype; Politecnico di Milano will develop an Energy Management System (EMS); Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen will assess the environmental and social benefits; Fondazione Bruno Kessler will focus on digital modelling; Tenova Spa will integrate the SOEC with heat recovery systems; and finally, Kiwa Nederland & Vincotte will ensure safety and certification.

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Source: Elcogen