Annual Report - voestalpine

problems. The project requires an investment
of EUR 45 million. Another major project
in the year under review concerned the
installation of a new power plant block at
the same location (investment of approximately
EUR 75 million), which will increase
the supply of electricity from self-generation
to around 90% by forced use of smelter
gases. Both projects will be completed by
December 2008. The coal injection system
for blast furnaces 1 and 4 was commissioned
in the year under review. The use of this
system, which required an investment of
more than EUR 27 million, to inject coal
fines as an alternative fuel achieves a significant
reduction in the coke used.
Major environmental investments were also
made at the wire production (upgrades to
the wastewater neutralization and exhaust
air purification systems) and switch production
locations (new lower consumption electrical
power supply network) in Styria.
The Profilform Division had environmental
investments of approximately EUR 0.3
million at the Krems location in financial
year 2007/08. These investments were
focused on saving energy by means of improved
waste heat recovery. In addition, a
project using a modern hot air method to
replace traditional heating was realized in
the production hall for special pipes and
profiles that opened at the Krems location
in the autumn of 2007.
The environmental activities of the Automotive
Division were primarily focused on further
improvements in material flow and
reducing the amount of waste generated.
The voestalpine Group once again received
a number of awards for its high standards
in the environment and safety area in the
year under review. voestalpine Schienen
GmbH, Donawitz, which first received the
Austrian EMAS Environmental Award (ecomanagement
and audit scheme) in 2005,
received this prize for the second time in
June 2007. The EMAS award is granted for
the quality of the content and design of the
environmental statement as well as for the
representation and marketing of EMAS as
part of the corporate identity of a company.
Participation is voluntary. In addition, Böhler
Ybbstal GmbH received the Eco-management
Award from the government of Lower
Austria, VAE Eisenbahnsysteme GmbH,
Zeltweg, received the Environmental Protection
Award from the government of Styria,
and voestalpine Stahl GmbH, Linz, received
the Upper Austrian Environment and Nature
Award for the plastics project described
above.
The last two companies mentioned above also
received the Austrian “National Occupational
Health and Safety Award” in July 2007.
It must be mentioned in this regard that all
of the major production locations in the
voestalpine Group have environmental management
systems conforming with ISO
14001 or EMAS requirements and have been
certified or validated accordingly. Measured
by the number of employees, a total of more
than 80% of the locations in the Group have
been certified under ISO 14001. In addition,
the Austrian companies at the Linz, Donawitz
and Zeltweg locations have received EMAS
validation.
Management Report
Annual Report 2007/08 47