Photovoltaic boom: voestalpine supplies solar projects worldwide

13 December 2022 |

As a leading supplier of high-quality steel components and systems for photovoltaic substructures, the voestalpine Group’s Metal Forming Division is benefiting from the current high demand in the solar industry. The dynamic market development is reflected in orders from around the world. The company is supplying one of Brazil’s largest solar projects with sophisticated steel sections, for example. Furthermore, voestalpine is continuously expanding its production of solar-generated green electricity throughout the Group.

The climate and energy crises are accelerating the global expansion of renewable energies. According to estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA)¹, solar power will become the most important source of energy by 2050, supplying one fifth of total demand.

The solar sector is a forward-looking market for voestalpine because it also allows us to help achieve climate targets. Our innovative products are in demand worldwide, and in Brazil we can even talk about a real boom in orders.

Herbert Eibensteiner, CEO of voestalpine AG

The steel and technology Group has supplied around 12,000 tons of steel sections for one of Brazil’s largest PV projects, the Futura I solar complex, where a total of almost 1.5 million solar panels with an output of 852 MWp (megawatt peak) will be installed on an area of 16.5 km². Demand is also picking up strongly in Europe. voestalpine has already supplied around 200 tons of special profiles for assembling an initial 55,000 panels in Austria’s largest PV system to-date, at Vienna Airport in Schwechat.

Innovations with added value

The current energy price development has massively boosted demand for our high-quality steel products for PV system substructures. We are proud of the fact that we have been supplying this segment for a very long time, and are driving innovation in this area both independently and together with our customers.

Peter Schwab, Member of the Management Board of voestalpine AG and Head of the Metal Forming Division

One example of innovative product solutions from voestalpine are the roof structures for fixing PV modules that also serve as weather protection for trellised fruit and berries. The Group has also developed “iFIX”, a smart flat roof mounting system that can be installed without tools using a click system. This system is manufactured in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, and the steel comes from Linz.

Photovoltaic expansion at voestalpine locations

The company also uses the high-quality special sections to expand its own sustainable energy supply. voestalpine is setting new standards in terms of electricity output and land use by installing 760,000 m² of PV systems with an output of 138 MWp throughout the Group, once again underscoring its role as the industry’s environmental and efficiency benchmark.

^{1) International Energy Agency (IEA): “Net Zero By 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector”}

Metal Forming Division

The Metal Forming Division is voestalpine’s center of competence for highly refined sections, tubes and precision strip steel products as well as for ready-to-install system components made of pressed, stamped and roll-formed parts. Its combination of material expertise and processing competence, which is unparalleled throughout the industry, and its global presence make this division the preferred partner to customers who are looking for innovation and quality. The division employs roughly 11,800 staff members and does business with almost all European car manufacturers. In the business year 2021/22, the division generated revenue of EUR 3.5 billion, with an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 433 million.

The voestalpine Group

voestalpine is a globally leading steel and technology group with a unique combination of materials and processing expertise. voestalpine, which operates globally, has around 500 Group companies and locations in more than 50 countries on all five continents. It has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1995. With its premium products and system solutions, it is a leading partner to the automotive and consumer goods industries as well as the aerospace and oil & gas industries; it is also the world market leader in railway systems, tool steel, and special sections. voestalpine is fully committed to the global climate goals, and its greentec steel program represents a clear plan for decarbonizing the production of steel. In the business year 2021/22, the Group generated revenue of EUR 14.9 billion, with an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 2.3 billion; it had about 50,200 employees worldwide.

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