The consortium brings together a major steel producer (Acciaierie d Italia SpA), an innovative developer of process technologies (Rouge H2 Engineering AG), the University Politecnico di Torino with its Department of Energy (DENERG) and one of the leading steel research institutes (VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH) in the European Union to enable efficient technology transfer, promote industrial innovation and ensure long-term implementation for the scale-up of CLH technology.

VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH (BFI) is one of Europe’s leading private sector institutes for applied research and development in the field of steel technology. BFI is a non-profit, limited liability company in which Steel Institute VDEh is the sole shareholder. The main object of institute’s work is the optimisation of steel production processes under economic, quality and environmental aspects including Industry 4.0 topics. BFI has a staff of about 100 people, 70 % of them being scientists and engineers with long-term experience on the processes of the steel industry. Additionally, BFI is an active partner in the RFCS programme having contributed to several projects dealing with CO2 mitigation technologies within the steel industry. BFI was involved in 26 relevant research projects and was coordinator in 14 of them.

Rouge H2 Engineering AG (RGH2) is a multidisciplinary SME focusing on developing its own proprietary and patented 3-Steps On-Site On-Demand (OSOD) chemical looping hydrogen (CLH) process with inherent carbon capture, enabled by proprietary 24/7 remote control, monitoring, data collecting and analysing systems (also called Edge Artificial Internet of Things, or Edge AIoT). Three supervisors currently manage RGH2 and employ five full-time engineers specialized in CLH process, software, and hardware automation integration, 24/7 CLH remote control and monitoring systems, safety regulation, inspection and certification, 3D printing process, and digital twin technology. Consequently, further developing the CLH technology and maturing it from current pilot stage to a market ready product is the main business purpose of the RGH2 company.

Acciaierie d’Italia S.p.A. (ADI) is the main Italian steel company and the biggest integrated steel route in Europe. It is specialized in carbon steel flat products, with a production capacity close to 8 Mt of crude steel per year. ADI is made up of three main facilities placed in Taranto, Genoa and Novi Ligure, and other small plants like Salerno and Racconigi and services centres like Paderno Dugnano and Marghera. The Taranto plant extends over 15,540,000 square metres amd is the productive heart of ADI in the production system. ADI has an enormous experience on steel processes, managing up to 4 blast furnaces, one of which is among the largest in Europe, and continuously aiming to energy efficiency, polluting emissions reduction, and use of renewable sources, developing, and applying cutting-edge technologies.

With more than 38.000 students and 1000 professors and researchers, Politecnico di Torino (PoliTO) has a long-standing experience in EU and international framework of public and private actions in R&D. Among the many scientific and technological sectors covered by PoliTO, in the energy and green economy field it has key expertise in overall concept design and modelling of innovative systems, plant design and optimisation, energy modelling and sustainability assessment, energy and carbon balance, product characterisation, and policy analysis, on which PoliTO supports the European Commission, International Organizations and Italian Ministries.