Metso Corp. (Espoo, Finland) and Ferro Alloys Corp. Ltd. (FACOR), part of Vedanta, have agreed on the design and delivery of a ferrochrome plant for FACOR’s expansion project in Bhadrak, Odisha, in India. The contract value of approximately EUR 80 million is booked in the Minerals segment’s fourth-quarter 2023 order intake.
Metso’s scope of delivery includes the engineering and supply of key equipment for a 6m wide Outotec Steel Belt Sintering Plant and two 75 MVA Outotec Submerged Arc Smelting Furnaces with preheating technology. The new plant will produce 300,000 tons of ferrochrome (FeCr) annually, and it is estimated to start operating in 2025.
“With this ambitious investment FACOR aims to become India’s leading ferrochrome producer. We are pleased to be able to support FACOR in implementing their growth strategy with a sustainable ferrochrome process, which is part of our Planet Positive offering,” says Jyrki Makkonen, Vice President, Smelting at Metso.
Metso’s Outotec Steel Belt Sintering Plant is renowned for the production of high-quality pellets enabling consistent electric furnace performance with low power consumption and high recovery. Metso’s Outotec Submerged Arc Furnace (SAF) is an energy-efficient, closed-type solution for ferrochrome and other ferroalloy applications. Its low electrical energy consumption, high metal recovery, and high carbon efficiency lead to low emissions of CO2 and dust. Metso’s Outotec Ferrochrome process is widely used around the world.