Austria's largest climate protection project: "Green steel"

As Austria's largest CO2 emitter, voestalpine wants to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by up to 30 percent from 2027 - that would be three to four million tons of CO2 per year.

How can this work?

Initially with an investment of 1.5 billion euros in more climate-friendly steel production.

More precisely, the money will be invested in one electric arc furnace powered by green electricity. These are located in Linz and Donawitz. As a first step, two of the five blast furnaces in Austria will be operated with more environmentally friendly technologies from 2027.

The plan is to replace two more blast furnaces by 2030, which will then also be based on electric technology.

The last blast furnace is then to be replaced by 2050.

According to the forecast, however, hydrogen will play a greater role as a technology from 2035.

Until now, coal and coke have been used as energy sources in the blast furnaces. Voestalpine has five blast furnaces in Austria, three of which are in Linz and two in Donawitz.

And when?

The transformation program called "greentec steel" reportedly envisages that the plant and supplier decision will be made this year.

Construction will start in 2024 and commissioning of the two units is planned for 2027.

A step on the way to Europe's climate neutrality

"Of course, we are committed to the global climate targets of achieving climate neutrality by 2050," says Group CEO Herbert Eibensteiner.

A 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 compared to 1990 is an interim EU target on this path.

"With the Green Deal, the EU is making Europe the first climate-neutral continent," says the voestalpine CEO.

These are great and necessary goals.

"The programme is Austria's largest climate protection project - minus 30 percent CO2 means five percent of total emissions in Austria," says the Group CEO, emphasizing the huge scale of the project.

pro.earth conclusion:

A sensational project! 💚