Italy's Nextchem Signs Agreement to Acquire Metso's Metallurgical Technology Business in Finland

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 10, Italian engineering group MAIRE announced that its subsidiary Nextchem has signed a binding acquisition agreement with Finnish mining technology company Metso to acquire Metso's metallurgical and chemical technology businesses, including roasting, sulfuric acid production, and flue gas purification. The enterprise value of the transaction is €40 million, consisting of €32 million in upfront payment and an additional €8 million in earn-out consideration, with closing expected in mid-2027.

The businesses involved in this transaction include fluidized bed roasting, sulfuric acid production, industrial flue gas purification, and other fluidized bed technologies, along with related after-sales services. Technology applications cover the thermal treatment of ores, concentrates, and metallurgical residues, recovery of valuable metals, and the treatment and purification of sulfur-containing metallurgical off-gases. The flue gas treatment systems also involve the removal of pollutants such as mercury, arsenic, and fluorine.

According to information disclosed by MAIRE Group, the businesses to be acquired hold more than 60 patent families, with over 1,000 cumulative industrial application cases worldwide, including approximately 300 roasting applications and more than 100 industrial flue gas purification units. The technology assets cover fluidized bed reactors, cyclone separation, gas-solid separation, thermal treatment of fine particles and granular materials, metal oxide production, and also include technologies for hydrogen application in fluidized bed systems.

Upon completion of the transaction, the relevant businesses will be transferred through a newly established Metso entity in Germany, with the business headquarters located in Oberursel, Germany, a research and development center retained in Frankfurt, and engineering, technology, and service operations in Skellefteå and Gothenburg, Sweden, and Kolkata, India. Approximately 180 professionals are expected to transfer to MAIRE Group as part of the transaction, with employees primarily based in Germany, Sweden, and India.

The transaction amount consists of a €32 million upfront payment and up to €8 million in earn-out consideration, with the upfront payment subject to customary adjustment mechanisms at closing to determine the final amount.