Salzgitter permanently shut down blast furnace A at HKM in Duisburg after 53 years and 93 million tons of pig iron. The site now moves toward virtually carbon-neutral steel production, backed by EUR 200 million from Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia. Construction of Germany's largest electric arc furnace began in August 2026, with completion planned for 2029. Until the new furnace starts, blast furnace B stays online, producing about 3 million tons of pig iron per year. The transition is a concrete step in cutting emissions from one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize. The scale of the investment and timeline make this a notable industrial shift worth following.
