voestalpine delivers first CO₂-reduced premium steel to customers

2022-06-13 |

Demand is growing for high-quality, CO₂-reduced steel from voestalpine, and now the first greentec steel Edition coils have left the plant in Linz. Starting at the end of the last calendar year, the steel and technology group now offers all Steel Division flat steel products with a reduced carbon footprint. Examples include electrical steel which is used in wind turbines, and high-tensile steels for lightweight automotive construction.

Carbon emissions are reduced through adjustments to the manufacturing process such as partially replacing coke with a hydrogen-based reducing agent. The CO₂ savings are calculated according to the international standard ISO 14064-2. A balance model is applied to distribute the actual CO₂ savings across a specific quantity of product. LRQA, a leading global assurance provider, examines and certifies both the CO₂ reduction and the status of the balancing account.

A market for more environmentally friendly steel is currently emerging. We can meet this growing customer demand in the high quality sector with our innovative greentec steel Edition product solutions, while at the same time contributing to the global climate goals. We have a clear goal: quality leadership in CO₂-reduced and CO₂-neutral steel production.

Herbert Eibensteiner, CEO of voestalpine AG

In addition to optimizing the production process, voestalpine is focusing on the use of renewable energy.

We generate around 70 percent of the electricity we consume during steel production in Linz by using the gases which are a byproduct of the production process. Our remaining energy portfolio is being gradually converted to renewables.

Hubert Zajicek, Member of the Management Board of voestalpine AG and Head of the Steel Division

greentec steel—our path to green steel

greentec steel is voestalpine’s clear plan for decarbonizing steel production. An important first step is the incremental shift from the blast furnace route to a hybrid-electric steel pathway from 2027. Once an electric arc furnace goes into operation at each of the Linz and Donawitz sites in early 2027, CO₂ emissions can be significantly reduced, by up to 30%. This represents almost 5% of Austria’s annual carbon emissions. The steel and technology Group’s long-term mission is carbon-neutral steel production using green hydrogen, for which it is already undertaking intensive research into promising breakthrough technologies.

The voestalpine Group

voestalpine is a globally leading steel and technology group with a unique combination of materials and processing expertise. voestalpine, which operates globally, has around 500 Group companies and locations in more than 50 countries on all five continents. It has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1995. With its premium products and system solutions, it is a leading partner to the automotive and consumer goods industries as well as the aerospace and oil & gas industries; it is also the world market leader in railway systems, tool steel, and special sections. voestalpine is fully committed to the global climate goals, and its greentec steel program represents a clear plan for decarbonizing the production of steel. In the business year 2021/22, the Group generated revenue of EUR 14.9 billion, with an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 2.3 billion; it had about 50,200 employees worldwide.