Offtaker Tata Steel Netherlands on Using the Perfect Mix

When you talk about steel, you talk about coal. But that relationship will increasingly fade into the background in the coming years. Speaker Albert Kassies, Director New Energy at Tata Steel Netherlands, shares his view on green hydrogen in the steel industry and Tata Steel IJmuiden in particular.

Almost all steel companies in Europe choose to close blast furnaces and make steel primarily in a so-called Direct Reduced Iron Plant (DRP). Steel is made by reducing iron ore. This can be done with carbon, which creates CO2, or with hydrogen, which only releases water (H2O). Tata Steel Netherlands wants to say goodbye to blast furnaces in two steps. The first green steel must be delivered by 2030. The company does so by building installations that can run on both natural gas and hydrogen, or on a mixture of the two. With the switch from coal to natural gas, 80% CO2 reduction is already achieved. The last percentages are won with a complete switch to hydrogen.

Recently, it was found that there is broad support in the Dutch parliament for the accelerated sustainability plan of Tata Steel. How does green hydrogen help with that?

Albert Kassies: “By building installations that can work on both natural gas and hydrogen, our company can play an important role in driving the hydrogen economy. That is good news for the region, but it is also recognised in The Hague. When green hydrogen is affordable and available, we switch to green hydrogen. If that hydrogen is not available or affordable, then we will rely more on natural gas. That way, we ensure balance in the energy system of the future.”

The Hydrogen 2 Amsterdam (H2A) foundation is committed to importing green hydrogen through the port of Amsterdam. What can import of green hydrogen mean for that acceleration?

“The amount of hydrogen we can take is so large that we believe in a mix of import, supply via the backbone, and our own production in the port area. By not relying on just one way of supply, but on the mix, we are building a stable system together.”

During the H2A Symposium, you will be in the talk show with the theme ‘Hydrogen as a key instrument for decarbonisation’. Why shouldn’t participants miss this? “Indeed, green hydrogen is important for the decarbonisation of the industry in the Netherlands. At the same time, it has become clear that it may take a long time before green hydrogen is available in sufficient quantities and at a suitable price. Until then, we will have to keep an open mind towards other ways to decarbonise. During this talk show, we will shine our light on green hydrogen, but also on other solutions. That makes it exciting and versatile.”

To register for the H2A Hydrogen Symposium on July 4, 2024, click here