Finnish stainless steel producer Outokumpu has unveiled EvoMaterials, a proprietary technology platform for producing high-purity metals with lower carbon emissions, as it advances toward pilot production in the US and targets industrial operations in 2030.
Initial focus on ferrochrome and chromium
Based on sulfidation technology, the process is designed to increase ferrochrome's chromium content and chromium-to-iron ratio, with initial development focusing on enriched ferrochrome and chromium metal using resources from the company's Kemi mine in Finland.
Outokumpu stated that the technology could support a Western supply chain for chromium materials used in aerospace and defense, while its modelling indicates potential cost competitiveness against conventional production methods.
US pilot plant scheduled for first half of 2027
Following laboratory testing in Massachusetts, Outokumpu plans to increase the process scale from one kilogram to one mt at its Londonderry pilot plant in New Hampshire, scheduled to become operational in the first half of 2027.
The company is evaluating US and European locations for an industrial plant targeted for 2030, with subsequent expansion potentially covering nickel, molybdenum, specialty alloys and metal recovery from side streams.
