Korean steel-maker Posco celebrated completion
of Korea’s first ferronickel smelter
at Posco’s Gwangyang steelworks with an
inauguration ceremony on November 3,
2008. The new plant was built by a jointventure
mine-development and processing
company established by Posco and SMSP
of New Caledonia in 2006, with the goal of
providing Posco with a stable supply of ferronickel
for use in its production of stainless
steel. The new smelter has capacity to
produce 30,000 mt/y of ferronickel, about
half of Posco’s requirement. The joint-venture
company has ore reserves in New
Caledonia sufficient to supply feed to the
smelter for the next 30 years.
Posco CEO Ku-Taek Lee said, “This is
the first joint investment in the world by
a raw materials supplier and a stainless
steel maker to establish a ferronickel
plant. Posco has solidified its status as
world-class stainless steel maker by completing
an integrated system of nickel
mine development, refining and ferronickel
production.”
As featured in Womp 08 Vol 10 - www.womp-int.com