overview

Hy4Smelt: Mechanical and Piping Installation for a New Generation of Steel Production

Industry

Metallurgy

Status

In progress

Country

Linz, Austria

Services

Construction management & supervision, Mechanical assembly, Pipline assembly, Project management

The “Hy4Smelt” project is establishing one of the world's most innovative demonstration facilities for climate-neutral steel production at the Linz site. SGS Industrial Services is responsible for the mechanical installation and piping work on this forward-looking project. The project is scheduled to start in mid-June, with the installation phase beginning in July.

110

Employees in action

Months of construction

3,240

tons steel structure installation

1.825

tons equipment installation

150

tons piping

Project data

Commissioner: Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH & voestalpine Stahl GmbH
Customer: Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH & voestalpine Stahl GmbH
Industry: Metallurgy
Construction location: Linz, Austria
Contruction period: 10 months
Contributors: 110 employees

Scope of delivery & service

Complete mechanical installation of plant components:

DRI smelting plant (raw material handling, smelting area/furnace distribution system/slag and metal granulation)
Auxiliary secondary dedusting
Primary dedusting smelter
Hyfor (grinding and drying plant/reactor tower/HCl building/pump house, etc.)

Our Scope of Services

SGS Industrial Services is responsible for the complete mechanical installation of key plant areas. This includes:

Steel structure installation: approx. 3,240 tons
Equipment installation: approx. 1,825 tons
Piping: approx. 150 tons

The scope of the contract includes, among other things:

DRI smelting plant (raw material handling, smelting area, furnace distribution system, slag and metal granulation)
Auxiliary secondary dedusting
Primary dedusting smelter
HYFOR plant (grinding and drying plant, reactor tower, HCI building, pump house, etc.)

The construction period is approximately 10 months. A total of around 110 employees will be on site. Completion is scheduled for end of May 2027.

Special features and challenges

Hy4Smelt is the largest climate protection research project in Austria, with an investment volume of around 170 million euros. It is also a European flagship project that receives extensive funding from national and international programs.
The facility combines several new technologies on an industrial scale. This places high demands on the planning, coordination, and execution of the installation work. Integration into an existing plant environment at the Linz site also requires precise coordination among all project participants.

Hy4Smelt – Rethinking Steel Production

Hy4Smelt stands for climate-friendly steel production: Ultrafine iron ores are directly reduced using green hydrogen (HYFOR) and then electrically smelted. This produces high-quality pig iron—with significantly lower emissions than in the traditional blast furnace process.

The goals at a glance:

Green pig iron in continuous operation
100% green hydrogen & renewable energy
Use of ultra-fine ores without energy-intensive processing
Significant CO₂ reduction
Integration into existing steel mill structures
Use of the resulting slag as a raw material for the cement industry

Result: A significant step towards CO₂-neutral, resource-efficient steel

About Our Customer

voestalpine AG is a leading global steel and technology group with approximately 500 companies in over 50 countries. The company is renowned for its deep expertise in materials and innovative processing solutions.
Primetals Technologies is one of the world’s leading companies in plant engineering and metallurgy. With its extensive engineering and service expertise, Primetals plays a pivotal role in advancing the development of modern production solutions.