HY4SMELT ON THE PATH TO IMPLEMENTATION
What could climate‑friendly steel production look like in the future? A visit to the construction site in Linz already offers some early answers. Hy4Smelt—one of the most ambitious climate‑protection projects Austria has ever seen—is taking shape there.
An investment volume of 170 million euros. Three international partners, one shared goal: net‑zero CO₂ emissions in steel production by 2050. These key figures make Hy4Smelt the largest climate‑protection research project in the country. The demonstration plant is scheduled to start up at the end of 2027, with the project running through 2030.
A PARTNERSHIP WITH SUBSTANCE
Hy4Smelt is backed by voestalpine, Primetals Technologies and the mining group Rio Tinto. Three companies, three distinct areas of expertise—steelmaking, plant engineering and raw‑material extraction—working toward one outcome: net‑zero‑CO₂ steel production at an industrial scale. This is made possible by a combination never before realized: hydrogen‑based direct reduction for ultrafine iron ores without a prior agglomeration step (HYFOR®), paired for the first time with an electric smelting process (Smelter).
THE PATH TO GREEN HOT METAL
The journey from raw material to finished product can be summarized in a few steps: ultrafine iron ore is processed in the HYFOR® system using green hydrogen to produce direct‑reduced iron (DRI). The Smelter then converts this into green hot metal. From there, it can be processed just like conventional hot metal—either in an LD converter or an EAF, followed by standard secondary metallurgy to produce crude steel for high‑quality products. And the source of the green hydrogen?
No need to look far: it comes from the H2FUTURE PEM electrolysis plant located directly on the voestalpine site in Linz, the world’s longest‑running facility of its kind.
AN AUSTRIAN PROJECT WITH GLOBAL IMPACT
Technology alone isn’t enough for a project of this scale. What matters is who advances it together. Rio Tinto, working closely with Primetals Technologies, is actively involved in further development and is also keeping the door open for future commercialization of the technologies used. This is how an Austrian construction project becomes an initiative with international relevance for the entire steel industry.
TIGHT SCHEDULE, FULL COMMITMENT
Since construction began in October 2025, significant progress has been made in Linz. Buildings and foundations are increasingly taking shape—a development clearly visible in the latest construction photos. Structural work will dominate the site until the end of July 2026, and interior construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The outdoor facilities will follow once steel construction and plant installation are well advanced. The schedule is tight—yet it’s being met. Exactly what people expect from voestalpine.
The European flagship project Hy4Smelt is funded by Austrian (aws/Twin Transition and KPC/Transformation of Industry) and European (RFCS/Clean Steel Partnership and Clean Hydrogen Partnership/Hydrogen Valleys) funding agencies.
Some build castles in the air – we are building a demonstration plant for the steel production of the future.
Stella Sustainable, Sustainability Expert
