Elcogen has officially announced the launch of the Horizon Europe SYRIUS project following a successful kick-off meeting hosted by project partner Acciai Speciali Terni Spa in February 2025.
The SYRIUS project aims to transform the steel industry by enabling hydrogen production and circular energy use within steelmaking processes. Funded by a €10 million grant and set to run for less than five years, the initiative seeks to make a substantial impact on the sector’s sustainability efforts. The project’s core is the integration of a 4.2 MWel Solid Oxide Electrolyser (SOEC) into a real-world Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) plant for a sustainable steel production.
According to the report, this SOEC is the world’s largest and will be demonstrated at a steel plant in Terni, Italy, operated by Acciai Speciali Terni, a leading player in Europe’s stainless-steel sector. Producing over 1,000 tonnes of stainless and specialty steel annually, the facility provides a setting for testing the integration of hydrogen technology under real-world steelmaking conditions.
The SOEC will produce 100 kg/h of green hydrogen to power a 280-ton/hour steel furnace. The system, integrated with hydrogen storage, a flexible energy load, solar PV plants, and a cutting-edge Energy Management System (EMS), aims to showcase the sustainable steelmaking SYRIUS project. with an industrial circularity while utilizing furnace off-gas heat recovery that will generate steam for the SOEC, recovering by-product oxygen in the furnace, and exploring water recycling options. The project is expected to cut CO2 emissions from the steel reheating process by 5,600 tonnes per year.
“This is the largest SOEC project in Europe, backed by a formidable consortium of experts. By demonstrating the SYRIUS concept in a working steel plant, we are not only advancing industrial adoption but also providing a tangible, scalable solution that will unlock new market opportunities. We’re talking about decarbonizing one of the most challenging sectors and endeavoring to make it commercially viable to do so. The potential impact of this initiative is truly exciting, and we’re very proud to be a part of it,” said Martin Skov Skjøth-Rasmussen, CTO at Elcogen.
Elcogen is said to play an important role by providing expertise in solid oxide cell and electrolysis technologies, supplying stacks designed for large-scale production on a specialized platform. Baker Hughes, also a key strategic investor in Elcogen, is set to lead the design and production of the multi-stack electrolyser prototype, managing its installation and testing to demonstrate the SYRIUS plant at an advanced stage of development, ready for real-world use. Politecnico di Milano will focus on modelling and EMS development.
The project brings together a group of experts to drive innovation. Politecnico di Milano will develop the Energy Management System (EMS), while Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen will evaluate the environmental and social benefits of the technology.
Fondazione Bruno Kessler will create dynamic models and digital twins, and Tenova Spa will oversee the integration of the electrolyser and heat recovery systems. Safety, standardization, and certification will be managed by Kiwa Nederland and Vincotte.
This collaborative effort aims to demonstrate the viability of green hydrogen in steelmaking, marking a significant step toward sustainable industrial practices.