The transformation process
We turn manganese ore into manganese alloys, which are essential to creating high-quality steel.
Raw material sourcing
The process begins with high-quality manganese ore, sourced primarily from the Eramet group’s Comilog mines in Gabon, in addition to other suppliers.
The quality ore extracted from our two Comilog mines is part of the vertical integration promoted at Eramet. The mines are operated following the best practices of responsible mining. Comilog has voluntary committed to be audited against the IRMA standard (Initiative for a Responsible Mining Assurance).
This ore is then transported to Norway by ship, where it undergoes rigorous quality tests before entering the production line.
Other essential raw materials, such as metallurgical coke, quartz, and limestone, are sourced nationally and internationally, to ensure optimal alloys composition.
Smelting and refining
The core of the transformation process involves:
- Smelting: Manganese ore is fed into high-capacity furnaces on our 3 production sites in Norway along with carbon-based reducing agents. The high temperatures break down the ore, separating the manganese from impurities.
- Refining: The resulting molten manganese undergoes further processing to achieve the desired properties. Eramet’s proprietary techniques ensure high purity and consistent quality in each batch.
Energy efficiency and by-product recovery
Eramet Norway aim to be a leader in energy efficiency and by-product utilization:
- Energy: All sites are ISO 50001-certified and fully focused on systematic energy management to strengthen the sustainability aspect of our energy intensive operations.
- By-product management: To achieve higher resource efficiency, we envision new value chains based on by-products and waste materials. This also includes expanding the potential for increased value creation in the interface between us and other industrial stakeholders, funding institutions and knowledge communities.