Austrian steel producer Voestalpine AG has disclosed to SteelOrbis that it plans to construct a new flat rolling mill somewhere on the Black Sea coast, due to the growing market for high quality steel products in the region.
Currently the company is making preparations to conduct a feasibility study in the region to determine the location of the new plant.
Speaking about the company's plans, a Voestalpine spokesperson stated that the new mill will be similar to the company's existing plant in Linz (Austria) and will have an annual production capacity of five million metric tons of flats. Judging from the parallel with the company's Linz-based mill, it can be expected that the new facility will specialize in the production of slabs, plates, hot and cold rolled coils and sheets.
As for the new mill's location, the company stated that nothing definite has been decided on this issue yet and that it is looking into all Black Sea shore countries, including Turkey, as possible locations for the new mill.
Voestalpine is to decide on its plans regarding the new mill in the second half of 2008.