Completion of the conveyor belt bridge made of greentec steel

Closure of the gap in Conveyor Belt Bridge 2 marks the biggest highlight during completion of the new conveyor line for the raw material supply of the hybrid steelworks. "Green" steel from the greentec steel Edition was used in the construction of the gray conveyor belt bridge structure.

A few steps must yet be taken before the electric arc furnace (EAF) in Linz is scheduled to begin operation in 2027. In addition to preparations for construction of the EAF, important auxiliary facilities such as the new raw material conveyor line are already being built.

The 120-meter gap between transfer towers 1 and 2 was closed in mid January 2024. Preparations have been in full swing since November 2023. The steel structures of the three parts of the conveyor belt bridge were pre-assembled east of the existing LD3 steel plant. Conveyor belt sections, electrical systems and facade panels made of greentec steel have now been installed.

Assembly of the 1000-ton crane required for the lifting work began before Christmas. The heaviest of the three bridge sections weighed an impressive 190 tons in fully assembled condition, which corresponds to the weight of about 120 compact cars.

Conveyor belt bridges 1 and 3 have already been completed. The remaining three components fit into the overall structure with an accuracy of only a few millimeters. The lifting procedure required the highest precision and the full commitment every employee involved.

This was the final step in completion of the new raw material extraction system with a total length of roughly 850 meters. The bridge reaches a height of roughly 60 meters at its highest point.

About greentec steel

The greentec steel project of voestalpine is an ambitious step-by-step plan that makes a valuable contribution to the achievement of the climate goals. As a first step, the voestalpine Group plans to replace two blast furnaces with two electric arc furnaces (EAFs) by the year 2027. The investment volume amounts to roughly 1.5 billion euros.

CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 30% as early as 2027 by making this switch from the blast furnace to the EAF. This corresponds to a savings of nearly 4 million tons of CO2 per year, amounting to almost 5% of the carbon emissions in Austria. This makes greentec steel the largest climate protection program in Austria.

The two electric-arc furnaces will enable voestalpine to produce roughly 2.5 million tons of carbon-reduced steel by the year 2027, roughly 1.6 million tons in Linz and 850,000 tons in Donawitz.