Greentec steel: the people behind the megaproject

Austria's largest climate protection program and the most extensive investment project in our company's history: greentec steel. A project only made possible thanks to the people behind it. Read on to learn more about the members of the project team in Linz.

Only a few weeks after the official start of construction at the voestalpine site in Donawitz, the traditional groundbreaking ceremony for greentec steel was held at the Group's headquarters in Linz on October 10, 2023. Bernhard K. and Kurt S., the program directors for greentec steel at the Linz site, took this opportunity to explore the future of green steel production and review the past few years. "Back in 2018, we thought we'd never build something on this scale. As an integral part of the production process, we couldn't imagine an alternative to our blast furnaces, yet alone introducing a new technology. However, the transition to green steel production has rapidly picked up speed in recent years and undergone significant development."

Needless to say, Bernhard K. and Kurt S. did not achieve this milestone in our company's history alone. The core greentec steel team is spread across several areas of the company and consists of over 50 people; in total around 250 employees are working on the 20 individual projects involved in the program. They cover all the key functions needed to successfully realize greentec steel, including special engineering, operations, maintenance, controling, marketing, procurement, automation, digitalization, quality, documentation, environment specialists, and many more. The team members are all experts in their field and contribute their individual capabilities and valuable experience to the project.

In addition to the main team, almost 200 suppliers and external partners are helping with the construction and implementation. All the individual projects coordinate their technical, deadline and commercial details on an ongoing basis. Meetings are also held with the project managers and key higher-level roles on a fortnightly basis. The shared passion for the megaproject is clearly visible in the special spirit that unites the team. The next generation of project managers and specialist departments are also already heavily involved in the program.

Construction of the electric arc furnace (EAF) in Linz starts in 2024, with commissioning scheduled to follow three years later. Once fully operational, the EAF will produce around 1.6 million tons of CO2-reduced steel annually. In order to realize this megaproject, the two greentec steel project directors are available around the clock to help their colleagues. As an early bird, Bernhard K. starts the day with the early shift and Kurt S. takes over in the afternoon. This optimized schedule provides peace of mind and ensures everything runs without a hitch. Instead of dividing up the areas of responsibility, both program directors are involved in all aspects of the project and coordinate closely with one another. Ultimately, a project of this scale requires sparring partners of equal stature and a collaborative form of dual leadership. "I truly couldn't imagine working with anyone else. Bernhard and I share a very similar mindset, despite only knowing each other since the program kicked off back in 2019," explains Kurt S. "It was certainly a stroke of luck and a perfect match from the get-go," adds Bernhard K. From the very beginning, they both felt strongly drawn to directing the greentec steel program. "I was immediately hooked by this great opportunity," recollects Bernhard K.

Neither have looked back since taking on this challenging role.