Outokumpu starts up bio-coke plant in Tornio, Finland with €30 million investment

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Outokumpu has started up a new bio-coke briquetting plant in Tornio, Finland, with an investment of approximately €30 million, aimed at replacing fossil coke in ferrochrome production. This investment is intended to reduce the company's direct CO₂ emissions and advance low-carbon stainless steel production.

The new plant processes biochar into bio-coke for use in ferrochrome production. At full capacity, the plant can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 82,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to the annual emissions of approximately 8,000 Finnish citizens.

The investment is part of Outokumpu's sustainability strategy. The company plans to reduce CO₂ emissions across its value chain by 42% by 2030 compared to the 2016 baseline, and regards bio-coke as a key tool for lowering the carbon intensity of its direct emissions.

Juha Erkkilä, Head of Outokumpu EvoCarbon, stated that this investment is a concrete step the company is taking to reduce the climate impact of its operations. Bio-coke production has already commenced in Tornio, with the product being sold both for the company's own use and to external customers.

The Tornio site is regarded by the company as central to reducing its operational carbon footprint and is described as one of the world's most efficient integrated stainless steel production sites. The company states that the carbon footprint of its ferrochrome is currently 67% lower than the industry average, and the goal of the new briquetting plant is to further expand this advantage, consolidating its position in low-carbon stainless steel and ferrochrome production.