Page 9 - Best of 2016 English

e three companies in our technology aAvrea have excellent positions in the global market, are steadily developing, and o ering impressive inno- vations. For example, KHS has already developed a completely novel method for directly printing on PET bottles and successfully launched it on the market. And our international customers are also very enthusiastic about the plasma procedure for gas-tight interior coatings for PET bottles. A num- ber of systems were recently sold to India.
Salzgitter Handel very successfully embarked
on its „Handel 4.0“ digitalization concept. We are right in the fore eld in terms of establishing digital marketing channels for steel, even if we arrange for less media hype than some of our competitors.
It always makes me happy and proud when I hear, or, like here in the STIL magazine, read about the high regard for the quality of our steel products, the services associated with them, and the customer proximity that we o er. ese are key advantages that are enormously important for our position
in highly competitive markets. e fact that our company form is also comparatively SME is also advantageous. We can also hold our heads high
in matters of energy e ciency. For example, the Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena) recently awarded Salzgitter Flachstahl its third prize for comprehen- sive energy saving measures.
ese examples are just a few of the steps being taken throughout all of our business units. ey all show that we are on the right track with our 360 de- gree concept, in spite of the truly challenging times. Nothing motivates like success.
STIL: Twelve months ago, you said that the coming years were not going to be „subject to entertain- ment tax”. With that in mind, what motivates you? What do you enjoy about your work?
Prof. Fuhrmann: Con gurations that get things moving, and contributing at crucial points so
that Salzgitter AG continues to pursue promising prospects for both its companies and its employees. Here we also deal with the topics whose time has not yet come, seen from a purely economic point of view, but that are nevertheless relevant to our future. It will not come as a surprise that, as an engineer, I nd scienti c and technical problems especially interesting. For example, we are working with partners in the Green Industrial Hydrogen (GrInHy) project to research new ways to produce hydrogen that could make a major contribution to -reduced steel production in the future. If it turns out to be possible to create su cient hydrogen eco- nomically and then to employ this in the metallur- gical process, then one day we could go beyond our previous e orts and largely reduce CO2 emissions or, in the far future, possibly even eliminate them altogether. I speak in the subjunctive because the pro tability of such revolutionary process changes remains unknown.
STIL: You obviously think that concepts that avoid CO2 are more likely to succeed than those that
convert existing CO2 into other products. Would you care to explain?
Prof. Fuhrmann: In principle, that is correct, be- cause, for example, the energy expenditure to con- vert the catalyzed CO2 gas into base substances for the chemical industry is gigantic. Simply preparing less than half of the CO2 produced by the German steel industry would require roughly ten times as much electricity as used by the Deutsche Bahn. ese basic chemicals would push into today‘s full markets so that the question of pro tability is, to put it carefully, still open. Concepts to avoid CO2 on the basis of hydrogen naturally do not have this problem, although they also depend on the future availability of economically priced electricity from renewable sources.
“ e starting position for the coming 2017 business year is a more encouraging one than we’ve had in a long time.”
Another forward-looking project is the establish- ment of a hydroelectric power plant for research purposes on the Aller Weir in the Celle district
in cooperation with the Technische Universität Braunschweig. e objective is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of hydropower technology that is unique in the world in order to develop hydro- power potential that until now was blocked by tech- nical and economic issues. Perhaps we could then make an additional contribution to the nal success of the energy revolution that got o to a poor start.
STIL: Would you venture an initial outlook on the coming year, and what would you wish for Salzgit- ter AG ve years from now?
Prof. Fuhrmann: e Salzgitter AG business model is obviously robust. is can be seen in the group‘s earnings performance. Salzgitter AG remains on course thanks to the energetically promoted self- help program, anked by the European Union‘s anti-dumping initiative, which is as welcome as it
is imperative. e coming nancial year is getting o to a start that is more encouraging than what we have seen for a long time. And with the recently adopted „Salzgitter AG 2021“ strategy, we have set the critical key points for our company‘s further development.
STIL: And what would you wish?
Prof. Fuhrmann: With regard to the external fac- tors, I would wish more reliable and fairer general conditions, and internally, the same high level of readiness and willingness to support and actively organize the necessary changes. en years with an unavoidable emphasis on crisis management could be followed by years with a focus on innovation and growth. We can accomplish so much if we are given a chance!
SALZGITTER INSIDE 9