Eti Bakir opts for DRI smelting furnace technology for metal recovery
in brief
Eti Bakir is expanding its Mazıdağı metal production site with process technology from Metso. Leaching residues are to be processed there into iron and slag products, whilst the site utilises by-products more efficiently.
Metal recovery from leaching residues
The Turkish copper and metals company Eti Bakir is investing in the expansion of its Mazıdağı metal production site, which includes integrated fertiliser production. The focus is on the utilisation of leaching residues, from which iron and slag products are to be extracted. At the same time, the project is intended to help reduce the site’s environmental footprint.
Eti Bakir has awarded Metso a major contract for the supply of core process technology and equipment for the project. The scope of supply includes, amongst other things, a rotary kiln process and a DRI smelting furnace. According to Metso, this project marks the company’s first commercial-scale delivery of its DRI smelting furnace technology. The company describes this as a significant milestone for the industrial application of DRI smelting technology.
Integrated solution with rotary kiln and DRI smelting furnace
Metso’s integrated solution is designed to convert leaching residues into recoverable iron and slag products. At the same time, it is intended to help Eti Bakir utilise by-products more effectively at the Mazıdağı site.
Technically, the plant combines Metso’s thermal treatment and smelting technologies. The aim is to convert leaching residues into molten pig iron. The scope of supply includes basic and equipment design, as well as supply and consultancy services for an SL/RN Xtra rotary kiln pellet direct reduction process. This process will be integrated into a 30 MVA DRI smelting furnace from Metso Outotec.
The system also comprises a hot charging system for the DRI smelting furnace. This links the rotary kiln process to the downstream smelting furnace. The source does not provide any further technical specifications.
Article on the use of by-products
Eti Bakir links the project to the aim of further utilising by-products at the Mazıdağı site. “By reprocessing leaching residues into high-quality industrial materials such as iron and slag products, we can further strengthen Mazıdağı’s role as a pioneering waste-free industrial complex in Turkey,” says Bekir Kan, Managing Director of the Mazıdağı site at Eti Bakir.
The statement refers to the site’s aim of converting residual materials from metal production into industrial materials. Whether, and to what extent, this will result in concrete cost savings or reductions in emissions is not clear from the source provided.
Eti Bakir operates Turkey’s only copper smelter
According to the source, Eti Bakir operates the only copper smelter in Turkey that covers the entire production process from ore to end product. The annual production capacity is reportedly 70,000 tonnes of cathode copper.
The company produces copper, cobalt, nickel, phosphate, antimony and fertilisers at eight Turkish plants. In addition, Eti Bakir operates a gold production plant in Kyrgyzstan.
Key facts at a glance:
- Eti Bakir has commissioned Metso to supply core process technology and equipment for the Mazıdağı site.
- The solution combines an SL/RN Xtra rotary kiln process with a 30 MVA DRI smelter from Metso Outotec.
- The aim is to convert leaching residues into iron and slag products and to improve the utilisation of by-products at the site.