Demonstration of Digital Twins for a Green Steel Value ChainEU project “DiGreeS” aims to make steel production “greener”, more digital, and more economical.
Digital production platform aims to make steel production more sustainable and energy-efficient
The transition to environmentally friendly and low-carbon steel production in Europe requires a considerable reorganization and restructuring of steel production processes. This applies in particular to the implementation of new and innovative steel production methods. To plan and manage these enormous challenges and ensure sustainable steel production, a user-friendly digital platform for networked steel production is to be developed as part of the EU project “DiGreeS”* – under the leadership of the Fraunhofer IZFP in Saarbrücken – with a total of 11 European partners from industry and research. The European Union is funding the project with around 5 million euros.
It is everywhere and we have all come into contact with it: The all-rounder material “steel”. It can be found in cars, ships, bridges, high-rise buildings, tools and household appliances, for example, and it is impossible to imagine life without it. However, the production of this “all-round talent” is currently having a significant impact on our climate, particularly due to the high CO₂ emissions and the enormous energy consumption required for the entire steel production process.
Sustainable and digital steel production
The EU project DiGreeS, which starts in November 2024, aims to develop a user-friendly digital platform for networked steel production. The aim of the 3.5-year project is to implement an integrated digitalization approach for the steel value chain: For example, it aims to enable improved use of the industrial data collected along the process chain based on innovative and “soft” sensors.
Optimized product quality, lower CO2 emissions, lower energy consumption, lower costs
As part of the research project, comprehensive digital twins will be developed to improve the efficient verification of steel scrap, the real-time control of crude steel production at the electric arc furnace and the quality of intermediate and end products, and to increase process yield. In this context, the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies will also be fully exploited to support the optimal use of process data. Various scenarios will be modeled for three different use cases: The innovative digitalization solutions used are intended to increase the product quality of the steel products, the raw material and energy efficiency of the manufacturing process and thus increase their recyclability. At the same time, the digital platform aims to reduce the steel industry's CO2 emissions by up to 6 million tons per year and save annual costs of up to €800 million.
DiGreeS consortium:
The consortium has eleven partners from industry and research:
- Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e. V.: Fraunhofer IZFP (leading coordination) (DE)
- K1-MET GmbH (AT)
- HUN-REN SZTAKI - Szamitastechnikai es automatisalasi kutatointezet (HU)
- VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH (DE)
- Fraunhofer Austria Research GmbH (AT)
- SPECTRAL Industries BV (NL)
- Tata Steel Nederland Technology BV (NL)
- Saarstahl AG (DE)
- voestalpine Steel & Service Center GmbH (AT)
- voestalpine group-IT GmbH (AT)
- ESTEP plateforme technologique européenne de l’acier (B)
DiGreeS key data:
- Leading coordination by Fraunhofer IZFP (Dr.-Ing. Madalina Rabung)
- Funded by: European Union (HORIZON-CL4-2024-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-44)
- Duration: 11/2024 to 04/2028
- Total EU funding amount: around € 5 million
* Demonstration of digital twins for a green steel value chain