Gianpietro Benedetti, CEO of Italy-based plantmaker Danieli, has stated that, if operating conditions are equal, the company will opt for Udine in the northeastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia as the site of its planned €400 million special steel mill, instead of choosing to locate the mill in Serbia.
Mr. Benedetti underlined that the choice of Serbia is not definitive for the construction of the new production facility even though Danieli has inked a memorandum of undestanding with the Belgrade government. He said that, if the investment were made in Italy, it would be made at the site of Danieli subsidiary Acciaierie Bertoli Safau (ABS) in Udine, and this would also involve savings on workforce costs.
Danieli's final decision is strongly dependent on the construction by local government of a new electric power line which would pass close to the existing premises of Acciaierie Bertoli Safau. "The creation of the new power line is a fundamental issue," the Danieli CEO stressed.