Anglo American says it has completed the rebuild of its two electric furnaces at its nickel operation in the Barro Alto city, Goiás state, Brazil almost two months ahead of schedule. Starting in October 2014, the first furnace rebuild completed in April this year and is now running at nameplate capacity. The second furnace rebuild completed in September is now ramping up production with first metal successfully produced.

“Considering the experience and lessons learnt from the first furnace rebuild, we carried out the activities on the second furnace more quickly and more efficiently with no accidents and an improved safety performance”, says Ruben Fernandes, CEO of Anglo American Nickel, Niobium and Phosphates business. Ruben also stressed some benefits from the rebuild including safer operation with significant improvements in operational stability leading to increased productivity.

The first furnace rebuild has reached the nameplate capacity, of 1.2 Mt/y, which is equivalent to an average production of approximately 18,000 t of nickel per furnace per year for the first ten years. At 8 m high, 13 m wide and 36 m long, the furnaces have been designed to work with a nominal output of 81MW each, due the total replacement of the refractory lining and the electromechanical repairs made.
Requiring 1.6 million man-hours to complete, at the peak of the rebuild the company created 1,100 indirect jobs.

In addition to the plant in Barro Alto, Anglo American has another nickel operation in Niquelândia, also in the state of Goiás. In the first half of 2015, the two operations produced a total of 13,0000 t of ferronickel and the production forecast for the year is between 25,000 and 30,000 t. The ferronickel produced by the company is mainly used in stainless steel composition present in the manufacturing of cutlery and surgical instruments, cars and large buildings.