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Primetals Technologies, voestalpine Partner on New Iron Plant
04/08/2025 - Primetals Technologies will work with voestalpine, iron ore miner Rio Tinto and Mitsubishi Corp. to build a prototype ironmaking plant that combines its hydrogen-based fine-ore reduction and smelter technologies, the companies announced Tuesday.
“This project represents a significant advancement in future-proof ironmaking – for the first time, we will implement a continuous production process with hydrogen-based direct reduction,” said Alexander Fleischanderl, chief technology officer and head of green steel at Primetals Technologies.
“The combination of hydrogen-based fine-ore reduction and smelters is a highly innovative development with the potential to transform the industry, similar to the impact the LD converter (BOF) had on steel production. We are extremely proud to have the support of strong partners in voestalpine, Rio Tinto and Mitsubishi Corporation, and together, we are poised to make a big difference to the future of net-zero CO2 emissions ironmaking.”
Hydrogen-based fine-ore reduction, or HYFOR, is a direct reduction technology for iron ore fines that does not require any agglomeration steps. Since 2021, Primetals Technologies has operated a HYFOR pilot plant at voestalpine’s Donawitz facility in Austria and has run numerous successful test campaigns.
The smelter is a furnace powered by renewable energy used for melting and final reduction of direct reduced iron (DRI). It produces potential net-zero CO2 emissions hot metal for the steelmaking plant.
Funding for the investment and operation of this prototype plant has been provided by the Austrian federal government through its “Transformation of Industry” program. In addition, the European Union is supporting the project through the European Union Research Fund for Coal and Steel within the Clean Steel Partnership (CSP) and the European Union Clean Hydrogen Partnership.
Start-up of the plant is scheduled for mid-2027.
“Together with Primetals Technologies and Rio Tinto, we are taking an entirely new and promising approach to research into hydrogen-based pig iron production,” said Herbert Eibensteiner, voestalpine AG chief executive officer.
“The combination of hydrogen-based fine-ore reduction and smelters is a highly innovative development with the potential to transform the industry, similar to the impact the LD converter (BOF) had on steel production. We are extremely proud to have the support of strong partners in voestalpine, Rio Tinto and Mitsubishi Corporation, and together, we are poised to make a big difference to the future of net-zero CO2 emissions ironmaking.”
Hydrogen-based fine-ore reduction, or HYFOR, is a direct reduction technology for iron ore fines that does not require any agglomeration steps. Since 2021, Primetals Technologies has operated a HYFOR pilot plant at voestalpine’s Donawitz facility in Austria and has run numerous successful test campaigns.
The smelter is a furnace powered by renewable energy used for melting and final reduction of direct reduced iron (DRI). It produces potential net-zero CO2 emissions hot metal for the steelmaking plant.
Funding for the investment and operation of this prototype plant has been provided by the Austrian federal government through its “Transformation of Industry” program. In addition, the European Union is supporting the project through the European Union Research Fund for Coal and Steel within the Clean Steel Partnership (CSP) and the European Union Clean Hydrogen Partnership.
Start-up of the plant is scheduled for mid-2027.
“Together with Primetals Technologies and Rio Tinto, we are taking an entirely new and promising approach to research into hydrogen-based pig iron production,” said Herbert Eibensteiner, voestalpine AG chief executive officer.
