“The goal is to install one electrolyzer per week,” said Piyush Mishra, who oversees construction and equipment installation at the green hydrogen plant.
The first steel was raised in late 2024, and just six months later, all four of the massive electrolyzer buildings are nearing completion and the first process equipment has been installed.
The 20 megawatt electrolyzers from thyssenkrupp nucera are an impressive sight, each measuring 40 meters long and nine meters high. Using alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), they will split water into hydrogen and oxygen using 100% renewable electricity, producing more than 100,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually.
The green hydrogen will then be used to purify iron ore in our green iron plant. In a direct reduction process, the green hydrogen reacts with the oxygen in the iron ore, producing green direct reduced iron that is then used to make green steel. The main by-product is water, rather than the large amounts of CO2 emitted in traditional ironmaking processes.
“We needed something that could reliably deliver over 700 megawatts, and alkaline water electrolysis was the best solution. While some technologies offer more flexibility, we needed something that could deliver a reliable supply 24 hours a day,” said Hedvig Paradis, global head of hydrogen technology.
AWE also has a larger footprint than some other technologies. “That is not really an issue for us as we have plenty of space here,” said Hedvig, referring to Stegra’s 70-hectare hydrogen site.
Today, the green hydrogen facility is dominated by the four electrolyzer buildings that will form its beating heart. In the coming months, they will be joined by additional structures that will contain, among other things, an electrical substation, purifiers, and compressors.
“We are preparing our compressor foundation, to receive the first out of five compressors expected in July,” said Piyush. “In parallel, we are working on the utilities area.”
Stegra’s first steel production lines will go live in 2026 using recycled steel scrap as raw material, with green hydrogen-based iron and steelmaking beginning shortly thereafter and a full-scale ramp in 2027. By 2028, the company aims to reach steady-state operations across the green hydrogen, green iron, and green steel plants.
