Spanish steelmaker Acerinox and energy group IGNIS will carry out two emissions-reduction projects at the Campo de Gibraltar plant in Cádiz province. The facilities are expected to begin operating in December 2028 and, according to Acerinox, will cut carbon emissions by about 18,500 tonnes a year, or 10%.
The plant will receive a 12 MW industrial heat pump and a thermal energy storage system with a capacity of 120 MWh. The heat pump will recover waste heat from gases produced by the hot-rolling furnace and reuse it in the production process, reducing the energy needed to generate steam.
The storage system will use electric resistance heaters to produce and store heat when electricity prices are lower. It will supplement the heat pump and provide steam during scheduled shutdowns of the equipment.
IGNIS will cover the nearly €40 million initial investment. The projects have also secured €19.3 million in grants from Spain’s Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE), under the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. The funding is co-financed by the EU’s European Regional Development Fund.
Acerinox CEO Bernardo Velázquez said the projects form part of Acerinox Europa’s long-term industrial improvement plan and aim to boost energy efficiency and reduce emissions at the Campo de Gibraltar site.
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