The voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl special steel plant is also the most advanced of its kind when it comes to environmental protection. Key measures include the use of green electricity, the sustainable use of waste heat, and effective emissions protection.
One major achievement in terms of environmental protection at the new high-tech special steel plant in Kapfenberg is the sole use of green electricity to power the electric arc furnace (EAF) at the heart of the plant. Furthermore, a comprehensive package of measures helps to save resources and protect the environment, employees, and local residents.
Producing 205,000 tons of special steel and other high-performance materials each year requires a lot of heat: when the sun-hot electric arc melts the input materials, the liquid steel reaches temperatures of up to 1,800°C. Water remains the medium of choice for cooling at the plant.
voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl uses a modern system for recovering heat and utilizing waste heat to conserve this important natural resource. Using a closed-loop cooling cycle, the new special steel plant reduces the volume of cooling water that is extracted and returned by around 90% compared to the plant it replaces.
So what to do with the heat? This waste heat is a valuable source of energy. The vacuum AOD converter and EAF are equipped with a heat recovery system, allowing up to 12.5 MW of heating capacity to be extracted from the energy in the cooling water. This is achieved using a 1,500-meter pipe which joins the new special steel plant to the central boiler room. From here, the heat is transferred for internal consumption at the plant and to the Kapfenberg public heating network. This saves up to 20 GWh in district heating each year, reducing CO2 emissions by more than 4,000 tons.
The new special steel plant also needs to cool its servers and control stations. It uses absorption technology to use the heat generated in the plant for cooling. There is no need for electric compressors in this process.
To eliminate noise pollution resulting from processes including melting in the EAF, voestalpine uses the most efficient sound-absorbing cladding and insulation to minimize the sounds of charging, tapping, and exhaust suction systems. And talking about exhaust extraction, 3.8 million cubic meters of exhaust air is dedusted every hour. Consequently, dust at the new plant has been reduced by around 75%. Highly-digitalized process controls ensure that the blower capacity is adjusted for each specific process. That means dedusting levels in the new special steel plant are directly determined by the production stage, e.g., during charging or tapping.
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.
