Following last month's reports by Ukrainian sources that Austria-based steelmaker Voestalpine had decided to locate its new flats mill in Ukraine, a new rumor regarding the location of Voestalpine's proposed facility has surfaced this week. Currently, several market sources say that Voestalpine has decided on another Black Sea region country, namely Romania, as the location for its new plant.
In a comment made to SteelOrbis, a representative of Voestalpine expressed surprise regarding the latest rumor, stating that Voestalpine plans to take its decision regarding the location of the new mill in the second half of 2008. Currently, the company is undertaking initial feasibility studies in the targeted countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Turkey¬), which it plans to complete by July. Only following the completion of the studies in question will Voestalpine be in a position to choose the location for its mill.
So far, local media in three out of the four proposed countries - i.e. Bulgaria, Ukraine and Romania - have spread reports that Voestalpine had chosen their own country for the construction of its new flat rolling mill.