Anniversary celebration and family party: Electric steel mill in Lingen celebrates 50th anniversary

Lingen (Ems), June 10, 2024. The BENTELER electrical steel mill in Lingen celebrated its 50th anniversary with an anniversary event and family party at the weekend. Around 900 guests took part in the celebrations at the plant site. The anniversary event provided employees, neighbors and guests from politics and business an opportunity to reflect on the history and future of the site. The focus at the family party, on the other hand, was on fun for the families of current and former employees.

Tobias Braun, CFO of the BENTELER Group and the BENTELER Steel/Tube Division remarked: “The electric steel mill in Lingen has embodied the circular economy for 50 years by continuously transforming scrap into new high-quality steel. This is only possible thanks to the commitment of our employees, who constantly drive new innovations. The Lingen site thus symbolizes the pioneering spirit at BENTELER.”

Electric steel mill supports sustainability goals

By using an electric arc furnace and recycling scrap, the Lingen plant currently produces about 75% less CO2 in steel production compared to the traditional blast furnace route. The use of renewable energies can further reduce emissions. “This highlights the importance of the plant for BENTELER, both in terms of our own sustainability goals and with regard to the goals of our customers, who are increasingly requesting sustainably produced products,” explained Thomas Michels, COO of BENTELER Steel/Tube.

Great significance for the region and promising location advantages

The location is, however, not only of great importance for BENTELER and the company's customers, but also for the Emsland region and the town of Lingen. In his speech at the anniversary celebration, Deputy District Administrator of the Emsland district Klaus Prekel emphasized: “BENTELER's company DNA alone, characterized by innovative ideas and a can-do mentality, makes it a good fit for the Emsland region. BENTELER is one of those companies that believes in its ideas and is prepared to take action instead of waiting for others. It thereby contributes to the economic strength and dynamism of the region.”

Dieter Krone, Mayor of the City of Lingen, added: “BENTELER is solid and reliable part of our economic location and an important component in driving forward the energy transition in Lingen. In addition to leading projects in the national hydrogen strategy, pioneers like BENTELER are also implementing other goals of the environmental and sustainability strategy.” 

BENTELER aims to exploit the potential at the site in the future, as Plant Manager Andreas Stadtherr explained: “Lingen is currently developing into one of the most important hydrogen locations in Germany. This is a significant advantage: By using green hydrogen, we can further reduce the CO2 emissions of our products in the future and support our customers on their path towards climate neutrality in the long term.”