Outotec has secured a €25 million ($27.3m) contract to design and deliver a ferrochrome plant to Mintal in Baotou, China. This is the Finnish technology supplier’s second ferrochrome plant delivery for Mintal and a third overall in China.

Outotec's scope of delivery includes engineering and supply of equipment for a Steel Belt Sintering plant with a 700,000 tonnes/year capacity of sintered pellets, and two 75 MVA smelting furnaces with preheating technology. The new plant, scheduled to come into operation before year-end, will produce 300,000 t/y of ferrochrome.

"Mintal's strategy is to become one of the largest ferroalloy producers and a significant stainless steel producer in China,” says Outotec President of Metals, Energy & Water Robin Lindahl in a statement sent to Kallanish. “The need for sustainable and energy efficient technologies is ever more important to the Chinese industry and Outotec's technological leadership is answering this call.”

Last month Outotec completed the acquisition of Sinter Plant Services CC in South Africa to complement its service offering to South African ferrochrome plants (see Kallanish 18 December). The firm recently stepped up its cost-cutting programme as it anticipates continued weak investment in the global mining and metals industry.