Away from natural gas! This is what many companies promised to do with the outbreak of the energy crisis and the progress of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Hydrogen is increasingly emerging as an alternative. Voestalpine and AMAG see potential in green gas and are now even testing some of it in practice.
By 2050, Voestalpine wants to replace all five blast furnaces required for steel production in Linz and Donawitz with electric arc furnaces. The “largest climate protection program in Austria”, as boss Herbert Eibensteiner called it on Wednesday before the groundbreaking ceremony in Styria, will cost around 1.5 billion euros in 2027.
The group does not specify how high the total investment will ultimately be. One thing is certain: on the road to CO2-free steel production, hydrogen will be the focus for Voestalpine – as a green natural gas substitute.
Research is still needed
Since 2019, hydrogen has been produced from water in a pilot plant in Linz using renewable energy. “The process works. Now we want to start a new project to purify the hydrogen. Research is still needed here,” says Eibensteiner. Primetals developed a process for emission-free production of iron ore based on hydrogen, which has been well received by Voestalpine and is being intensively tested.
Test in practice in Ranshofen
AMAG, which currently covers two-thirds of energy consumption in Ranshofen with natural gas and one-third with electricity, is also giving hydrogen a chance. “We will be testing on two systems this fall to see how this affects the furnaces and product quality in practice,” confirms Gerald Mayer, head of the aluminum producer.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
