According to voestalpine, cold testing on some equipment has started and the plant will gradually come on-line through the summer and into fall. voestalpine broke ground on the mill in 2018, but ran headlong into the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and delays in key equipment deliveries. 

“As the plant starts operating in fall 2022, initially with intermittent parallel operations using the existing electric steel mill, we can supply our customers with even better material qualities to further expand our global market leadership in tool and special steels.
Our heartfelt thanks go to our dedicated employees at the site whose flexibility and extensive expertise will make this successful start-up possible,” said Franz Rotter, head of voestalpine’s high-performance metals division. 

Designed to produce 205,000 metric tons annually, the mill will produce steels for the aerospace, oil and natural gas, automotive, and toolmaking industries. It will replace the existing voestalpine Böhler Edelstahl GmbH & Co. KG plant in Kapfenberg.