Deutsche Bahn launches pilot project on the use of environmentally friendly steel in railway infrastructure
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has taken a new step to expand the use of low-emission building materials in its infrastructure. The company has signed a contract with Saarstahl Rail for the supply of about 1,000 tons of steel rails made from environmentally friendly materials.
As part of the project, led by DB InfraGO, environmentally friendly steel rails will be laid in North Rhine—Westphalia, Rhineland—Palatinate and Saarland with a total length of about 22 kilometers.
This collaboration marks an important step towards sustainable supply chains and the practice of closed-loop economics in the railway industry. The raw steel supplied by Saarstahl Rail is produced at the Saarstahl Ascoval plant in France, which uses electric arc furnace (EDP) technology instead of traditional blast furnaces. This process makes it possible to produce new steel from scrap and old rails, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% compared to traditional methods. It is expected that using 1,000 tons of environmentally friendly steel will save about 1,800 tons of CO₂.
As part of its plan to achieve full carbon neutrality by 2040, Deutsche Bahn is increasingly integrating low-emission materials into its infrastructure projects. The company notes that about 50% of Scope 3's emissions, indirect emissions from oil and gas extraction and processing activities, come from construction work, underscoring the need for more environmentally friendly solutions for steel and concrete production.
DB's environmental transformation strategy focuses on five key areas: climate resilience, climate protection, resource efficiency, environmental protection, and noise reduction. Through such pilot projects, the company aims to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions from railway construction and increase the sustainability of its supply chain.
steelradar.com