FERALPI STAHL and Juwi have signed an MoU to explore supplying the German steelmaker’s Riesa plant with renewable electricity from planned wind and solar projects in Saxony, according to the companies.
They said the agreement aims to support FERALPI STAHL’s goal of producing green steel using regional clean power.
Juwi said initial projects in the Mittelsachsen district are scheduled to enter operation by 2029.
It added that two planned wind farms will feature five and six turbines respectively, with each turbine expected to generate around 20,000,000kWh annually.
The partners said the projects could strengthen regional value creation by replacing imported energy with local production.
Juwi managing director Christian Arnold said the cooperation “can serve as a model for further projects in Germany and show that the transformation towards a climate-neutral heavy industry at the German location is possible”.
FERALPI STAHL general manager Uwe Reinecke said: “The cooperation with Juwi represents another possible step on our path towards the main goal: to produce green steel in Riesa.”
He said: “Investing more than €220m into our plant in Germany proves that we believe in the future of German steel production.”
The companies said the planned facilities will also provide opportunities for local contractors during construction and operation.
They added that FERALPI STAHL is considering taking an investment stake if the projects prove economically viable.
FERALPI STAHL and Juwi said the agreement aligns with the regional EWI alliance formed in 2022 by several industrial companies to address energy prices and climate protection, representing combined annual demand of about 2.1bnkWh of electricity and 1.4bnkWh of natural gas.