Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau (VAI) has received major orders from Russia, India, Japan, Turkey and Korea with a total value of around $200 million.

As consortium leader, VAI is to supply a direct reduction plant to Lebedinsky GOK, Russia, for its mill in Gubkin near the Ukrainian border. The facility will utilize Midrex technology for the production of 1.4 million tonnes per year of sponge iron. Start-up is planned for 2007.

According to Gerhard Falch, VAI Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the VA Tech Managing Board, “As a result of the current high raw material prices, technologies in the hot metal area are experiencing a renaissance. In October 2004, VAI was able to obtain an order from Saudi Arabia for what is the world’s largest DR plant with a capacity of 1.75 million tonnes per annum. Moreover, this year also offers good opportunities for additional orders involving this technology.”

As the head of an international consortium, French VAI subsidiary VAI-Clecim has been awarded an order for completion of a heavy plate mill for Hazira Plate in the Indian state of Gujarat. The new rolling mill will have an annual capacity of 1.5 million tonnes of plate with widths of up to 5 meters. Start-up is scheduled for mid-2006. VAI has been working on completion of a similar plant for Shagang, china, which will go on-line in 2005.

Istanbul-based Colakoglu has selected VAI continuous casting technology for the production of flat products. Apart from an order for an electrical steel plant, including vacuum treatment, VAI is to supply a twin-strand slab caster with an annual capacity of 2 million tonnes.

Posco has placed an order with VAI to modernize a 2.5 million tonnes per year twin strand slab caster at its Pohang, Korea, facility. Start-up of the caster, which VAI had originally installed in the 1980s, is scheduled for mid-2006.

In addition, Tokyo Steel, Japan’s largest electrical steel producer, has ordered a VAI single-strand continuous caster.

Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau (VAI), a company of the listed VA Technologie AG, is one of the world’s leading engineering and plant-building companies for the iron, steel and aluminum industries with a multinational company structure and special focus on technology, automation and services. VAI achieved total sales of 976 millions EUR in 2003 and employs approximately 3,400 people worldwide.

Following the announcement on December 10, 2004, by Siemens AG Österreich of a takeover bid for VA Tech, the general period of acceptance terminated on February 9, 2005. Over 90% of VA Tech stock was sold to Siemens at a price of EUR 65. Consequently, one precondition for a takeover by Siemens has been fulfilled. However, until the anti-trust authorities in the EU, USA and Canada approve the takeover, both VA Tech and Siemens are subject to a prohibition on the concentration process.