Outotec has signed a contract with RB Met Engineering and Xstrata Merafe on the delivery of chromite sintering technology to Xstrata Merafe’s ferrochrome plant located in Rustenburg in South Africa. The contract value is approximately EUR17 million. Outotec’s scope of delivery covers basic engineering, technology license and supply of proprietary equipment as well as services for training and supervision of installation and plant commissioning. The plant will treat 600,000 t of chromite ore annually. Xstrata Merafe’s project is subject to an environmental permit by local authorities in Rustenburg and the plant is expected to be operational in 2012.

“Outotec Ferrochrome Process is rewarded for its sustainability, because it improves energy efficiency and reduces carbon footprint of the plant. For Outotec, this is the third chromite sintering project with Xstrata Merafe in South Africa,” says Outotec’s CEO Pertti Korhonen.