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Primetals Technologies, Rio Tinto and voestalpine Break Ground on Hydrogen-Based Ironmaking Plant
09/25/2025 - Project partners Primetals Technologies, Rio Tinto and voestalpine have begun construction on an industrial-scale demonstration plant, Hy4Smelt, at the voestalpine site in Linz, Austria.
The project will implement a new process for potential net-zero CO2 emissions ironmaking. The partners said they aim to accelerate the development of hydrogen-based direct reduction and smelter technologies. This will provide an alternative to blast furnaces for hot metal and commercial hot briquetted iron (HBI) production.
“To achieve our long-term goal of net-zero CO2 emissions in steel production by 2050, we are researching new processes in collaboration with partners from industry and science, as well as investing in groundbreaking steel production projects,” said Herbert Eibensteiner, chief executive officer of voestalpine.
The process could use all types of low- to high-grade ores but will focus on low-to-medium-grade ores. The project partners estimate the plant will have a capacity of 3 metric tons per hour.
“Coal-fired blast furnaces, which have been the backbone of ironmaking for centuries, come at a significant and growing environmental cost. This is exactly where HYFOR and Smelter come in: with these solutions, we are paving the way for a new era in ironmaking,” said Alexander Fleischanderl, chief technology officer and head of green steel at Primetals Technologies.
HYFOR is the world’s first direct reduction technology for iron ore fines that eliminates the need for agglomeration of them. It has lower reduction temperatures, in-situ recycling of captured dust particles and high metallization of the DRI and HBI.
The Smelter is a furnace powered by renewable energy that melts and completed the reduction of DRI to produce hot metal or pig iron and a slag suitable as a cement clinker substitute, the companies said.
Both HYFOR and Smelter are expected to be commercially available beginning in 2028.
Rio Tinto said it will supply about 70% of the iron ore for Hy4Smelt and provide technical support to the project. It will also support development and future commercialization of the HYFOR and Smelter technologies.
Primetals Technologies has also formed a partnership with Mitsubishi Corp. as a coinvestor. They will provide experience and insight into materials supply solutions, product trading and market needs.
Funding was provided by the Austrian federal government through its "Transformation of Industry” program managed by Kommunalkredit Public Consulting and the “Twin Transition” initiative managed by Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws). It is also supported by the European Union through the European Union Research Fund for Coal and Steel within the Clean Steel Partnership and the European Union Clean Hydrogen Partnership within the Hydrogen Valleys.
Startup of the plant is scheduled for the end of 2027, the companies said.
“To achieve our long-term goal of net-zero CO2 emissions in steel production by 2050, we are researching new processes in collaboration with partners from industry and science, as well as investing in groundbreaking steel production projects,” said Herbert Eibensteiner, chief executive officer of voestalpine.
The process could use all types of low- to high-grade ores but will focus on low-to-medium-grade ores. The project partners estimate the plant will have a capacity of 3 metric tons per hour.
“Coal-fired blast furnaces, which have been the backbone of ironmaking for centuries, come at a significant and growing environmental cost. This is exactly where HYFOR and Smelter come in: with these solutions, we are paving the way for a new era in ironmaking,” said Alexander Fleischanderl, chief technology officer and head of green steel at Primetals Technologies.
HYFOR is the world’s first direct reduction technology for iron ore fines that eliminates the need for agglomeration of them. It has lower reduction temperatures, in-situ recycling of captured dust particles and high metallization of the DRI and HBI.
The Smelter is a furnace powered by renewable energy that melts and completed the reduction of DRI to produce hot metal or pig iron and a slag suitable as a cement clinker substitute, the companies said.
Both HYFOR and Smelter are expected to be commercially available beginning in 2028.
Rio Tinto said it will supply about 70% of the iron ore for Hy4Smelt and provide technical support to the project. It will also support development and future commercialization of the HYFOR and Smelter technologies.
Primetals Technologies has also formed a partnership with Mitsubishi Corp. as a coinvestor. They will provide experience and insight into materials supply solutions, product trading and market needs.
Funding was provided by the Austrian federal government through its "Transformation of Industry” program managed by Kommunalkredit Public Consulting and the “Twin Transition” initiative managed by Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws). It is also supported by the European Union through the European Union Research Fund for Coal and Steel within the Clean Steel Partnership and the European Union Clean Hydrogen Partnership within the Hydrogen Valleys.
Startup of the plant is scheduled for the end of 2027, the companies said.
