Austrian steelmaker voestalpine has produced the world's first hydrogen-powered rail at its Donawitz plant, and the first such rail has been installed at Linz Central Station.

This green rail is made from scrap steel and hydrogen-reduced pure iron. The molten iron is produced in the HYFOR (Hydrogen-based Fine-Ore Reduction) pilot plant, melted in the TechMet research steelworks, and finally finished at the Donawitz rail rolling mill. No fossil fuels are used, and no CO2 emissions are generated.

This is a key step in voestalpine's steel decarbonization plan and is consistent with its long-term goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Furthermore, to further advance its decarbonization strategy, the company plans to commission electric arc furnaces powered by green electricity at its two main plants in Linz and Donawitz as early as 2027.

While producing high-quality steel with low CO2 emissions is one of the most challenging tasks on the road to decarbonization, voestalpine, as a leading global supplier of complete rail infrastructure systems, is committed to creating sustainable and trend-setting solutions for future mobility.