Tag Archives: Jyrki Makkonen

Metso backs DRI Smelting Furnace tech with investment in pilot facility

Environmental, Mineral processing, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Metso says it is expanding its testing capabilities by investing €8 million ($8.7 million) to build a state-of-the-art DRI (direct reduced iron) smelting furnace pilot facility.

The pilot plant will be constructed in Pori, Finland, where Metso has one of its major R&D centres serving the minerals and metals industry. The new facility will allow customer-specific, pilot-scale testing to demonstrate the applicability and results of industrial-scale DRI smelting with Metso’s Outotec® DRI Smelting Furnace technology.

Jyrki Makkonen, Vice President, Smelting at Metso, said: “Currently, the iron and steel industry accounts for about 8% of the global carbon dioxide emissions. With the tightening environmental regulations, the industry is looking for new innovations to reduce its carbon footprint. There has been a lot of interest towards the recently launched Metso’s Outotec DRI Smelting Furnace. It substitutes traditional blast furnaces used in iron and steel making, and enables a significant reduction of emissions, when combined with a direct reduction plant.”

Mari Lindgren, Director, Smelting Research & Development at Metso, said: “The investment into the DRI Smelting Furnace pilot facility supports the rapidly increasing customer demand for reliable testing when planning a transition to emissions-free smelting. With the pilot facility, we can reliably test various types of customer materials for industrial scale-up. The construction of this unique facility has started, and we expect to run the first tests and campaigns in the latter part of 2024. Currently, we are serving our customers with smaller scale laboratory tests.”

The new high-capacity Outotec DRI Smelting Furnace, launched in 2022, is one of Metso’s breakthrough technologies and a major Planet Positive solution to support decarbonizing the iron and steel industry.

Combined with a direct reduction plant, Metso’s Outotec DRI Smelting Furnace substitutes traditional blast furnaces in the production of hot metal, making it an optimal solution for primary steel producers aiming for a significant reduction in their CO2 emissions with minimal changes to the rest of the steel plant, Metso says. The furnace can be integrated with Metso’s hydrogen-based Circored™ process or other direct reduction processes.

Metso Outotec to supply direct blister furnace to Kamoa-Kakula operations

Automation, Base metals, Environmental, Metallurgy, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Kamoa Copper SA has selected Metso Outotec to supply a high-capacity direct blister furnace to the company’s copper mining complex expansion project in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The value of this type of a delivery is typically between €30-40 million ($30-40 million).

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery consists of key equipment and automation for the direct blister furnace designed for the production of blister copper in a single flash furnace without the need for separate converting stages. The 500,000 t/y copper throughput furnace will have the largest licensed flash smelting capacity in the world, according to Metso Outotec.

The scope also includes intelligent safety and monitoring automation systems for the furnace.

Jyrki Makkonen, Vice President, Smelting at Metso Outotec, said: “Non-ferrous metals play a key role in the green transition, and a major increase in global copper production is required to support this transition. We are pleased to support Kamoa Copper in their ambitious expansion project, in which high capacity and reliable, sustainable processes play a vital role. Our collaboration has been excellent throughout the initial stages of the process, including the initial study work, basic engineering as well as pilot testing.”

Metso Outotec has delivered more than 60 flash furnaces around the world since the 1950s, with the technology being the most used in pyrometallurgical copper production. The Metso Outotec Flash Smelting Process is, the company says, the cleanest smelting method available and part of the company’s Planet Positive offering.

Last month in its quarterly report, Ivanhoe Mines, which has a 39.6% interest in Kamoa-Kakula, said a new 500,000 t/y direct-to-blister flash smelter was to be constructed as part of the Phase 3 expansion at the mine.

Upon commencement of Phase 3 production, the Kamoa-Kakula Mining Complex will have a processing capacity in excess of 14 Mt/y, with increased copper production capacity of approximately 600,000 t/y. This production rate will position the Kamoa-Kakula Mining Complex as the third-largest copper mining operation in the world, according to Ivanhoe.

Commissioning is expected in the December quarter of 2024.

Metso Outotec launches direct reduced iron smelting furnace to further decarbonise steel sector

Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec is launching the innovative DRI (direct reduced iron) Smelting Furnace to, it says, substitute blast furnaces used in iron and steel making.

The DRI Smelting Furnace is one of Metso Outotec’s key solutions for decarbonisation of the iron and steel industry, which currently produces about 8% of the global carbon dioxide emissions.

Jyrki Makkonen, Vice President, Smelting at Metso Outotec, said:“The DRI Smelting Furnace is a true breakthrough technology. It will help the iron and steel industry to reach their CO2 emission reduction targets and limit global warming. The new high-capacity 6-in-line DRI Smelting Furnace is part of Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive offering, which is focused on environmentally efficient technologies.”

Kimmo Vallo, Product Manager, DRI Smelting Furnace at Metso Outotec, said: “Combined with a direct reduction plant, the DRI Smelting Furnace will substitute blast furnaces in the production of hot metal. This is an optimal solution for primary steel producers aiming for a significant reduction in their CO2 emissions with minimal changes to the rest of the steel plant. The furnace can be integrated with Metso Outotec’s hydrogen-based CircoredTM process or other direct reduction processes.”

Timo Haimi, Senior Sales Manager, Smelting, added: “The DRI Smelting Furnace enables the use of easily available blast furnace-grade iron ore instead of DRI-grade iron ore by managing bigger slag volumes than what scrap melting electric arc furnaces (EAF) are capable of.”

DRI Smelting Furnace technology is based on existing Metso Outotec equipment. The furnace and related products are complete and ready for implementation, according to the company. Customer-specific pilot-scale testing will be conducted in the Metso Outotec research facilities to demonstrate large-scale DRI smelting.

The company said: “DRI smelting technology development continues to further optimise the process for customer-specific feed materials and to complement Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive offering for decarbonisation of the iron and steel industry.”

Metso Outotec’s DRI Smelting Furnace provides the following benefits:

  • Flexible for any DRI feed;
  • High productivity with capacity above 1.2 Mt/y;
  • Continuous production of hot metal with high availability and long campaign life;​
  • Capable of handling large slag volumes;
  • Possibility to change slag chemistry to achieve high iron yields and good-quality slag;
  • Minimal changes to existing steel plant; and
  • Furnace off-gas can be used as energy or in a carbon capture and storage process.