Global Slag News

UK: Francis Flower’s logistics partner, Turners, has added 18 new vehicles to its fleet to help support the production of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) at its Scunthorpe grinding plant. The new vehicles will carry out a variety of tasks, including tramping and day deliveries from Scunthorpe. The DAF vehicles, a mix of eight XF 440 FTP and 10CF 440 FTP models with light mid-lift axles and all fitted with Space Cabs, will be coupled with 18 new, specialised Feldbinder bulk powder tankers on the GGBS work across the UK.

France: ArcelorMittal has discussed the role of slag in the circular economy at a recent media event in Paris. Alan Knight, head of corporate responsibility, described how steel plays a key role in the circular economy, at a time when the European Union is debating its Circular Economy Package, which includes revised legislative proposals on waste. He detailed a number of projects at ArcelorMittal that are using waste created during the steelmaking process including turning steelmaking slag into agricultural fertiliser as well as making bioethanol to fuel aeroplanes from waste gases created during the steelmaking process.

“At ArcelorMittal we are active in being involved in a number of different partnerships that look to more fully utilise and exploit the potential from re-using by-products and waste gases. We are fully supportive of the concept of carbon capture and utilisation and convinced that this offers an important long-term opportunity for the reduction of CO₂,” said Knight.

Key topics discussed at the event included the effects of Chinese steelmaking overcapacity upon the European industry. David Clarke, ArcelorMittal’s head of strategy and chief technology officer, said that imports of steel are effectively ‘swallowing’ up a slow increase in European steel consumption since the market crash in 2009. However, Europe Flat Products chief executive officer Geert Van Poelvoorde added that the European steel industry could prosper under the right legislative framework.

Norway: TiZir Titanium & Iron plans to restart production at its ilmenite upgrading facility in Tyssedal in mid-January 2017. A fire took place at the plant on 15 August 2016 that required the furnace to be relined. The unit has a production capacity of 230,000t/yr of titanium slag and 100,000t/yr of high-purity pig iron. TiZir has agreed with its insurance company on a full and final settlement of US$35m. TiZir is a joint-venture between Eramet and Mineral Deposits Limited.

Iran: The Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) has released information about the Kahnuj titanium slag plant that was opened in November 2016. The unit has a production capacity of 70,000t/yr of titanium slag that will be used in the pigment industry, replacing foreign imports. Alongside this unit the 130,000t/yr Kahnuj titanium concentrate plant was also opened.

UK: Breedon has agreed to acquire the Sherburn Minerals Group for a total consideration of up to Euro18.4m, subject to completion adjustments. The acquisition will add Sherburn’s two terminals in northeast England and eastern Scotland, that are used to import cement and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), to Breedon’s Hope cement plant.

Sherburn is an independent heavyside building materials business headquartered in County Durham, employing approximately 110 people. It operates four quarries and five ready-mixed concrete plants in County Durham, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Cumbria. It also distributes cementitious products from two import terminals at Blyth near Newcastle and Dundee in eastern Scotland.

Following completion of the acquisition Paul Allison, Sherburn’s current Managing Director and a minority shareholder, will remain with the business as a consultant.