On November 3, Finnish mining and metal manufacturing equipment provider Outotec announced that it has signed a ferrochrome plant delivery agreement with Shanxi Taigang Wanbang Furnace Charge Co. Ltd., a joint venture between Shanxi Jinzhong Industrial Trading Co. and the world's largest stainless steel producer Taiyuan Iron and Steel Co. (TISCO), on the design and delivery of a new ferrochrome plant based on Outotec's proprietary technology to Jinzhong, China.
According to the agreement conditions, Outotec will deliver the entire ferrochrome plant including an operating license and key equipment for a steel belt sintering plant, besides engineering. In addition, Outotec will supply the plant with two 69 MVA smelting furnaces with preheating technology for ferrochrome production. The plant's annual throughput will be 700,000 mt of chromite pellets and it will produce 300,000 mt of ferrochrome per year. The new plant is estimated to become operational in 2013.