17th May 2021

Italiana Coke and Paul Wurth to test new CO2 reducing technology

Genoa/Luxembourg, 17 May 2021. The Italian coke supplier Italiana Coke and Paul Wurth, a company of SMS group, have signed an agreement to install a test facility for assessing a newly developed CO₂ reducing technology at Italiana Coke’s production site in Cairo Montenotte (Savona), Italy.

The project is aimed at validating the feasibility of an innovative process Paul Wurth developed to generate CO₂ neutral hot syngas from coke plant by-products by dry reforming. The subsequent utilisation of syngas (a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen) in the blast furnace allows decreasing the portion of fossil reductants and thus reducing CO₂ emissions in the hot metal production process by expected 15-20%, with competitive operating costs and no CO₂ taxation incurred.

Thomas Hansmann, Chief Technology and Operations Officer of Paul Wurth says: “I am convinced this is the right direction to achieve significant results in terms of emission abatement. This cooperation is a further important step towards carbon neutral ironmaking for which Paul Wurth and SMS group aim to be the technological front runners”.

Paolo Cervetti, Managing Director of Italiana Coke S.r.l. says: “Italiana Coke and Paul Wurth have a long history of cooperation and research. In the frame of our efforts to improve and search for better environmental performances, Italiana Coke is proud to help Paul Wurth pilot an innovative project and test a revolutionary technology, aimed at reducing steel production cycle emissions worldwide”.

About Italiana Coke

The history of Italiana Coke dates back to the very roots of Italian industry. For over 100 years, the group has been working alongside numerous companies in various industrial sectors as suppliers of coke, reaching international markets by means of an integrated logistics system. Since taking over Eni’s coke production and bulk logistics operations in 1994, Italiana Coke has always focused on the growth and continuous improvement of its operational activities and customer satisfaction. The continuous technological advancements at the plants have given Italiana Coke the opportunity to team up with a number of major companies around the world.