We are joining the trend to decarbonize steel production by going the electric arc furnace route. The basis for green steel is the pioneering technological transition from the blast furnace route to the use of electric arc furnaces powered by green electricity. Here we explain what will stay the same, and what will change.
We will remain a reliable producer of premium quality steel products. These products will continue to improve because we will reduce the emissions generated during their manufacture. greentec steel creates the technical preconditions for this transition, and is simultaneously Austria’s large climate protection program.
In the future, there will be two routes to producing high quality steel: using either a blast furnace and converter, or an electric arc furnace (EAF). Both process routes have been in use for decades, and successfully applied according to their strengths. However, climate change is encouraging significant enhancements to the traditional EAF route. The high level of CO2 emissions generated by the large quantities of coke consumed in the blast furnace route can be significantly reduced using an EAF— assuming sufficient availability of green electricity.
We are known for producing excellent steel using both methods. However, we can only achieve our goal of CO2-reduced steel production with an EAF. greentec steel is our decarbonization program that takes a phased approach to reducing CO2 emissions. By commissioning the first EAFs in Donawitz and Linz, and simultaneously shutting down a blast furnace at each site, we make it possible to electrify energy-intensive processes, thus reducing carbon emissions by around 30% by 2029 compared with 2019 levels.
For decades, work has gone into optimizing the blast furnace and converter route in which coke is added to reduce iron ore, producing liquid, carbon-rich pig iron. In the LD converter, oxygen is then blown over the pig iron to remove unwanted elements. The next step is to process the crude steel according to customer specifications.
Producing crude steel in an EAF is also a tried-and-tested method. The main difference to the blast furnace route lies in the energy and raw material sources. Using electricity generated from renewables is a key step in decarbonizing steel production. In this route, scrap largely replaces iron ore. Depending on availability and quality requirements, liquid pig iron or HBI (hot briquetted iron) can also be used. The materials fed into the EAF are heated by an electric arc and melted. After tapping an EAF, the next step is processing the crude steel using the standard secondary metallurgy processes.
The use of an EAF changes the landscape of our crude steel production significantly. The primary advantage of an EAF is the lower CO2 emissions:
To be honest, using only EAFs also poses some challenges. These include:
Research and development work at voestalpine is developing technologies to master these challenges. For example, we are improving the options for preparing and sorting scrap.
It is clear that the transformation of the steel industry is also having an impact on occupational profiles. The technological shift to EAFs is creating new perspectives for voestalpine’s current and future employees. Therefore when it comes to greentec steel, no jobs will be lost following decommissioning of the first blast furnace. Once you are part of voestalpine, you remain a part of voestalpine.
Within the framework of our focus greentec steel, we provide an overview of our concrete steps on the way towards long-term green steel production and the innovative processes we are using on this way. We provide information about the challenges we face and the breakthrough technologies we are already researching today in order to achieve our goal of steel production with net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
Die voestalpine ist ein weltweit führender Stahl- und Technologiekonzern mit kombinierter Werkstoff- und Verarbeitungskompetenz. Die global tätige Unternehmensgruppe verfügt über rund 500 Konzerngesellschaften und -standorte in mehr als 50 Ländern auf allen fünf Kontinenten. Sie notiert seit 1995 an der Wiener Börse. Mit ihren Premium-Produkt- und Systemlösungen zählt sie zu den führenden Partnern der Automobil- und Hausgeräteindustrie sowie der Luftfahrt- und Öl- & Gasindustrie und ist darüber hinaus Weltmarktführer bei Bahninfrastruktursystemen, bei Werkzeugstahl und Spezialprofilen. Die voestalpine bekennt sich zu den globalen Klimazielen und verfolgt mit greentec steel einen klaren Plan zur Dekarbonisierung der Stahlproduktion.
