Pioneering hydrogen utilization in EAF steel production

At the end of October 2024, Pittini Group hosted representatives from RINA, SMS group, Nippon Gases Italy, and Celsa Barcelona for the tests of the SMS hydrogen burner at the Ferriere Nord site, in Osoppo, Italy.
The trials, spanning two full days of operation, demonstrated the burner’s capacity to handle a hydrogen content increasing rapidly from 0 to 100% at an average power of 3 MW, with additional campaigns at 4 MW. The SMS hydrogen-fueled burner underwent rigorous testing to ensure mechanical and thermal resilience under EAF operating conditions. Several heats were melted in the EAF, and it is noteworthy that four of them were processed using only the hydrogen burner while the other burners were switched. These comparative tests helped to deeply understand the innovative burner’s behavior. During the tests, the burner’s behavior was smooth as expected.
The tests at Ferriere Nord are part of the “Developing and Enabling H2 Burner Utilization to Produce Liquid Steel in Electric Arc Furnaces (DevH2forEAF)” project, a collaborative effort by SMS group, RINA, Nippon Gases, RWTH Aachen University, Ferriere Nord, Celsa, and AFV Gruppo Beltrame. Supported by the European Union’s Research Fund for Coal and Steel, this initiative aims to revolutionize steel manufacturing by integrating hydrogen as a primary fuel source in electric arc furnaces (EAF). Central to the project is the innovative multi-fuel burner developed by SMS group, which can transition from natural gas to 100% hydrogen utilization. A significant milestone was already achieved in March with successful tests at the RINA experimental combustion station in Dalmine, Italy, validating the burner’s operational capabilities under varying conditions. By integrating hydrogen into EAF processes, the initiative paves the way for a greener future in the steel industry and strengthens the partnership’s commitment to a sustainable future in steel production.
Now, after the first successful industrial test at Ferriere Nord, anticipation builds for the next phase of industrial testing at the Celsa Steel plant in Barcelona, Spain. This upcoming test is expected to further validate the technology’s industrial applicability.