Since 2021, Snapper HT, Barracuda HT and Orca HT luminaires have been installed close to the hot steel at Tata Steel IJmuiden, where the temperature at mounting height exceeds +110 °C, the steel emits infrared radiation and the air is aggressive. The result is 100 lux near the work area with a uniformity of up to 0.55, in accordance with EN 12464-1.
Client
+120 °C
Ambient temperature
Infrared radiation
reflected
100 lux
near work environment
5 years
Warranty
15+ years
expected lifespan
Tata Steel IJmuiden wanted to become more sustainable, and that also meant updating the lighting. The existing system could be made more energy-efficient, but during the inventory, it became clear that there was more to gain: in several areas, the lighting could also simply be improved.
Therefore, instead of replacing lights one-to-one per location, additional lighting was installed where it demonstrably improved the work environment. Sustainability and better visibility went hand in hand. You can read more about this on our page about lighting for steel mills.
The problem wasn't in the lighting design, but in the environment. Close to the hot steel, the temperature rises to +120 °C, the steel emits infrared radiation, and the air composition is aggressive.
The task was therefore mainly a material and thermal task: to make a luminaire resistant to that aggressive air, to the infrared radiation and to the high temperatures, without sacrificing light output or lifespan.
What makes the air aggressive are the substances released during steel production: among others sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, iron oxides, carbon and metal particles such as lead, zinc, cadmium, chromium and nickel. Combined with moisture, sulphur and nitrogen oxides form acids that attack coatings and seals, while metal dust and carbon settle on glass and cooling fins, which hinders heat dissipation.
A thermal camera measured more than +110 °C at the mounting positions. The luminaires are specified for continuous operation up to +120 °C.
Standard industrial luminaires cannot withstand the production process. Not due to a single factor, but due to the accumulation: ambient heat, heat entering as infrared radiation, and air that corrodes materials.
Therefore, the situation was assessed on a per-location basis, and our HT versions were chosen rather than a single standard solution.
Project card
Project Type
Sustainability and improvement of lighting near the production process
Location
IJmuiden, Netherlands
Client
Tata Steel IJmuiden (steel producer)
In operation since
2021, phased by location
Environment
Near the hot steel: up to +120 °C, infrared radiation, and an aggressive air composition
Current situation
Existing lighting could be more energy-efficient, and in some places, also better.
Scope
Lighting design and engineering, installation design, delivery of high-temperature luminaires
Result
100 lux near the workspace, uniformity up to 0.55, performing despite environmental factors
Standards
EN 12464-1
Written by Lucas de Graaf, Technical Director, JEL Products. Last updated on 27 October 2026.
Prefer direct contact? +31 33 785 9809
JEL provided the lighting design and the engineering, designed the installation and supplied heat-resistant floodlights in the HT version: Snapper HT, Barracuda HT, and Orca HT, selected for each location based on the specific requirements. The lighting design was assessed against EN 12464-1.
Infrared radiation is a separate design factor in this regard. Heat entering as radiation heats the luminaire without the air temperature explaining it. The HT versions are designed for this: the radiation is reflected instead of absorbed, keeping the LED and the driver within their temperature window, making the expected lifespan of 15 years or more achievable.
The drivers are not inside the luminaires but in DRB driver boxes in a technical room outside the hot zone. This keeps the most temperature-sensitive component cool, and driver maintenance takes place away from the process.
How temperature monitoring works in the HT luminaires, with this project as a case study, is explained in the article on sensor technology at high temperatures.
Step 1
The environment
What is happening at the location determines the design: height, operating hours, environment, standards.
Step 2
The system
Light distribution, uniformity and glare are calculated before a luminaire is chosen.
Step 3
The product
Only after that follows the choice of luminaire, optics, and mounting that matches that calculation.
JEL provided the lighting design and engineering, designed the installation, and supplied the HT luminaires. At the client's request, we do not share quantities regarding this project.
The Snapper HT and the Barracuda HT are installed at various positions in the oxygen steelmaking plant, the Orca HT among others on the ladle crane. If you are seriously interested, we are happy to discuss specific positions in person.
Snapper HT, Barracuda HT, and Orca HT, selected for each location based on the specific requirements. No one-size-fits-all solution,just the right luminaire for each location.
Heat entering as radiation warms the luminaire without the air temperature explaining it. The HT versions reflect that radiation instead of absorbing it.
Near the hot steel, the ambient temperature rises to +120 °C, and the air composition affects materials. The luminaire must be able to withstand this combination of factors.
An illuminance of 100 lux is achieved near the work environment, with a uniformity of up to 0.55 across the different areas.
The reason was sustainability, but where the lighting could also be improved, extra light was installed per location. More economical and better visibility, in one project.
The luminaires come with a 5-year warranty and an expected lifespan of 15 years or more under these conditions.
An illuminance of 100 lux is achieved near the work environment, with a uniformity of up to 0.55 across the different areas.
The real achievement lies in the fact that those values remain intact. Despite the heat, the infrared radiation, and the aggressive air, the luminaires perform as designed, with a 5-year warranty and an expected lifespan of 15 years or more. For Tata Steel, this means lighting that is both more economical and, in some places, better than the previous situation. See also our approach in the heavy industry and extreme heat.
How those 15 years relate to the lifetime curve: at a continuous +120 °C, an HT luminaire reaches 51,400 hours to L90B05, almost six years. At these positions it is not +120 °C all the time, and after the L90 point a luminaire remains usable with a slightly lower light output; the L70 value lies considerably further. The 15 years is a technical estimate based on the construction of the housing and components, not a guaranteed light maintenance value.
“The difficult part of this project was not the temperature alone, but the combination: heat above 110 °C, infrared radiation from the hot steel and air that attacks materials. That is why we chose the right luminaire for each position and moved the drivers out of the hot zone.”
Lucas de Graaf, Technical Director, JEL Products
How the lifetime of a luminaire at high temperature is expressed is explained under LB values and lifespan.
100 lux near the workspace, uniformity up to 0.55, performing despite environmental factors
Used product
Depending on the situation at each location Snapper HT, Barracuda HT and Orca HT Applied: Our floodlights in heat-resistant design, engineered for environments where temperature, radiation, and aggressive air converge.
At the client's request, we do not share the quantities for this project. What we can say is: the luminaires are supplied with a 5-year warranty and an expected lifespan of 15 years or more under these conditions.
Infrared radiation from the hot steel heats a luminaire without the air temperature explaining it. This causes the LED and driver to exceed their temperature window, which quickly affects light output and lifespan. Our HT versions are designed to reflect that radiation instead of absorbing it.
The production process involves temperatures up to +120 °C, infrared radiation from hot steel, and an aggressive air composition. The luminaires are designed for that combination, with an expected lifespan of 15 years or more.
The reason was sustainability, but during the inventory it became clear that the lighting could also be improved in a number of places. Additional lighting was installed per location, so the project not only saves energy but also demonstrably improves the working environment.
At Tata Steel, 100 lux is achieved near the work environment, with a uniformity of up to 0.55, in accordance with EN 12464-1. This relates to orientation and activities around the process, not fine visual tasks.
Depending on the situation at each location, Snapper HT, Barracuda HT, and Orca HT were used. At the client’s request, we are not disclosing any figures regarding this project.
The Snapper HT and the Barracuda HT are installed at various positions in the oxygen steelmaking plant of Tata Steel IJmuiden, the Orca HT among others on the ladle crane. The drivers are housed in DRB driver boxes in a technical room outside the hot zone. At the client's request, we do not share quantities or further details publicly.
On the construction of the housing and components, and on the actual conditions. At a continuous +120 °C, an HT luminaire reaches 51,400 hours to L90B05, almost six years of continuous operation. At Tata Steel it is not +120 °C all the time, and a luminaire remains usable after the L90 point, which makes 15 years a realistic technical estimate.
Are you working on a lighting project for a steel plant, a casting process, or another environment where heat, infrared radiation, and aggressive air come together? Our engineering team is happy to think along with you.
| Response | within 1 working day, by an engineer |
| Lighting calculation | free of charge, per zone |
| Trial luminaire | at your own site, on request |
| Warranty | 5 years full, 10 years on the housing with a maintenance contract |
Rather call directly: 033 785 9809
