News / BFI VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH

Important milestone in ‘H<sub>2</sub>Stahl’ - research project for hydrogen-based direct reduction in Duisburg

02/13/2025

Important milestone in ‘H₂Stahl’ - research project for hydrogen-based direct reduction in Duisburg

The engineering for the construction of a direct reduction test plant, including HAZOP, has been successfully completed and the core components were ordered for manufacturing. This means that the build-up of the test plant, as well as the special investigations which are already underway in the BFI's technical centre, are on schedule despite challenging times.

09/24/2025

7th ESTAD 2025

We’re excited to announce that BFI will be represented with 11 presentations at the ESTAD 2025, taking place from October 6–9, 2025 in Verona, Italy.

Creation of an NH<sub>3</sub> supply at the BFI's high-temperature pilot plant

08/18/2025

Creation of an NH₃ supply at the BFI's high-temperature pilot plant

On August 15, 2025, state funding was approved for the BFI investment project “NH₃-Infra,” which will establish an NH₃ supply at the BFI's high-temperature pilot plant.

06/09/2025

Key result in the SynErgie project

As part of the Kopernikus project "SynErgie", funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the project partners Kanthal GmbH, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG, VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH and WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH have reached an important milestone.

06/06/2025

Meeting at Spectral Industries

As part of the DiGreeS project (Demonstration of Digital twins for a Green Steel value chain) a meeting was hold on 5th June 2025 at Spectral Industries in Delft/Netherlands focused on the discussion of technical details regarding the sensors used in Use Case 1, specifically targeting on the verification of heavy melting scrap (HMS).

05/30/2025

Project "MiningWater": field trial at phosphate mine

As part of the project “MiningWater” in the Middle East Regional Water Research Cooperation Program (MEWAC), BFI has set up successfully together with the technology provider CERAFILTEC Germany GmbH for ceramic flat sheet filtration and the Jordan water treatment plant builder Irshaidat Co. a field trial at a Jordan phosphate mine.

01/23/2025

Commissioning of the pilot plant for membrane distillation at the BFI water technology center

A pilot plant for membrane distillation from EvCon was put into operation at the BFI Water Technology Center on 22.01.2025. This technology can be powered by low-temperature waste heat (60-85°C). As a result, the previously unused energy potential in the steelworks could be used for water recovery.

12/03/2024

Partnership with DSD Automation in the field of Blast Furnace and Electric Arc Furnace optimization

We are proud to announce a groundbreaking strategic partnership between VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH (BFI) and DSD Automation GmbH in Trier in the field of Blast Furnace and Electric Arc Furnace optimization.

11/22/2024

Kick-Off-Meeting for DiGreeS

On November 20 and 21, 2024, the kick-off meeting for the DiGreeS (Demonstration of Digital twins for a Green Steel value chain) research project took place at the Fraunhofer Institute IZFP in Saarbrücken.

10/28/2024

Kick-Off-Meeting RFCS Project SUNSHINE

The kick-off-meeting for the research project SUNSHINE (SUstainable New casting and rolling process monitoring/sensoring approach aimed at proper surface quality and SHape IN flat and long products, enabling Energy savings and smart management in the casting/rolling operations) took place on 23rd and 24th of October 2024 in Rome.

10/23/2024

Kick-Off-Meeting METACAST

The kick-off-meeting for the dissemination project "Mapping, Educating, Training, Applying models in continuous CASTing“ (METACAST) took place on 21st and 22nd of October 2024 in Rome.

09/18/2024

TransZeroWaste: Project Meeting in Valencia

The first periodic report meeting for the TransZeroWaste project took place on 11. and 12. of September 2024 at CEINNMAT in Valencia, where the current results of the different work packages have been presented and discussed with the EU project officer and an external expert.

General assembly and mid-term in the HEU Project MaxH<sub>2</sub>DR

06/14/2024

General assembly and mid-term in the HEU Project MaxH₂DR

On June 13 and 14, 2024, a project meeting for the MaxH₂DR project took place in Salerno/Italy. Many thanks to all colleagues for the excellent collaboration and to our host Prof. Massimo Poletto for a great event!

03/21/2024

ReduHeatLoss Workshop

BFI and Steel Academy are holding a workshop on 24 September 2024 as part of the RFCS project ReduHeatLoss.

03/01/2024

Creating value from waste in the steel industry: BFI is part of the new EU project ZHyRon

The aim of the EU-funded ZHyRON project is to develop a new process for recycling by-products from steel production based on green hydrogen.

02/05/2024

Kick-off for direct reduction pilot plan

Together with thyssenkrupp Steel and the plant manufacturer TS Elino, the BFI has started work on the construction of the BFI direct reduction pilot plant at a kick-off meeting.

11/09/2023

4th project meeting DissHeat

On October 26, 2023, the 4th project meeting for the RFCS project DissHeat took place at RINA-CSM in Naples.

10/20/2023

RealTimeCastSupport

Many thanks for your interest in our RealTimeCastSupport-Workshop. The presentations can be downloaded in the RealTimeCastSupport-Blog.

10/20/2023

Project DESTINY

We are delighted to inform you that one of the innovations developed in the project DESTINY project funded by the European Commission under Horizon 2020 has been analysed by the European Commission’s Innovation Radar.

09/01/2023

VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut (BFI) with new dual leadership

The VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut (BFI) has a new top management: Michael Hensmann (58) and Dr. Matthias Kozariszczuk (51) are the new managing directors of the almost 100-strong Düsseldorf research institute for iron and steel.

02/02/2023

Minister Neubaur hands over funding decisions for thyssenkrupp and BFI cooperation project

On February 02, 2023 NRW Economics and Climate Protection Minister Mona Neubaur handed over funding decisions from the state totaling 6.2 million euros for a joint research project between thyssenkrupp and BFI during a visit with the Swedish ambassador to Duisburg.

11/25/2022

7th project meeting DESTINY

On November 22nd and 23rd, 2022 the 7th project meeting for the SPIRE project “Development of an efficient microwave system for material transformation in energy intensive processes for an improved yield” (DESTINY) took place at Keraben in Nules (Spain) and at the Universitat de Valencia.

11/21/2022

RFCS project “Embedded real-time analysis of continuous casting for machine-supported quality optimisation” (RealTimeCastSupport)

The second meeting for the RFCS project “Embedded real-time analysis of continuous casting for machine-supported quality optimisation” (RealTimeCastSupport) took place on 16th and 17th of November 2022 at premises of the voestalpine Stahl Linz.

10/21/2022

2nd project meeting DissHeat

On October 19 and 20, 2022, the 2nd project meeting for the RFCS project “Valor-isation and dissemination of the heating technology findings from emission minimi-zation, energy savings and process optimization towards todays fossil free heating agenda” (DissHeat) took place at CRM in Ghent (Belgium).

10/19/2022

Hybrid Radiant Tube in the Steel Industry

Speaker: Andreas Queck (BFI) Event: 6th Conference on Clean Technologies in the Steel Industry

06/02/2022

BFI Film & Flyer

The BFI offers innovative ideas and converts them into tailor-made, operational solutions for the process industry through applied cutting-edge research. We see ourselves as a dynamic, customer-oriented and innovative partner for forward-thinking, innovative companies.

05/18/2022

Real laboratory of the energy transition makes steel production more sustainable thanks to hydrogen

With H₂Steel, a real laboratory for the energy transition is being launched at the largest European steel location in Duisburg. The project is testing the use of hydrogen in steel production in order to reduce CO₂ emissions and thus make a contribution to climate protection.

05/01/2022

The BFI supports you in the application, preparation and monitoring of funding projects

Many companies in the process industry are very interested in participating in publicly funded projects on new innovative R&D challenges and funding priorities.

04/30/2022

Free workshop on minimizing sinter degradation

A free webinar on MinSiDeg will take place on Tuesday 21st of June 2022 between 10:00 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. The coordinator is Dr. Thorsten Hauck.

03/24/2022

HUMAINE Spring Reception on March 18, 2022

The HUMAINE project consortium had invited to the spring reception at the O-Werk on the technology and start-up campus of the city of Bochum, Mark 51°7, on 18 March to establish a process model for human-centred work with artificial intelligence in the context of a mini-fair.

03/21/2022

Optimisation of the HF-HNO3 mixed-acid online monitoring and control in stainless steel pickling plants

Speaker: Dr.-Ing. Matthias Werner (BFI) Event: EU RFCS Summit Event am 21./22. März 2022

01/04/2022

Save the date: BFI-Colloquium on May 11, 2022

In 2022, the BFI again wants to inform you about the results of current research projects and new research ideas of the Institute at its annual colloquium. We have fixed 11 May 2022 as the date for this, scheduled for 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. As no one can foresee the corona infection situation in May, we are also planning our BFI colloquium for 2022 as an online webinar.

10/21/2021

The role of process control and sensoring in continuous casting according to the VALCRA RFCS project

Vortragender: Kersten Marx (BFI) Veranstaltung: 10th ECCC Continuous Casting Conference, 20-22 October 2021

10/20/2021

Optimisation of strip casting by experimental model investigations

Vortragender: Kersten Marx (BFI) Veranstaltung: 10th ECCC Continuous Casting Conference, 20-22 October 2021

10/08/2021

Hybride Beheizung in der Stahlindustrie

Vortragender: Dr.-Ing. Queck, Andreas (BFI) Veranstaltung: 3. Aachener Ofenbau- und Thermoprozess-Kolloquiums

09/01/2021

Prevention of secondary emission in process industry using dust suppressants

Lecturer: Kersten Marx (BFI) Event: 5th European Steel Technology & Application Days (ESTAD)

09/30/2020

Influence of EMS and EMBr in continuous casting

Lecturer: Kersten Marx (BFI) Event: VALCRA-Webinar “Numerical modelling in continuous casting”

07/15/2020

Investigation of unsteady and asymmetric flow phenomena in continuous casting moulds by physical modelling

Lecturer: Kersten Marx (BFI) Event: VALCRA-Webinar “Measuring techniques in continuous casting (laboratory)”

06/25/2020

Advanced sensoring systems for improved control of casting operation

Lecturer: Kersten Marx (BFI) Event: VALCRA-Webinar “Cracks in continuous casting: highlights of 25 years of RFCS research”

02/11/2020

GREENSTEEL

The kick-off-meeting for the RFCS project “Green Steel for Europe” (GREENSTEEL) took place on 16th of January 2020 at premises of the coordinator Centre For European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels.

01/29/2020

Blank Steel Seminar 27.01. – 29.01.2020

Lecturer: Dipl.-Ing. Martin Hubrich (BFI), Dr.-Ing. Matthias Kozariszczuk (BFI) Event: Blankstahlseminar 27.01. – 29.01.2020

Important milestone in ‘H2Stahl’ - research project for hydrogen-based direct reduction in Duisburg