Start of a new era: PORR hands over Voitsberg power plant compound

Voitsberg, 1 June 2017 – As of today, PORR has fully completed the demolition of Voitsberg power plant. The handover to VGI Grundstücksverwertungs GmbH, a company managed by the municipality with a private investor, took place at a celebration attended by Deputy Governor Michael Schickhofer, Mayor Ernst Meixner and PORR CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss. Numerous special guests from regional politics and industry representatives also came to the event. The municipality has a clear picture of the future of the site: the Mayor of Voitsberg promises an economic revival and clear value added for the region through companies moving to the site. 
 
“PORR has come full circle today: the Voitsberg power plant was the largest industrial demolition project currently underway in Austria. When the plant was built it was one of the largest construction projects. We were responsible for the realisation in both cases”, sums up Karl-Heinz Strauss, PORR CEO. “We have been involved with this project for many years. The time has come today for us to thank our partners for the good cooperation: the municipality of Voitsberg and its Mayor Ernst Meixner, the neighbouring boroughs of Bärnbach and Rosental, and of course our consortium partner Scholz. What’s more, our on-site team has done an exceptional job: the PORRians paid strict attention to health and safety and we are delighted that the project has been completed without a single accident”, says Strauss. 
 
Mayor Ernst Meixner is positive about the future: “You can really feel the optimism today. Now that we have acquired the plot together with VGI, we are entering a new era. We will immediately continue with the proactive sales and marketing phase. Our goal is to bring attractive companies to our location so that we create new jobs, increase the quality of life, and establish Voitsberg as an appealing growth region”. 
 
A sophisticated demolition concept with a rich history
 
Thanks to its extensive experience with proprietary projects in the contaminated sites sector, PORR Umwelttechnik was the only company in Austria capable of handling a project such as the demolition of Voitsberg power plant alone, from the concept development through to preparation and exploiting the plot. The company only employed external specialists for the blasting, in view of the dimensions of the project.
 
The location necessitated a sophisticated demolition concept. The main focus during the demolition was on separating the construction materials into the different types; it was possible to recycle or reuse more than 90% of the materials thanks to the controlled demolition. Around one-and-a-half years of planning preceded the demolition itself. Here the consortium was committed to working with local partners: around 75% of the contracted services were awarded in Voitsberg and its surroundings and in Styria.
 
Following the demolition in December 2015, PORR began the work of re-cultivating the compound. Conditions for the handover of the plot to VGI Grundstücksverwertungs GmbH included installing flood-protection measures. These were completed on 31 May 2017, allowing the handover to take place today as planned.