With greentec steel, voestalpine has a clear plan for its path to green steel production. But it's not just voestalpine that has set itself the goal of reducing its CO2 footprint. More and more customers want to improve their carbon footprint by using CO2-reduced premium steel. The steel and technology group now supplies 35 companies from a wide range of industries with sophisticated steel products in the greentec steel edition.
Some examples that can be manufactured more sustainably through an optimized manufacturing process are designer furniture, wind turbines or cranes. voestalpine itself recently used the green steel in a new conveyor belt bridge, which in the future will also supply raw materials for the planned electric arc furnace in Linz.
CO2-reduced steel for 2 years
The list of customers who purchase more environmentally friendly coils from the Steel Division in Linz has been growing since the first CO2-reduced steel was delivered around two years ago. The highest demand initially came from the consumer goods and manufacturing industries. Since the steel and technology group can offer all flat steel products in the usual quality with a reduced CO2 footprint, orders now come from all customer segments - including areas such as wind energy or building technology.
“With our CO2-reduced premium steel, we are clearly meeting our customers’ increasing need for innovative product solutions that immediately and significantly improve their carbon footprint while at the same time offering proven quality and excellent material and processing properties,” says Herbert Eibensteiner, CEO of voestalpine AG, about the continuously growing market for more environmentally friendly steel.
Sustainability on the customer side
The well-known Swiss designer furniture manufacturer USM U. Schärer Söhne AG relies on the greentec steel edition from voestalpine. The company has committed itself to a sustainable production method and uses the CO2-reduced premium steel in its internationally successful system furniture. The global expert in drive technology, Flender, also improves its own climate footprint with green coils from Linz and processes them in the generators of its wind energy division, among other things. The Griesser company, known throughout Europe for high-quality sun protection, uses voestalpine steel in the greentec steel edition in the production of slat blinds. In addition, the renowned crane manufacturer Tadano Europe uses CO2-reduced heavy plate in the latest generation of its cranes.
On the way to green steel production, voestalpine is also relying on the greentec steel Edition material produced in-house. CO2-reduced steel was also used in the current construction of a conveyor belt bridge, which will, among other things, supply the new electric arc furnace in Linz with raw materials from 2027.
CO2 savings in production
Since the beginning of this year, the greentec steel Edition products have also had an even lower CO2 footprint.
“By consistently optimizing the manufacturing process, we can already save around ten percent of direct emissions by using the CO2-reduced version of our steel,” explains Hubert Zajicek, Member of the Board of Directors of voestalpine AG and Head of the Steel Division.
On the one hand, this is achieved through an innovative mix of raw materials in which, for example, coke is partially replaced by hydrogen-containing reducing agents. On the other hand, the proportion of green electricity in the energy supply is increasing. Voestalpine generates over 70 percent of the electricity required for steel production in Linz by using production gases. The remaining energy portfolio is gradually being developed towards renewable sources. The specific emissions savings, which should gradually increase with further measures, are transparently verified and documented by the independent body LRQA.
With greentec steel for green steel production
With greentec steel, voestalpine has a clear plan to decarbonize steel production. An important first step from 2027 is the gradual switch from the blast furnace route to an electric steel route. With the commissioning of an electric arc furnace in Linz and Donawitz at the beginning of 2027, CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced by up to 30%, which corresponds to almost 5% of Austria's annual CO2 emissions. In the long term, the steel and technology group is committed to CO2-neutral steel production based on green hydrogen and is already conducting intensive research into promising breakthrough technologies.
