Digital flagship plant combines high-tech production with domestic magnesite – a key raw material for Europe’s green transition
Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker visited the RHI Magnesita plant in Radenthein today to learn about state-of-the-art digital production and regional raw material security. The visit emphasises the importance of domestic critical raw materials such as magnesite for the forthcoming industrial strategy. The Chancellor was accompanied by ÖVP Secretary General Nico Marchetti, Federal Managing Director Dominik Ramusch, Provincial Councillor Martin Gruber and Mayor Michael Maier.
Chancellor Christian Stocker said: “Radenthein impressively demonstrates how raw material security, digitalisation and environmental protection can be successfully combined to keep value creation in the country, secure jobs and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness at the same time. The site – in conjunction with the plant in Hochfilzen – epitomises a modern industrial policy that focuses on regional strength, technological innovation and ecological responsibility. Magnesite is of strategic importance at a time when Europe needs to become more independent and resilient. An entry in the EU list of critical raw materials would be a clear advantage – for the ecological and digital transformation in Austria and Europe, as well as for industrial value creation in rural areas.”
Rajah Jayendran, CTO of RHI Magnesita, added: “Magnesite is the material behind the materials—without it there would be no wind turbines, no batteries and no green steel. Our Austrian plants prove that responsible mining, circular economy and high‑tech production are possible in Europe.”
Radenthein digital refractory plant
The plant in Radenthein is the first refractory plant with a fully integrated Manufacturing Execution System (MES), AI-supported quality control and a digital twin of all processes.
Performance data:
Every year, 75,000 tonnes of raw magnesite from the Millstätter Alpe are transported to the plant by cable car and refined into caustic magnesia for animal feed and soil remediation. Radenthein obtains additional high-purity magnesia from other Austrian deposits for the refractory lines. This results in precise spinel and magnesia bricks that protect electric arc furnaces in Germany, glass furnaces in Spain and copper smelters in Canada, for example.
Magnesite – the basis for modern high-temperature processes
Magnesite is the basis for refractory products that protect furnaces and reactors above 1,200 °C. Without it, there would be no climate-neutral steel, no CO₂-reduced cement, no energy-efficient glass and no battery metals. Europe imports the majority of its magnesite from China – Austrian deposits are a rare European counterweight. Listing magnesite as a strategic raw material in the EU would create jobs in rural areas and attract investment.
Symbolic conclusion
At the end of the visit, RHI Magnesita presented the Federal Chancellor with a magnesite cube engraved with ‘Magnesite – critical for Europe – Radenthein, 30 July 2025’. The cube symbolises the common goal of recognising magnesite as a strategic mineral on the EU list of raw materials – a step that the United Kingdom and Turkey have already taken.
About RHI Magnesita
RHI Magnesita is the leading global supplier of high-grade refractory products, systems and solutions which are critical for high-temperature processes exceeding 1,200 °C in a wide range of industries, including steel, cement, non-ferrous metals and glass. With a vertically integrated value chain, from raw materials to refractory products and full performance-based solutions, RHI Magnesita serves customers around the world, with over 20,000 employees in 65 main production sites (including raw material sites), 12 recycling facilities and more than 70 sales offices. RHI Magnesita intends to leverage its leadership in terms of revenue, scale, product portfolio and diversified geographic presence to strategically target those countries and regions benefiting from more dynamic economic growth prospects.
The Group is listed within the Equity Shares (Commercial Companies) category (“ESCC”) of the Official List of the London Stock Exchange (symbol: RHIM) and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index, with a secondary listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange (Wiener Börse). For more information, please visit: www.rhimagnesita.com