Search greentec steel 1 2 3 4 Prev Next Major challenges in the European steel industry The voestalpine Group is following a long-term, phased decarbonization plan The technological transition to green production faces the entire European steel industry with major challenges. voestalpine, Austria’s only producer of crude steel and a global pioneer in environmental protection, has drawn up an ambitious phased plan for green steel production—greentec steel. As a steel and technology Group, we are assuming the quality leadership in carbon-neutral steel production: our company is already conducting intensive research into the manufacture of high-quality steel grades using low and zero emission production processes. Over the long term, it should be possible to produce the same sophisticated grades as today, but using carbon-neutral, hydrogen-based technologies. Gradual shift We are planning to gradually shift from the coal-based blast furnace route to electric arc furnaces run on green electricity by 2030. This would allow us to lower CO2 emissions by around a third by the end of the decade. Over the long term, our goal is to successively increase the share of green hydrogen used in steel production, arriving at carbon-neutral steel by 2050. Strategy to directly avoid CO2 emissions 30 % reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2030 possible (hybrid technology) 0 % carbon-neutral production possible by 2050 (focus on green hydrogen) Politicians have set ambitious goals for reducing CO2 emissions. greentec steel allows voestalpine to be part of the solution, and to contribute to achieving the climate goals. voestalpine CEO Herbert Eibensteiner 0 seconds of 0 seconds Progress through innovation We have developed an industrial scale process for carbon-neutral steel production without the use of fossil carbon and secured the intellectual property rights to the process from the European Patent Office. The patent is valid in all major European steel manufacturing countries and specifically covers the production of sponge iron (DRI or HBI) using green hydrogen and biogas in the direct reduction process. Learn more about the patent Steel for a sustainable society In addition to the question of how steel will be produced in the long run, there also needs to be a focus on the contribution that steel as a material already makes to sustainability. Steel plays an important role in achieving our society’s low carbon future: high-tech steel used in lightweight automotive construction, power plant turbines, or renewable energies such as wind power, saves six-times more energy—and thus CO2—than is used in its production. Steel is one of the most commonly used materials worldwide and is indispensable in a sustainable society. Steel is durable and can be recycled with no loss of quality. If steel can no longer be produced in Austria, it must be imported from countries with environmental regulations which are far less stringent than their Austrian or European equivalents. Further information Corporate Website Environment glossary Corporate Website voestalpine & the environment greentec steel Microsite Innovative hybrid technology Next greentec steel greentec steel embodies voestalpine’s claim to high quality and advanced technology, as well as its focus on sustainability, because our “green” steel will meet the most stringent quality standards and offer customers high-tech solutions tailored to their individual requirements. At the same time, with its research activities, technologies, innovations and steel’s vital role in a sustainable world voestalpine is making an important contribution to achieving the climate goals over the long term. © 2021 voestalpine AG voestalpine-Straße 1, 4020 T. +43/50304/15-0 Impressum Click on "Accept all Cookies" or assign your own individual settings. All information about data protection is available under data protection. Accept all cookies Accept only essential cookies Individual settings