With Innofreight technology, DB Cargo AG achieved a milestone in green logistics with the world’s leading steel and mining group ArcelorMittal.
In a construction period of about one year, we and our partner companies built two partially automated unloading machines for the steel mill in Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany.
For the first time a steel mill switched its entire raw material logistics to our technology. Each of the two stationary unloading machines (SUM) can handle up to 1,000 tons per hour. Around 3.5 million tons of ore, limestone and coke are unloaded per year. The integrated dedusting system protects the environment from fine dust and emissions. Robots integrated into the plant control system handle the shunting.
In addition to building the unloading machines, we delivered 352 InnoWaggons and 1,408 MonTainers. Our lighter wagons and the special containers allow more efficient loading of the freight trains and optimize the rail transport to Eisenhüttenstadt. Six freight trains can be saved per week.
Both SUMs have been in operation since July 2022. At the end of October we celebrated this success together with project partners, customers and suppliers to thank them for their good cooperation. The guests took a trackless train across the plant site to the SUM1 for ore and limestone and were able to see it in action.
The following day, Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, Chairman of the Management Board of DB Cargo, and Reiner Blaschek, CEO of ArcelorMittal Germany, presented and introduced our logistics system to the German Federal Minister of Transport, Dr. Volker Wissing, and State Secretary Hendrik Fischer of the Brandenburg state government at a press conference. ArcelorMittal emphasized that this solution is already a step towards CO2-free steel production. Changing raw materials will require different containers in the future, but thanks to the modular Innofreight system, the wagons can still be used.