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European industrial decarbonization efforts
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2026-09-28 18:21 UTC → 2026-09-29 19:02 UTC ·
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Research indicates that European heavy industries, including steel, cement, and chemicals, can achieve decarbonization through 2050 without sacrificing economic growth. A study suggests that a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 is possible by utilizing green hydrogen and recycled scrap, though cement production may require carbon capture technology to mitigate inherent CO2 releases. In practice, the German steel industry is undergoing a massive climate transformation. In Saarland, a shift from coal and coke to hydrogen-based production via direct reduction plants is centered on a 4.6 billion euro project. project led by Stahl-Holding-Saar (SHS). This initiative is supported by 2.6 billion euros in federal and state subsidies, with the remaining costs covered by the companies involved. New facilities in Dillingen and Völklingen aim to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 55 percent—approximately 4.8 million tons annually—by the early 2030s, targeting CO2 neutrality by 2045. While political leaders, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Merz and Saarland Minister-President Anke Rehlinger, have praised emphasized the transition as a means to maintain importance of maintaining domestic steel production for industrial competitiveness, sovereignty, significant hurdles remain. The industry faces the scarcity and high cost of green hydrogen, which experts predict could cost at least twice as much as grey hydrogen through 2030. Consequently, the transition will initially rely on natural gas before fully switching to hydrogen. Additionally, the sector faces ongoing competition from cheaper international steel imports. Major players such as Thyssenkrupp and Salzgitter AG continue to pursue similar transformation projects across Germany.
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- 2026-09-29 19:02 UTC European industrial decarbonization efforts
- 2026-09-28 18:21 UTC European industrial decarbonization efforts
- 2026-09-28 02:48 UTC European industrial decarbonization efforts
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