German railway operator plans to use green steel tracks

Germany’s railway operator is planning to use steel produced in a climate-friendly way for its infrastructure modernisation. As part of a pilot project, Deutsche Bahn (DB) signed a supply contract with Saarstahl Rail for around 22 kilometres of rail tracks made from green steel, the operator said.

The green steel will be produced from old rails and scrap using electric arc furnaces instead of the traditional blast furnaces that use coal. This can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70 percent, DB said. The rails are set to be installed in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, according to the statement.

Germany’s public transport system plays a key role in the country’s decarbonisation plans but needs dozens of billions of euros in public money. DB hopes to receive a large chunk of Germany’s 500-billion-euro special fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality. It wants to secure 148 billion euros to further expand and modernise the country’s railway network.

The partnership announcement comes as Germany’s government holds a “steel summit” today (6 November) with representatives from the country’s struggling industry. The steel sector has long called on the government to adopt measures to make energy prices competitive, ramp up the hydrogen economy, and create lead markets to master the transition to climate-friendly production.

Amidst announcements of cancellations of green steel projects, chancellor Friedrich Merz in August called for a “robust” and “reliable” steel strategy to maintain a domestic industry and move towards sustainable production in the longer term.