At its Donawitz site in Austria, and as part of a pilot project,
Voestalpine has produced what it says is the world’s first hydrogen-based rail. Comprising a mix of scrap and hydrogen-reduced pure iron, the rail was produced in its HYFOR (hydrogen-based fine-ore reduction) pilot plant in Donawitz.
The raw material was melted down in the company’s TechMet research steelworks then processed into the finished rail in the neighbouring rail-rolling mill; and like all rails produced by Voestalpine, the hydrogen-based rail is particularly hard and highly wear-resistant. The first rail of this type has now been laid at Linz Central Station.
Herbert Eibensteiner, Voestalpine’s CEO, said: “The production of the world’s first hydrogen-reduced rail at our Donawitz site is a historic milestone. With our ‘greentec steel’, we are pursuing a clear phased plan to transform our steel production. Starting in 2027, one green-powered electric arc furnace will be put into operation at each of our sites in Linz and Donawitz. Our long-term goal is ‘net zero’ CO
2 emissions in steel production by 2050. To this end, we are already conducting research into several new processes and investing in pilot and presentation projects that demonstrate new steel production possibilities.”
He went on to add that hydrogen-based steel production ideally uses green hydrogen from renewable energy sources to separate oxygen from iron ore. “Unlike conventional methods, this process does not generate CO
2, only water vapour as a byproduct. The hydrogen-reduced pure iron was produced in the HYFOR pilot plant, and the melt was carried out in the company’s proprietary research facility Technikum Metallurgie (TechMet), a one-of-a-kind miniature full-scale steelworks.”
Franz Kainersdorfer, head of Voestalpine’s Metal Engineering Division (and a board member), added: “The production of high-quality CO
2-reduced steel grades is one of the biggest technological challenges in the transition to green steel production. As the world’s leading provider of complete railway infrastructure systems, our mission is to create sustainable and trendsetting solutions for the mobility of tomorrow.”