Sustainable projects by employees for environmental protection

We take a holistic approach to sustainability, seeing it as the symbiosis of a sustainable society, sustainable economy, and a healthy environment. Today’s voestalpine Group is an environmental pioneer and industry benchmark for environmental protection. This is the result of major corporate projects as well as numerous, individual initiatives undertaken by employees in a variety of Group companies.

Environmental protection is a cornerstone of our corporate philosophy. We scrutinize our processes, optimize our supply chains, and create sustainable products and services. In addition to major projects such as greentec steel, Austria’s largest climate protection program, or the “inSPire” campaign brand (Sustainable performance inSPires – voestalpine) of the High Performance Metals (HPM) Division, our dedicated employees also make their personal contribution. They are proactive in choosing sustainable processes, which save CO₂ in their own projects.

The following projects are a shining example of how our employees are helping to protect the environment. They should encourage colleagues in the 500 Group companies to make sustainable decisions within their own areas of responsibility. Every step taken helps toward maintaining a healthy environment.

Best practice: reducing CO₂ emissions by two thirds in precision manufacturing

voestalpine BÖHLER Aerospace in Kapfenberg (Styria) manufactures high-quality drop forge parts in titanium alloys and high-alloy steels for the global aerospace industry. Constant climatic conditions with minimal tolerances are essential throughout the year for final machining, the finishing process.

As project head for investments, Robert B. is also responsible for implementing measures to achieve sustainability goals. In selecting the necessary air conditioning system for the production hall, he chose highly efficient Sustainable Hall Conditioning technology, eliminating 81% of the CO₂ emissions produced by conventional systems. The integrated heating system also reuses the heat emitted by the processing machines for active heating. The overall impact is clearly felt in terms of the lower operating costs.

Best practice: reducing CO₂ through carpooling and cycling

Patricia H. and Josef K. who work at voestalpine BÖHLER Profil in Bruckbach (Lower Austria) enjoy the many advantages offered by carpooling: they both reduce the amount they spend on fuel, appreciate the value of having time to talk during their commute, help reduce traffic congestion, and reduce their own personal carbon footprint. They drive the 14.5 km to work together two or three times a week. For the 4,000 km they drive each year, this saves around 400 kg of CO₂ (according to Quaks.de: Link: https://www.quarks.de/umwelt/klimawandel/co2-rechner-fuer-auto-flugzeug-und-co/)

When the weather is warm enough, Josef K. is also happy to cycle the 11.3 km to the point where they meet and set off. “That means I’m using the time immediately before and after work to stay fit,” says a delighted Josef.

Best practice: recycled packaging

Stefan W. and Daniel D. work at voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl in Business Development for Additive Manufacturing Powder (AMPO). Together with the team, they manufacture high-quality powder made from tool steel, corrosion-resistant steel, and titanium, cobalt, and nickel-based alloys for use in additive manufacturing—more commonly known as 3D printing. Thanks to them, in future the AMPO will be packaged and delivered in recycled containers. The impact this has on making processes sustainable is also tangible:

Considering around 4,000 to 5,000 containers are used each year, this is an annual reduction of around 2 tons of CO₂ emissions compared to the current process, which, in turn, is roughly equivalent to the CO₂ emissions of a car traveling 20,000 km.