Austrian steel producer voestalpine has opened a state-of-the-art stainless steel plant in Kapfenberg, Styria in Austria. The plant is a pioneer in terms of digitalization and sustainability. Only using renewable energies, it is expected to produce 205,000 tons of special steels annually and generate value added of €350 million – benefiting Styria.
The new steel plant in Kapfenberg. Source: voestalpine
According to voestalpine, the new plant represents a “technological milestone in the production of future-oriented high-performance materials for the international automotive, energy and aviation industries” and is “the world’s most advanced.” The groundbreaking ceremony for the new stainless steel plant took place in 2018, and it is currently still undergoing a test run, i.e. the old plant is being operated in parallel. Full commissioning will take place in the current fiscal year 2023/24, when the new facilities will be able to produce 205,000 t of special steels annually for demanding customer segments.
As a “pioneer of sustainability,” the new steel plant is planned to decouple heat from the melting units into the district heating network. Cooling takes place via a closed-loop system, and the plant operates with a high degree of energy efficiency. The electric arc furnace – the core of the plant – is powered 100% by electricity from renewable energy sources.
Herbert Eibensteiner, CEO of voestalpine AG, says: “Today’s opening of the stainless steel plant in Kapfenberg is a historic moment and a decisive technological step for the voestalpine Group that will enable us to further strengthen our global competitiveness. At the same time, this major investment contributes to the long-term preservation of prosperity and jobs in the region.”
Industry 4.0
The Kapfenberg plant is to meet Industry 4.0 standards. Around 8,000 process data are continuously recorded, converted and evaluated in parallel. All melting processes are controlled via a central control station. The necessary qualification of employees in the areas of robotics, sensor technology or data analysis is provided by an in-house competence center for digitalization.
Added value for Styria and Austria
According to voestalpine, the investment volume amounts to around €467 million – due to the pandemic, more than the €350 million budgeted. The region will benefit from considerable economic effects as a result of the investment in the large-scale project, according to a study conducted by the Institute of Industrial Sciences in September 2023: The construction of the new plant will generate value added of around €350 million – of which up to €230 million will be generated in Styria. During the construction phase, the investment also secured – in addition to the 3,500 jobs at voestalpine’s Styrian sites in Kapfenberg and Mürzzuschlag – around 2,500 in Styria and more than 4,200 jobs in Austria.
In the training of future skilled workers at the state-of-the-art training center in Kapfenberg, the focus is on a digitalized working world, he said. A new apprentice campus for 60 apprentices is being built to ensure the continued training of skilled workers at the site. Construction started in the summer of 2023 and is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2025. The focus is on a digitalized working world, he said.
“The comprehensive know-how of our experts on site was the decisive reason why Kapfenberg was chosen as the location for the new stainless steel plant. I would like to express my special thanks to all employees who, with their great commitment over the past months and years, have made today’s opening of this project of the century possible, and whose daily efforts will contribute in the future to further expanding our leading position in the area of tool and special steels,” said Franz Rotter, Member of the Management Board of voestalpine AG and Head of the High Performance Metals Division.