Steel maker taps Metso for new plant

Espoo, Finland – Finnish steel major Outokumpu has awarded Metso Corp an electrification and automation contract at its new ferrochrome plant in Tornio, Finland.

Outokumpu is investing over Euro440 million to double its present annual ferrochrome production capacity to about 530,000 tons once the extension is finalised in 2013.

Metso’s order covers process electrification, electrical and automation design and process automation. It centres on a new melting plant, new sintering plant, the water plant as well as for the raw material dosage and the coke station.

The melting plant and sintering plant will have new Metso DNA automation systems with integrated safety logics. The contract also includes an information management system to cover the whole ferrochrome plant.

The turnkey delivery includes equipment installation, testing, training and commissioning, with the equipment to be installed in several phases during 2011 and 2012. Test runs will be carried out at the plants in late 2012.

“Metso’s automation system provides our plant with a uniform, integrated operation system, making changing tasks and taking over from a colleague easy thanks to a common operator interface,” said Antti Hemminki, who is in charge of electrification in Outokumpu’s F3 project.

“Additionally, we will get uniform process reporting and management. From the maintenance point of view, having one automation system is a benefit, too,” added Hemminki, commenting in a Metso press release.

Outokumpu’s ferrochrome plant is part of the Tornio steel plant, which is the world’s most integrated stainless steel production unit with all parts of the production chain located close to each other.

Some production plants at the ferrochrome facility already use Metso’s automation systems, as does the nearby Tornion Voima power plant.