Historic Smelter Paves the Way for the First Hydrogen-Based Rail at the Donawitz Site
The last press release announced a significant milestone: the installation of the world’s first hydrogen-based rail at Linz Central Station.
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What often remains in the background is the highly innovative preparatory work that made this success possible in the first place—in particular, the historic meltdown in summer 2025 at the voestalpine site in Donawitz.
What Exactly Happened in Donawitz?
As part of a pilot project, the TechMet research steelworks conducted its first melting operation combining hydrogen-reduced pure iron from the HYFOR pilot plant with high-quality scrap. The goal: to produce a CO₂-reduced starting material for the production of premium rails.
In the adjacent rail rolling mill, two 30-meter-long rails were manufactured from this material – with mechanical properties that meet the highest requirements for hardness and wear resistance.
Why Is This Melt So Special?
Technological breakthrough: The successful processing of HYFOR material in a real production environment is proof of the technical feasibility of hydrogen-based steel production.
TechMet research platform: As a fully-fledged small steel plant, the Metallurgy Technology Center offers ideal conditions for such developments – a unique selling point.
Interdisciplinary collaboration: From process engineering to metallurgy to materials science – the project combined expertise from a wide range of fields.
This melt laid the foundation for the now-installed rail—a prime example of how research, technology, and sustainability go hand in hand at voestalpine Railway Systems. Yesterday’s press release showcases the results—this article provides a glimpse behind the scenes.
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