Kazakhstan-based mining group Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation Plc. (ENRC) has announced the successful commissioning of the second chrome ore pelletizer at its Donskoy GOK chrome ore mine complex.
Donskoy GOK's new $110 million pelletizer will supply chrome pellets to Kazchrome, a Kazakhstan-based subsidiary of ENRC's ferroalloys division. The new facility, with an annual production capacity of 700,000 mt of chrome pellets, will allow Donskoy GOK to double its existing pelletizing capacity to 1.4 million mt per annum.
"The process allows the use of greater quantities of lower grade ore, thereby reducing wastage and improving unit mining costs and profitability," ENRC states. "It creates a stronger product which makes it more resilient to degradation during transportation to the conversion plants, whilst allowing for improved recovery in production of chromium alloys. In addition, the process enables reduced furnace electricity consumption," reads the company's release.