Castellanza, June 23, 2025 – Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, the largest steel subsidiary of Salzgitter AG, has placed a major order with Tenova, a leading developer and provider of sustainable solutions for the green transition of the metals industry, for a walking beam furnace for slabs at the Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH site. The new highly energy-efficient furnace will support Salzgitter’s decarbonization goals and further consolidate Tenova’s position in the German market, underscoring its commitment to state-of-the-art sustainable technologies.
Tenova Italimpianti, the leading technologies and equipment supplier for reheating, heat treatment, strip processing, and acid regeneration plants, will design, supply and supervise the erection of the entire walking beam furnace. This includes the discharging roller table, charging and discharging machine, and all related electrical, measuring, and control systems, ensuring a fully integrated and automated process.
The furnace has a capacity of 320 t/h and is designed to process slabs – blocks of cast steel – in single and double-row configurations. It features a combustion air pre-heating system to significantly reduce overall energy consumption. Additionally, it will be equipped with hydrogen burners, enabling the transition towards green energy solutions, and with oxygen injection zones, optimizing combustion efficiency and reducing fuel consumption. The heat recovery system will capture waste heat to generate steam that will be distributed throughout the plant, thereby reducing the overall plant energy demand.
This strategic project marks the third modern walking beam furnace to be installed at the Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH plant. The two existing furnaces have also been supplied by Tenova Italimpianti.
“The new walking beam furnace is a keystone in our journey towards a more sustainable steel production,” declared Thomas Routschek, Operations Director, Hot Flat Products Division at Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH. “Thanks to Tenova’s advanced technology, we will be able to reduce our energy consumption by up to 30% during the process of reheating the slabs. This project represents a decisive step in minimizing our CO₂ footprint and enhancing the overall energy efficiency of our hot strip mill.”
"We are proud to strengthen our collaboration with one of Germany’s leading steel producers, supporting their goals for energy efficiency and sustainable production," stated Antonio Catalano, EVP Downstream Business Unit at Tenova. “This project reinforces Tenova’s leadership in the field of energy-efficient and low-emission reheating solutions, paving the way for further technological advancements in the steel industry.”
