Expanded project management role supports thyssenkrupp Steel’s move toward hydrogen-based iron production
Duisburg, Germany, 29 September 2026 – The steel industry is moving toward cleaner production methods, and a major project in Duisburg, Germany, is taking another step forward. Jacobs has extended its role in thyssenkrupp Steel’s hydrogen-capable direct reduction plant, continuing to support the project as it moves closer to its first iron production.
Jacobs will continue providing project management office, construction management, and assembly management services. The company was first selected for the program and construction management contract in August 2023. Its extended responsibilities include coordinating design, logistics, construction activities, and the movement of materials across the project site.
At the Duisburg facility, Jacobs is supervising civil works, logistics, and quality assurance while also working with thyssenkrupp Steel on health, safety, and environmental performance. The company is managing assembly logistics and coordinating material movement between different contractors working on the project.
Once operational, the facility is expected to produce approximately 2.5 million metric tons of direct reduced iron each year. Direct reduction is a process that produces iron without using the traditional blast furnace method. The new plant is designed to use hydrogen as an alternative to coal-based ironmaking, creating a pathway toward lower carbon steel production.
The project is significant because steelmaking has traditionally depended heavily on coal. Hydrogen-based direct reduction can change how iron is produced by using hydrogen in the reduction process. The Duisburg facility is therefore being developed as part of thyssenkrupp Steel’s wider effort to transform its production operations.
For a project of this scale, construction involves more than installing new equipment. Several contractors, engineering teams, logistics providers, and construction groups need to work together. Jacobs’ role focuses on bringing these activities together and maintaining coordination across different parts of the project.
The extended assignment also adds to Jacobs’ work in Germany across energy, infrastructure, and industrial decarbonization. The company is involved in other major infrastructure programs, including work with transmission system operator TransnetBW and the SuedLink high-voltage transmission project.
As the Duisburg plant moves toward first iron production, the project highlights how established industrial companies are exploring new technologies to modernize steel production. It also demonstrates the importance of strong project management when introducing hydrogen-based processes into large-scale industrial facilities.
The continued involvement of Jacobs places project coordination, construction management, logistics, and technology implementation at the center of this industrial transformation.
