Outokumpu has unveiled EvoMaterials, a proprietary technology platform designed to produce low-CO2, high-purity ferrochrome and other metals, as the company advances the technology toward pilot-scale production.
The technology is based on advanced sulfidation processes and is initially designed to increase the chromium content and chromium-to-iron ratio of ferrochrome. It could later be extended to other strategic materials, including nickel and molybdenum, as well as metals recovered from side streams.
Outokumpu is developing the technology using chromite from its Kemi mine in Finland, the only chrome mine in the EU. The company said the technology could support production of enriched ferrochrome and chromium metal while improving resource efficiency and reducing emissions.
The company is currently scaling up the technology at a pilot plant in Londonderry, New Hampshire, from 1 kg to 1 ton. The plant is scheduled to become operational in the first half of 2027, with an industrial-scale plant targeted for 2030. Outokumpu is evaluating potential locations in the US and Europe for the industrial facility.
Development of the technology began in the US in 2021 and has since been advanced through Outokumpu’s R&D activities, including process innovations for which the company has sought intellectual property protection.
Outokumpu, a global leader in sustainable stainless steel, operates the Tornio plant with an annual melting and hot-rolling capacity of 1.65 mln tons and cold-rolling capacity of 1.2 mln tons. The company also runs an extensive network of production facilities across Europe and the Americas.