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| Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann |
HKM Blast Furnace B Restart Drives European Steel Decarbonization Strategy
Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann prepares to resume operations at blast furnace B following extensive maintenance. Salzgitter owns the German steelmaker after completing a full share acquisition in July 2026. Equipment testing will proceed over the next two weeks before actual commissioning.
The maintenance crew completely renewed the refractory lining inside the furnace during the shutdown. Technicians replaced cooling chambers and repaired inaccessible components to secure structural integrity. Blast furnace B holds an annual pig iron capacity of 2.7 million tonnes. Meanwhile, blast furnace A maintains a capacity of 2.5 million tonnes per year.
This operational restart aligns with the company's long-term transition toward green steel production. HKM signed a contract with Tenova to design and install an electric arc furnace. The new facility will produce 2.5 million tonnes of steel annually, making it Germany's largest EAF. Consequently, HKM plans to launch full EAF operations by 2029 to advance regional decarbonization targets.
ScrapInsight Commentary
This blast furnace restart provides short-term pig iron supply stability while European mills bridge the gap toward low-carbon metallurgy. However, HKM’s parallel commitment to a 2.5 million-tonne EAF highlights the accelerating shift away from primary blast furnace routes. As a result, long-term regional demand for high-grade ferrous scrap and direct reduced iron will rise significantly by 2029.
