Hoa Phat partners with TÜV SÜD to certify railway rail quality

Vietnam's leading steelmaker Hoa Phat Group has signed an agreement with TÜV SÜD Rail GmbH to provide testing, inspection and certification services for its railway rail products, marking a key step in its strategy to develop high-quality steel for modern rail systems.

Hoa Phat Group and TÜV SÜD (Germany) sign a cooperation agreement on consultancy and quality certification for Hoa Phat's rail steel product lines.

The signing ceremony, held on April 2, brought together representatives from both sides, including Vuong Ngoc Linh, deputy director of Hoa Phat Dung Quat Rail and Special Steel JSC, and François-Xavier Bauzet, deputy CEO of Southeast Asia at TÜV SÜD.

Under the agreement, TÜV SÜD will support Hoa Phat with technical consultancy, production system assessment, testing supervision and conformity certification for its rail products. The process will follow internationally recognized practices, ensuring independence and objectivity while enhancing product credibility in global markets.

The certification scope covers a wide range of rail profiles produced to international standards, using steel grades from R260 for conventional applications to R350HT and R400HT for high-load and high-wear conditions. These products are designed to meet diverse operational requirements, from urban metro systems to inter-regional railways and high-speed rail lines.

Certification and assessment activities will be conducted in accordance with widely adopted international standards, including European (EN), Chinese (GB/TB) and Japanese (JIS) systems.

Mr. François-Xavier Bauzet Bauzet said the certification process would enable Hoa Phat's rail products to meet stringent international benchmarks and technical requirements across multiple markets, opening opportunities to participate in large-scale railway projects in the region and beyond.

Headquartered in Germany, TÜV SÜD has more than 160 years of experience in testing, inspection and certification, with operations in over 50 countries. Its rail division is recognised globally for safety assessment and certification, having been involved in numerous metro and high-speed rail projects across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Representatives of Hoa Phat Group and TÜV SÜD attend the signing ceremony.

Hoa Phat is currently developing its rail and special steel plant at the Dung Quat Economic Zone in Quang Ngai Province. The facility, designed with an annual capacity of 700,000 tonnes, uses advanced technology supplied by SMS group.

The plant will manufacture a range of products, including high-speed railway rails, urban rail tracks, crane rails and structural steel such as U, I, H and V sections, alongside other specialised steel products.

After three months of construction, the project has completed around 35 per cent of its planned progress and is set to begin equipment installation in June. The first batch of high-speed railway rails is expected to be launched in 2027, positioning Hoa Phat as the first company in Southeast Asia capable of producing this type of steel.