Jacobs has been selected to extend its role on thyssenkrupp Steel's direct reduction facility in Duisburg, Germany. As the plant advances toward its first iron production, Jacobs will continue providing Project Management Office (PMO), construction management, and assembly oversight services. Designed to replace coal-fired blast furnaces with hydrogen-capable operations, the completed complex will yield approximately 2.5 million metric tonnes per year of direct reduced iron (DRI).
Expanding on its original program and construction management contract awarded in August 2023, Jacobs will continue coordinating engineering design, logistics, and onsite civil works.
Onsite responsibilities encompass civil works supervision, quality assurance, assembly logistics, and material flow coordination across multiple trade contractors, alongside integrated health, safety, and environmental (HSE) management with thyssenkrupp Steel.
Supporting Industrial Decarbonization in Germany
The Duisburg project serves as an anchor in Germany’s heavy-industry decarbonization roadmap, transitioning primary steelmaking from carbon-intensive blast furnace routes to direct reduction capable of utilizing green hydrogen.
The mandate complements Jacobs' engineering footprint across Germany:
Supporting domestic power transmission under a seven-year framework agreement with TransnetBW for grid buildouts and the delivery of SuedLink, among the world's longest underground high-voltage DC links.
Operating with over 300 professionals across three German offices dedicated to critical infrastructure and industrial decarbonization.
Fiachra Ó Cléirigh (Executive Vice President, Jacobs):
This contract amendment and extension reflects the trust thyssenkrupp has in our team to bring this complex, first-of-its-kind hydrogen-based iron making facility online. We’re focused on delivering this project to support the shift toward climate-neutral steelmaking and deliver on our promise of a more connected, sustainable world.
Ulrich Greiner Pachter (Executive Director Construction DR Plant, thyssenkrupp Steel):
The contract extension is the result of the constructive and reliable collaboration we have established with Jacobs since the start of the project. Jacobs has been a valuable partner in coordinating the many interfaces of this complex transformation project.
