Pioneering Partnership Promotes Progressive Plant Practices

Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, the flagship flat products subsidiary of Salzgitter AG, has embraced a key strategic transition by commissioning Tenova Italimpianti to provide its third advanced walking beam furnace at the Fos-sur-Mer steelworks. This alliance deepens a many‑year equipment relationship and typifies Salzgitter’s resolve to modernise its hot strip mill into a benchmark of low-emission steel manufacturing across Europe.

Technological Triumph Through Tenova’s Tailored Tools

Tenova Italimpianti will oversee the full delivery lifecycle, from furnace design to commissioning. The package includes charging and discharging machinery, discharging roller tables, advanced PLC systems, sensor-based control modules, predictive maintenance algorithms, and a human–machine interface that enables real‑time operational monitoring and lockdown diagnostics.

Furnace Features Fuel Future‑Ready Fabrication

Engineered to process up to 320 metric tons per hour of steel slabs in dual‑row mode, the furnace incorporates cutting‑edge air‑pre‐heating units that achieve higher thermal efficiency through staged combustion. Crucially, it is outfitted with hydrogen‑capable burners and oxygen injection zones that together reduce fuel demand by accelerating flame propagation and achieving more uniform slab heating.

Green Gains & Gravitational Heat Harvesting

The furnace integrates a thermodynamic heat recovery system that captures exhaust gas thermal energy for steam generation. This recovered steam is distributed across the plant to power steam turbines, descaling stations, or auxiliary reheating units. Thermal modelling predicts that the heat reclamation alone will cut energy needs by up to 15%, before factoring in combustion enhancements.

Hydrogen Harmony & CO₂ Consciousness

Thanks to its hydrogen burners, the furnace can progressively switch from natural gas to green hydrogen when infrastructure permits. This capability supports Salzgitter’s decarbonisation roadmap, as hydrogen combustion produces only water vapour and negligible CO₂ emissions. Paired with the oxygen injection zones, which lower NOₓ emissions by shortening the flame envelope, the new furnace aligns closely with emerging EU emissions standards.

Strategic Step Strengthens Salzgitter’s Sustainability Storyline

Thomas Routschek, Operations Director at Salzgitter Flachstahl, notes that the furnace will reduce slab reheating energy consumption by up to 30% and diminish CO₂ output per ton of hot strip produced. It also complements a broader sustainability agenda that includes scrap‑based Electric Arc Furnace integration and planned carbon capture systems.

Tenova’s Tenacity Translates to Trusted Technological Tenure

Antonio Catalano, EVP of Tenova’s Downstream Business Unit, emphasised the significance of the order in cementing Tenova’s leadership in eco‑efficient metallurgy. He stated that the system’s modularity and digital interfaces empower Salzgitter to scale hydrogen usage and to achieve Industry 4.0 integration through real‑time performance data and adaptive control techniques.

Fabrication Future Framed by Forward‑Thinking Foundries

In a global steel industry moving towards decarbonization, Salzgitter’s deployment of a hydrogen‑ready furnace exemplifies a template for scalable, retrofit-able green upgrades. Projects like this suggest that traditional steelmakers can meet net‑zero goals through advanced combustion designs, intelligent energy recovery, and staged transitions to zero‑carbon fuels.

Key Takeaways:

• The new hydrogen‑ready, 320 t/h walking beam furnace will cut slab reheating energy by up to 30% and lower CO₂ emissions

• It features hydrogen burners, oxygen injection, and a heat recovery system that converts waste heat into usable steam

This is Tenova’s third furnace at Salzgitter, reinforcing long‑term cooperation and Tenova’s position in sustainable steel innovation