Voestalpine has started construction of the main building of the new steel plant in Kapfenberg
After the completion of construction and related infrastructure, Voestalpine, through its subsidiary Böhler Edelstahl, entered into a contract for the construction of the main building of the metallurgical plant with the Austrian companies Unger Stahlbau and Haslinger Stahlbau. According to the report, a consortium will be formed to erect the steel structure, which will cover an area of three hectares. The permit for the installation of industrial equipment for the new plant was issued in March 2019.
Over the past twelve months, preliminary work has been completed prior to the actual construction phase of the new special steel plant: the 50,000 m² construction site has been fully leveled and anchored with a 700 m retaining wall, access roads have been created, assembly sites and infrastructure required by subcontractors.
“We have successfully completed the preliminary work, and now the next key step in the implementation of this complex project is the construction of the main building. We are convinced that in Unger Stahlbau and Haslinger Stahlbau we have found two partners with significant experience in construction projects of this magnitude, ”said Franz Rotter, Voestalpine Board Member and Head of High Performance Metals.
Preparations are in full swing: about a month ago, construction work began on the foundation of the hall, which is scheduled to be completed by February 2020. The construction site currently employs 150 people, with another 100 people planning the project.
With a new special steel plant that will supply approximately 205,000 tonnes of special steel annually to the international aerospace, oil and gas and instrumentation industries from 2021, Voestalpine is setting completely new standards around the world in digital and automated procedures.
The technological center of the plant will be an electric arc furnace operating on 100% environmentally friendly electricity, which will melt ultrapure scrap and alloys to produce complex steel grades.
As previously reported, the German construction company SMS group will install a high-tech electric arc furnace. The construction of the special steel plant will provide over 3,500 long-term jobs at Böhler Edelstahl and its processing subsidiaries Böhler Aerospace and Böhler Bleche.