With the aim to improve the carbon balance of its steel plant operations located at Duisburg-Huckingen in the Ruhr region in Germany, Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann GmbH (HKM) has selected Paul Wurth S.A, a Luxembourg-headed international engineering company belonging to the SMS Group, for concept engineering and budget calculation services for a novel Ecoloop pilot syngas generation and injection plant at blast furnaces “A” and “B”.

The utilization of syngas – a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen – in the blast furnace enables a reduction in the share of fossil reductants needed in the process thus reducing the overall carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in hot metal production.
HKM intends to generate syngas out of solid recovered fuels (SRF). For this purpose, around 45 000 tonnes per annum of recycled high calorific plastic materials and waste woodchips have to be processed and delivered to HKM in Duisburg.
Novel Ecoloop gasification technology
On-site, the generation of syngas will rely on a novel counterflow gasification technology developed by Ecoloop GmbH. A battery assembly of so-called Ecoloop BBV reformers – gasifiers with wood and lime as the reaction moving bed. Thanks to this technology and the use of recycled raw materials, the plant will be a global novelty for syngas generation.
The entire syngas generation plant, for which Paul Wurth provides engineering services, mainly consists of the receiving and storage station for the SRF raw material; the subsequent transport, mixing, and dosing devices up to the syngas reformer battery; about 100 integrated syngas reformers; syngas cooling, compression and transport to the new coke oven gas compressor station; dust-free transport of ashes; related EIC system; and civil works.
In parallel to the ongoing feasibility studies, Ecoloop is running tests at its pilot plant in Lauingen, aimed at further optimizing the syngas quality. HKM’s objective is to start operating the new syngas generation plant in 2023.
For Paul Wurth, the present project is seen as “an important step” with regard to the market recognition of the company’s readily available technologies for CO2 emission reduction from blast furnace operations in the iron and steel sector.