Outokumpu Oyj (Helsinki, Finland) is inaugurating a new agglomeration plant for biocoke in Tornio, Finland. The plant enables the replacement of fossil coke with biomass-based biocoke in ferrochrome production. The approximately €30 million investment marks a significant step forward in the company’s efforts to reduce its direct carbon dioxide emissions and develop low-carbon stainless steel production.
At the new agglomeration plant in Tornio, biochar is processed into biocoke, which can be used in ferrochrome production to replace fossil coke. The plant has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 82,000 tons annually when operating at full production capacity. This corresponds to the annual emissions of 8,000 Finnish citizens.
The investment is part of Outokumpu’s strategy to strengthen its sustainability leadership in stainless steel and ferrochrome and advance its climate targets. Outokumpu aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions across its value chain by 42% by 2030 from the 2016 baseline. Biocoke is a key means of reducing the intensity of direct emissions.
“This investment is a concrete step forward in our efforts to reduce the climate impact of our operations. Biocoke production has already started in Tornio, and biocoke has been produced both for our own use and for external customers,” said Juha Erkkilä, Head of Outokumpu EvoCarbon.
Outokumpu’s integrated stainless steel production site in Tornio is one of the world’s most efficient stainless steel production complexes. The new agglomeration plant supports Outokumpu’s ambition to further develop stainless steel and ferrochrome production. Outokumpu’s ferrochrome has a 67% lower carbon footprint than the industry average.
By Mary Bailey
Source: chemengonline.com
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