Second electric single-bar tempering system goes into operation

GMH Gruppe continues its transformation

GMH Gruppe´s €21.5 million investment underscores a commitment to transformation, competitiveness, and decarbonisation — even in challenging economic times

At a time when many industrial companies across Europe are postponing or reconsidering investments due to economic uncertainty and volatile energy markets, Georgsmarienhütte GmbH is deliberately continuing on its transformation path. With the commissioning of its second inductive single-rod tempering system (EVA 2), the largest steel factory within GMH Gruppe is scaling up a key technology for climate-friendly steel production and future-oriented markets.

Following the successful start-up of EVA 1 in February 2024, the company has now doubled its capacity in electric single-bar tempering. The total investment volume of €21.5 million in both systems sends a clear signal: GMH Gruppe is committed to strengthening Germany as an industrial location, while consistently advancing its transformation towards climate-neutral steel production.

Of the investment, €2.2 million is funded through the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection’s (BMWK) “Decarbonisation in Industry” program, which is supported by the EU’s “NextGenerationEU” initiative. This is supervised by the Competence Center for Climate Protection in Energy-Intensive Industries (KEI).

Scaling proven technology for high-strength quality steels

While EVA 1 processes bars with diameters of 20 to 60 millimeters, EVA 2 expands the range to 35 and 100 millimeters. Together, the two systems reach a total annual capacity of around 35,000 tons of fully electrically heat-treated steel.

The fully automatic inductive single-bar tempering process heats each bar — with a length of up to 10 meters — to over 900 degrees Celsius, cools it in a controlled manner and reheats it to a tempering temperature of between approximately 650 degrees Celsius and 750 degrees Celsius. This achieves precisely defined strength and toughness properties. Process stability, occupational safety, and consistent product quality are also significantly improved.

This technological capability enables customers to manufacture highly durable key components for demanding applications — including fasteners for wind turbines, components for conveyor and industrial systems, steering elements for automotive applications, and other safety-relevant parts. By scaling this technology, GMH Gruppe strengthens its position in growth markets such as renewable energy and advanced mechanical engineering.

Electrification as a concrete decarbonisation lever

At the core of both EVA systems is the electrification of heat treatment. Designed to be operated with up to 100 per cent green electricity, the technology replaces natural gas with renewable power. Over the next ten years, this step alone is expected to save well over 50,000 tons of CO₂.

EVA 2 is therefore not just a capacity expansion, but a structural contribution to GMH Gruppe’s transformation strategy. By 2030, the company has committed itself to a 50 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions and to achieving climate-neutral production by 2039.

Georgsmarienhütte GmbH already provides Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) for all steel grades. The methodology, validated by TÜV SÜD, is applied to more than 1,000 steel grades, ensuring transparent, reliable, and comparable CO₂ data for the entire product portfolio. The steel is produced using almost 100 percent recycled scrap in electric-arc furnaces, forming the basis for a significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to conventional blast furnace routes. In addition, the company is one of the first steel manufacturers to be certified according to the new Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS).

About GMH Gruppe

GMH Gruppe is a full-service provider of steel products, ranging from scrap-based steelmaking to ready-to-install components. It is one of Europe’s largest privately owned metal-processing companies. The group comprises more than 20 medium-sized steel, forging and casting industry sites, serving customers in over 50 countries. With around 6,000 employees, GMH Gruppe generates annual revenues of over 2 billion euros.

GMH Gruppe is a pioneer in sustainable steel production and a member of the ‘German Association of Climate Protection Companies’. By recycling metal scrap, the company produces green steel and contributes to a circular economy. The use of electric arc furnaces at four sites reduces CO2 emissions by 80% compared to the conventional blast furnace and converter route. This also reduces the carbon footprint of customers supplied by GMH. These include companies from the automotive, mechanical engineering, railway, energy, logistics, aerospace, agriculture, and construction machinery sectors.
GMH Gruppe is committed to achieving full climate-neutrality by 2039. www.gmh-gruppe.de/en/

About Georgsmarienhütte GmbH

Georgsmarienhütte GmbH from Georgsmarienhütte in Lower Saxony is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of crude steel, bar steel and bright steel made from quality and engineering steels. The company also manufactures pre-processed and, in some cases, ready-to-install components. Georgsmarienhütte is already one of the most climate-friendly steel companies in Germany. With its comparatively low CO₂ value chain, in which scrap is melted in the electric arc furnace and recycled into new steel, it makes an important contribution to the circular economy and is a pioneer in sustainable steel production. The methodology used by Georgsmarienhütte to calculate the product carbon footprint (PCF) has been validated by TÜV SÜD and is now used for more than a thousand steel variants.

In addition to the automotive industry and its suppliers, customers are served in particular in mechanical and plant engineering and the energy industry. Steel from Georgsmarienhütte is used wherever the load is greatest, where power is generated or transmitted and safe and wear-resistant operation is important. www.gmh.de