Public-private partnership towards green steel

18 March 2021

Paul Wurth S.A., a company of SMS group, and the University of Luxembourg have entered into an agreement to create and finance the Paul Wurth Chair in Energy Process Engineering. The partnership supports Luxembourg’s ambition to develop a centre of excellence in fields surrounding the emerging hydrogen economy.

Hydrogen: A key to future energy systems

The Paul Wurth headquarters in Luxembourg is home to SMS group’s global hydrogen competence centre. Hydrogen is considered a crucial factor in future energy systems and energy transformation and in the transition to greener energy sources. One game-changing solution lies in Power-to-Liquid applications for the production of synthetic fuels and downstream products. Hydrogen also promises to become an alternative to coal – both as a reducing agent in steelmaking and as a driver of the large-scale transformation of the steel industry, which today is a large emitter of CO2.

“We are working on the decarbonisation solutions of tomorrow, with the clear goal of enabling CO2-free steel production.”

Professor Hans Ferkel, CTO of SMS group

The agreement between Paul Wurth and the University of Luxembourg to create and finance the Paul Wurth Chair in Energy Process Engineering ties in closely with this ambition. This cooperation will be instrumental for Paul Wurth to become a global innovation centre for metallurgy and hydrogen within the SMS group and to continue the technology-driven initiatives already started by dedicated taskforces. For the university, the initiative is part of its strategy to develop research and an educational offer with a focus on sustainability.

“We look forward to working closely with the University of Luxembourg and are committed to staying in the lead in the global challenge of making green steel,” comments Professor Ferkel.

Cutting-edge research

The chair will be hosted at the university’s Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM) in the Department of Engineering. It aims to conduct cutting-edge research in the field of hydrogen processing and related aspects of carbon-neutral industrial processes. The team attached to the chair will also engage in teaching at Bachelor, Master and doctoral level. In addition, the chair will participate in outreach activities to stimulate interest in key challenges in the field of engineering.

“The creation of the new chair is well aligned with the university’s research strategy and will contribute to the development of the university’s Department of Engineering, in particular in the area of process engineering and hydrogen processing,” says Professor Stéphane Pallage, Rector of the University of Luxembourg. “It will enhance our international visibility, contribute to academic excellence and make a lasting impact on the academic and industrial landscape of Luxembourg,”

“The new chair builds on an existing long-term cooperation between Paul Wurth and the University, in particular in Bachelor and Master teaching as well as the Hydrogen Think-tank initiated within the Department of Engineering. It will be a catalyst for new research activities related to the future hydrogen economy which is important to industry and to the economy in Luxembourg and beyond,” states Professor Jean-Marc Schlenker, Dean of the FSTM.

This article was originally published by the Luxembourg Trade & Invest

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