Lifting and assembly operation for electric steel plant in Linz

With the “TransMet” investment and transformation program, Voestalpine is setting the course for the future of steel production. From 2027, electric arc furnaces will make a significant contribution to carbon dioxide-reduced steel production. Numerous companies and trades are required to implement this major project at the same time. Right in the middle: Felbermayr transport and lifting technology. 
Since April last year, Felbermayr has been supporting the construction of the new electrical steel plant in Linz. The tasks range from classic lifting services to installation using 14-axle self-propelled heavy-duty modules to complex assembly operations.

Plant construction in XXL format 
Even during hall construction, the team led by branch manager Michael Maier-Bauer plays a key role. A total of three hall ships are being built for future steel production. Just to assemble the crane tracks, 22 crane girders with individual weights of up to 90 tons are lifted by a 750-ton crawler crane. In addition, the specialists are installing a total of six indoor cranes. Four of them have already been installed. Experts from Felbermayr's Engineered Solutions division are currently constructing another indoor crane, and a sixth is already being planned.

The heavy-duty expertise from Felbermayr is also in demand when it comes to system components for electric ovens. Among other things, two steam reservoirs weighing 95 tons, a steam drum and the oven cradle, which consists of a total of five individual components, were installed. The heaviest individual part of the oven cradle weighed 47 tons. Felbermayr provided the necessary access technology with elevating work platforms from branches across Austria. Devices with working heights of up to 103 meters were used. At peak times, a total of 55 forklifts and platforms were in use at the same time.

The work was particularly complex due to the limited space available. “Many components must be positioned with millimetre accuracy in tight spaces. It is crucial to provide the right technology at the right time,” operations manager Karl Berghuber and Maier-Bauer agree.

Heavyweights at lofty heights The dust removal system at the new electric steel plant plays 
a key role in plant engineering. The individual components weigh up to 110 tons and are assembled at heights of more than 40 meters. The entire range of cranes — from 45-ton city cranes to 650-ton mobile cranes — was used for this work. Individual assembly sections even required tandem lifts with two 650-ton cranes.

Maier-Bauer remembered one moment in particular: the lifting of a dust collection line component weighing around 65 tons at the end of April. The component was first lifted, then precisely threaded into a steel structure and finally rotated 90 degrees so that it could be connected to the existing dust removal system. “It took us almost an entire working day for this hub. The component had to be guided through the existing steel structure with millimetre precision. Sometimes you actually feel like you're threading a thread through the eye of a needle, except that the thread is more than six meters in diameter,” remembers Maier-Bauer.

Numerous trades However, 
the actual complexity lies less in individual steps than in coordinating the numerous processes on a large construction site. Different trades, hundreds of employees, several contractors and constantly changing construction progress must be precisely coordinated. “Delivery dates are being postponed, assembly windows are changing at short notice and free parking spaces are scarce. Each adjustment can have an impact on subsequent work steps. We often have to react very flexibly,” Maier-Bauer describes and adds with appreciation: “This also requires employees who you can rely on one hundred percent. We are well equipped with this. ”

This reliability makes Felbermayr an important partner on the construction site. The Linz branch was strengthened by the Felbermayr Engineered Solutions division. At the beginning of June, colleagues from Krefeld will assist with the installation of an indoor crane with a wire lift system.

Multimodal The project 
also has international logistical dimensions. Numerous components are delivered from Poland, Italy or the Czech Republic. In addition to transport by road, some parts of the plant are also delivered by sea to the heavy-duty terminal. The Felbermayr Group's multimodal transport concepts ensure that the large-sized components can be brought to the factory premises on time.

Industrial project with a signal effect 
For Maier-Bauer, the new electric steel plant is one of the most important Felbermayr projects in recent years. “Rarely do so many Felbermayr expertise come together on a single construction site. From heavy transport to transportation to complex lifting and assembly work, the competencies of the Felbermayr range of services complement each other perfectly,” emphasizes Maier-Bauer. With the planned completion at the beginning of 2027, the extensive lifting, assembly and logistics services will have made an important contribution to the implementation of the new electric steel plant.