Norway: TiZir Titanium & Iron (TTI) has commenced shipments of chloride titanium slag. It is produced using ilmenite from the Grande Côte mineral sands operation in Senegal GCO. Both operations are owned by the TiZir joint venture which is in tern owned by Mineral Deposits Limited in Australia and ERAMET in France.
The ramp up of TTI operations follows completion of the furnace reline and capacity expansion project in December 2015. It is anticipated that the upgraded furnace and water-cooled copper-ceramic roof will increase smelting capacity by approximately 15% and improve maintenance performance by lengthening periods between scheduled shutdowns.
The sale of chloride titanium slag and high-purity pig iron from TTI represents the final step in the vertical integration strategy of the TiZir joint venture. The TTI ilmenite upgrading facility has been producing titanium slag and high purity pig iron since 1986. Its current production capacity is 230,000t/yr of titanium slag and 100,000t/yr of high purity pig iron.
