Ferrexpo plc, a producer of iron ore pellets with operations in Ukraine, has launched an updated pellet production line at Ferrexpo Poltava Mining (FPM) equipped with press filters.
This is the "start of an important technological stage in the development of production," Ukrainian media reported the company's press service as saying. Investment in the project exceeded $80 million.
The equipment, which was supplied by Finland's Metso and Germany's Eirich, will make it possible to significantly improve the quality of pellets with 65% iron content, while yielding 35% savings on bentonite and 3% on gas.
The company expects to increase the cold crushing strength of the finished product by 8% and decrease moisture content without loss of pellet properties, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and maintaining the high performance of the production line.
Ferrexpo said it plans to launch "additional similar lines" in the "near future."
The introduction of press filtration at FPM will make it possible to increase the competitiveness of Ukraine's metallurgy industry on the European market, the company said. This technology meets the standards of European industry and helps to improve production processes and introduce cleaner technologies, Ferrexpo said.
FPM has four pellet production lines, but only one operated for most of 2023. Ferrexpo reduced pellet production by 36.5% to 3.845 million tonnes in 2023.
Ferrexpo owns 100% of iron ore miners Ferrexpo Poltava Mining and Ferrexpo Yeristovo Mining, as well as 99.9% of Ferrexpo Belanovo Mining.
