Springs and gas cylinders manufacturer Special Springs has bolstered its heat treating capacity with a new nitriding turnkey system. By adding to their production capabilities, the company aims to meet the growing demands of their client base, which includes the automotive, appliance, agriculture, and heavy equipment sectors.
Marcin Stokłosa Technical Sales Manager NITREX Poland
This expansion follows a long-standing collaboration, which began in October 2004 with the commissioning of Special Springs‘ first Nitrex nitriding turnkey system and continues with the installation of an NXK series furnace in July 2024.
The springs manufacturer installed the compact NXK-812 furnace, which incorporates the heat treat technologies Nitreg and ONC, to accommodate increased capacity and optimize production efficiency. The system has a load capacity of 1,200 kg (2,600 lbs); the two furnaces work alongside each other, utilizing interchangeable material handling equipment to ensure continuity and efficiency in their production process.
“[Special Springs’] decision to expand with a second Nitrex system highlights the strength of our solutions and the trust we’ve built over the years. We look forward to seeing future advancements supporting advanced gas springs exemplifies the synergy achieved through strategic collaboration, advanced heat treat technologies, and exceptional support,” said Marcin Stoklosa, technical sales manager of EMEA region at Nitrex.
The press release is available in its original form here.
HART-TECH has expanded its capabilities with a vacuum furnace that will allow for the heat treatment of multiple steel types and the ability to implement a wide range of processes, from hardening through vacuum carburizing and carbonitriding. The furnace will efficiently heat treat large loads of research, test, and production elements.
Maciej Korecki Vice President of Business of the Vacuum Furnace Segment SECO/WARWICK
The commercial heat treater has previously incorporated over 10 SECO/WARWICK processing solutions. This system is being provided to work on the implementation of vacuum carbonitriding technology services that HART-TECH can now offer to a wide range of clients.
“We can say that we have a kind of synergy with the HART-TECH hardening plant,” said Maciej Korecki, vice president of the SECO/WARWICK Group’s vacuum segment. “Our partner, just like us, loves science, research, and development, and the common curiosity about the world motivates us to create further innovations.”
Dr. Eng. Robert Pietrasik, Sc.D. Management Board CEO & Technological Dept Head Director HART-TECH Sp. zo. o.
“This solution will help us to put into action a project concerning the implementation of vacuum carbonitriding technology at the HART-TECH plant with our customers in mind,” said Dr. Eng. Robert Pietrasik, president of HART-TECH. “We want to implement the low-pressure carbonitriding process and be able to use it in mass production.
“By expanding the machine park with a new vacuum furnace,” Dr. Pietrasik continued, “we will also significantly shorten the waiting times for heat treatment for our current and future customers. The large workspace will significantly increase our capabilities for processing elements hardened in gas. Thus, we will be able to gradually switch from hardening elements in oil to hardening in gas, which is more efficient, cleaner and ensures smaller deformations.”
The vacuum furnace supplied to the company has been enhanced with a gas system equipped with two acetylene mass valves, a hydrogen mass valve, and an ammonia mass valve. The furnace can use three gases for various technologies: acetylene, hydrogen and ammonia. HART-TECH specializes in hardening, carburizing, nitriding, sulfur nitriding, steel tempering, supersaturation and aging, annealing, vacuum brazing and low-friction layers, and hardening of machine and tool elements.
The press release is available in its original form here.
Heat TreatToday offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 18 news items.
Equipment
Saarstahl expands its production with an alternate current-electric arc furnace (AC-EAF) supplied by SMS group.
A Class A safety oven equipped with a solvent monitor and roll-in rack, meeting the stringent safety requirements of industries working with volatile materials, was recently shipped by industrial and laboratory ovens manufacturer Blue M.
A manufacturer in the defense industry has received shipment of a gas-fired walk-in batch oven from Wisconsin Oven Corporation, to be used for curing filament wound composite materials.
The Saarstahl team announces AC-EAF agreement with SMS Class A safety oven equipped to process volatile materialsGas-fired walk-in batch oven delivered to defense industry
Company & Personnel
Sean Patrick Murphy has been named product manager for laboratory and R&D furnaces at Centorr Vacuum Industries. He will be responsible for representing over 30 different vacuum furnace product lines to national laboratories, universities, and industrial sectors.
Charles (Charlie) Caldwell joins the team at Solar Atmospheres of Michigan Inc. as the quality manager for its new facility in Chesterfield.
Steel Goode Products LLC (SGP), a thermal spray specialist, has recently been acquired by Aalberts N.V., a provider of thermal spray coating and finishing services. The acquisition includes two operating facilities in Texas and one in Ohio.
The Wirco, Inc, team recently announced Chris Robbins as the new director of business development and Chad Kumfer to the position of director of sales.
Daniel Sonnenberg joins Nitrex Heat Treating Services as the new business development lead for North America. Daniel will focus on identifying and cultivating relationships with potential customers. His goal is to foster trust and drive growth by building enduring partnerships that deliver sustained value over time.
Dave Deiwart has begun a new position as president at Tracer Gas Technologies, based in Yorktown, Indiana. This follows a brief retirement after 35 years of providing leak detection and vacuum application support and training. Dave’s new focus will be on providing training and consulting.
Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser AS, a fully owned subsidiary of Nel ASA, has been awarded a grant from the EU Innovation Fund of up to EUR 135 million (over $145.4M USD) for industrialization of its next-generation pressurized alkaline technology. The technology is currently being prototyped, and the potential industrialization is planned at Herøya, Norway.
OTTO JUNKER GmbH, system providers for metallurgic processes and metal refinement, recently announced that the new business division OTTO JUNKER Solutions, which was established in late 2023, will be further expanded. The company’s focus will be on the development and implementation of green technologies. The new division is headed by R&D expert Tobias Mertens.
Sean Patrick Murphy Product Manager of Laboratory and R&D Furnaces Centorr Vacuum IndustriesCharles (Charlie) Caldwell Quality Manager – Chesterfield Solar Atmospheres of Michigan Inc.Chris Robbins Director of Business Development Wirco, Inc.Chad Kumfer Director of Sales Wirco, Inc.Daniel Sonnenberg Business Development Lead – America Nitrex Heat Treating ServicesTobias Mertens General Manager OTTO JUNKER SOLUTIONS GmbH
Kudos
Constellium SE has received the Supplier of the Year Award from Stellantis, recognized for its overall best-in-class performance as a long-time partner.
Gary Sharp, founder of Advanced Heat Treat Corp, has been honored with the Legends of Manufacturing Award at the Iowa Manufacturing Conference.
Global Thermal Systems (GTS) Mexico’s pyrometry laboratories recently completed the reaccreditation process in the ISO/IEC 17025 standard.
Rex Heat Treat has achieved its fourth consecutive merit-status Nadcap certification under the leadership of Conner Popo, quality assurance manager, and Vindon Griffin, technical services manager.
Aalberts surface technologies Dzierżoniów recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. Through acquisition and expansion, the company has grown from 16 employees in 2014 to a current team of over 90 employees, serving the automotive, aerospace, power, fasteners, agriculture, and mining sectors.
The Metal Treating Institute (MTI) recently celebrated its 2024 YES Management Training Program graduates at the final reception of Furnaces North America (FNA) 2024.
Bennett Heat Treating & Brazing Co. received the 2024 Master Craftsman Award, also known as the Heat Treater of the Year Award, at the Metal Treating Institute’s Final Night Dinner & Awards Ceremony following FNA 2024. The award was announced by Doug Glenn, publisher of Heat TreatToday along with a scholarship check for the heat treater to bestow upon a deserving young student going into heat treat.
Ingrid Joerg, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at Constellium, and Maxime Picat, Chief Global Purchasing & Supply Chain Officer, Greater Paris Metropolitan Region, at StellantisGary Sharp, founder of Advanced Heat Treat Corp, honored with the Legends of Manufacturing Award The Global Thermal Systems (GTS) Mexico’s pyrometry laboratories team completes ISO/IEC 17025 standard reaccreditation process
Today’s News from Abroad installment highlights some of the ups and downs in the global heat treating market which are largely driven by new technologies and sustainability initiatives. In growth news, a heat treater expands its product line with industrial furnaces and technologies and an Italian company invests in sustainable technology. In addition, a UK steelmaker closes its last remaining blast furnace.
Heat TreatTodaypartners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat.heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbHapublication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets, and Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Mediapublication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe.
Heat Treater Expands Product Line To Include Vacuum Furnaces
Aichelin product range expands with vacuum furnaces and technologies Source: AICHELIN
“AICHELIN Group has expanded its product range to include innovative industrial vacuum furnaces and technologies. The modern, flexible, and environmentally friendly solutions were presented for the first time at the ‘HärtereiKongress’ in Cologne from October 8 to 10. The new vacuum furnaces are sold, designed, and produced by the joint venture company AICHELIN ST Vacuum GmbH, which was founded in May. With the addition of this important market segment, AICHELIN is now a full-service provider for heat treatment solutions.”
Italian Company Boosts Green Transition With Investment in ARP
Delna S.p.A. team at Tenova’s acid regeneration plant in Italy Source: Tenova
“Tenova, a developer and provider of sustainable solutions for the green transition of the metals industry, has been awarded a contract by Delna S.p.A., an ArcelorMittal CLN Distribuzione Italia Group company and primary provider of pickling service of coils and wire rod, for its plant in Brivio, Italy, for an acid regeneration plant (ARP) with a capacity of 2.000 l/h. Delna’s investment will boost the green transition of its plant, recovering the waste acid used in its pickling line and therefore minimizing its environmental footprint. The new ARP will be equipped with the BLUEdriven™ cutting-edge package solutions that will be controlled by a customized monitoring process, increasing production flexibility and optimizing operative costs, while guaranteeing minimal environmental impact.”
UK Steel plant shutters last remaining blast furnace
Final furnace shuts down at Tata’s UK plant Source: Tata Steel
“Tata Steel has begun the process of winding down operations at blast furnace 4 at Port Talbot and engineers have already started altering the raw materials poured into the top of the furnace to prepare for decommissioning. Blast furnace 5 was closed in July. The closure is part of Tata’s transition towards a greener form of steelmaking as it plans to build a £1.25 billion electric arc furnace for the Port Talbot site by 2027, which produces steel by melting scrap metal. The new Labour government agreed a taxpayer-backed deal earlier this month for the Port Talbot plant in which it will provide £500 million towards the construction of the new electric arc furnace at the site, with the plant’s Indian owners, Tata Steel, paying £750 million.”
MIHEU, a commercial heat treater for the steel processing industry, recently expanded its vacuum furnace line for processing large dies at its hardening plant with a single-chamber vacuum furnace.
The SECO/WARWICK furnace will allow MIHEU to increase processing capacity while maintaining precision, joining three other vacuum furnaces purchased from the supplier. The vacuum furnace with high pressure gas quenching includes large load capacity and workspace with an option to make adjustments for an oversized load.
Jędrzej Malinowski Sales Manager SECO/WARWICK Group Source: LinkedIn
“The Vector vacuum furnace will solve the challenge of hardening large dies, because it uses a large working space,” said Jędrzej Malinowski, sales manager of SECO/WARWICK. “The furnace is equipped with convection heating — a system which improves the heat transfer efficiency when heating at lower temperatures, as well as directional cooling, which allows for cooling problematic shape elements in various ways.”
“We wanted a solution which would shorten the heat treatment cycle time,” commented Aleš Prikeržnik, managing director at MIHEU Slovenia. “By expanding our machine park with a new vacuum furnace, we will significantly shorten the waiting times for customer orders. . . . We already have three such solutions and we are very pleased with their operation.”
MIHEU is a Slovenian commercial heat treating center with a range of additional services, including traditional hardening and tempering in oil in pit furnaces, carburizing, carbonitriding, nitrocarburizing, hardening in vacuum furnaces, and all types of nitriding, gas and plasma nitriding processes.
The press release is available in its original form here.
Welcome to a special edition of Heat Treat Today’sThis Week in Heat Treat Social Media. We’ve discovered a furnace-full collection of posts that document the excitement of the past week at Furnaces North America (FNA). From the arrival of booth materials to the final speech at the MTI awards ceremony, they’re all here: check out these posts and videos for a roundup of FNA and heat treat social media.
As you know, there is so much content available on the web that it’s next to impossible to sift through all of the articles and posts that flood our inboxes and notifications on a daily basis. So, Heat Treat Today is here to bring you the latest in compelling, inspiring, and entertaining heat treat news from the different social media venues that you’ve just got to see and read!If you have content that everyone has to see, please send the link to editor@heattreattoday.com.
1. Lightening the Pre-Show Heavy Lifting
A good show is more than just what happens from curtain rise to curtain fall. Whether it’s a play on the stage or a trade show in a convention hall, there is a lot of work that goes into setting up and tearing down . . . sometimes back-breaking work. The advent of 3D printing has made that task a little easier, and ironically, at FNA 2024, that means models set out for display were processed with 3D printing to preserve the look of metal while making it easy for team to carry to the floor. Thanks to Sarah Jordan for bringing this post to the web.
2. Kudos and Awards from Beginning to End
We love it when social media is full of the faces of the heat treat industry, and this week is no exception. We found individual recognition posts, the celebration ofHeat Treat Today’s40 Under 40, and the Metal Treating Institute‘s honorees at the awards ceremony on the last night of the show.
Eyes and ears were open and trained on all that’s new in heat treating presented at FNA 2024, whether in technical sessions; impromptu, on-the-floor demonstrations; or new product reveals.
Plibrico, a manufacturer and installer of superior aluminosilicate and high alumina monolithic refractories, has expanded its footprint with the grand opening and dedication of its new state-of-the-art production facility in Oak Hill, Ohio. The company’s refractories are used in a variety of heat treating applications, and the new plant will enhance technology and production capacity.
Brad Taylor President & CEO Plibrico
Plibrico celebrated the occasion with a two-day GO LIVE Showcase, which included in attendance Shane Wilkin, Ohio State Senator; Samuel Brady, president and CEO of Economic Development Partnership of Jackson County; and Paul McNeal, mayor of Oak Hill. In addition to the dedication ceremony and training sessions, attendees received a behind-the-scenes tour of the company’s new refractory production facility. The event also featured discussions on innovation, growth, and development in the refractory industry.
“This facility represents more than just bricks and mortar,” said Brad Taylor, president and CEO of Plibrico, in his welcome address. “It symbolizes our dedication to innovation, growth, and a higher standard of excellence that we bring to our industry every day.”
Main photo: Brad Taylor, President and CEO of Plibrico, ribbon cutting to celebrate opening of new refractory production facility in Oak Hill, Ohio/ Source: Plibrico
The press release is available in its original form here.
Łukasiewicz – the Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals (Łukasiewicz – IMN) recently expanded its heat treating operations with a VIM furnace for melting metals and metal alloys on a laboratory scale. The new equipment will be used to develop new types of alloys, make individual castings, and conduct research on melting processes.
The vacuum induction melting furnace, ordered from SECO/WARWICK, has a maximum operating temperature of 2000˚C (3,632°F) and a single-chamber VIM furnace. It was designed to produce metal and alloy castings weighing up to 20 kg in vacuum, or under pressure using an inert gas (argon).
Sławomir Woźniak President & CEO SECO/WARWICK Group Source: SECO/WARWICK
This is the second processing solution the furnace supplier has designed for the institute. Łukasiewicz – IMN, a member of the Łukasiewicz Research Network, received a targeted subsidy for the implementation of an investment related to scientific activities for the purchase of research equipment granted by the Ministry of Education and Science (currently the Ministry of Science and Higher Education).
“Scientific institutions are one of the group of recipients for our solutions,” said Sławomir Woźniak, CEO of the SECO/WARWICK Group. “For example, we have supplied solutions to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), which ordered a non-standard, 12-meter vertical rotary retort furnace for the heat treatment of a gyrotron part, as a contribution to the ITER experimental thermonuclear reactor. We have also supplied laboratory furnaces for the Institute of Precision Mechanics. We invest heavily in research and development ourselves. We have our own R&D centers, which allow us to continuously improve the technology we offer.”
The press release is available in its original form here.
Heat TreatToday offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 18 news items.
Equipment
A Canadian automotive components manufacturer recently expanded its operations with an electrically heated small batch oven to be used for curing arts. The small batch oven was manufactured by Wisconsin Oven, designed to utilize combination airflow to maximum heating rates of 650°F and temperature uniformity.
With the successful conversion to a four-stand finishing mill, Henan Yirui New Materials Technology Co, Ltd, officially began production. SMS Group converted an existing hot rolling mill into a tandem finishing mill by adding three new finishing mill stands, developed for refurbishing and integrating components.
KALLER, a manufacturer of gas springs and gas hydraulic systems based in Sweden, recently launched its fully automated line of hardening furnaces for surface coatings on gas springs. The hardening systems were supplied by Ipsen International.
Electrically heated small batch oven to be used for curing arts at Canadian automotive components manufacturer. Source: Wisconsin OvenFully automated line of hardening furnaces installed at Kaller Source: LinkedInFAC Signing Ceremony L-R: Rüdiger Roger Wiechmann, Project Manager at SMS group, with Zheng Guoqiang, Project Manager at Henan Mingtai Aluminium). Source: SMS Group
Company & Personnel
Steve Fuller has joined the team at Nitrex HTS as the new plant general manager at their Michigan location. He brings 45 years of experience in commercial heat treating, machine tool manufacturing, fabrication, quality management, and more.
Bobby Boom, Tim Litchauer, and Wade Sholmire, have been added to the Superheat team as business development managers. Wade is the new National BDM, Tim will oversee the Greater Houston Area, and Bobby will manage the Southeast Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas regions.
Chris Martin has been promoted to regional sales manager for the Southeast by Ipsen. Chris will be responsible for leading a team of seven that includes six field service engineers and one service administrator.
Adam Woelber has been promoted to manager of aftermarket parts and service at AFC-Holcroft.
Ethan Castle has been appointed the St. Louis plant manager for Paulo Heat Treating, Brazing, and Metal Finishing, recognized for his leadership, technical capability, and mentoring role, in addition to representing the company within the North American Diecasting Association and National Tooling and Machining Association. Ethan has also been named to Heat TreatToday‘s 40 Under 40 Class of 2024.
Gary Doyon has stepped down from his role as CEO of Inductotherm Group, after 15 years in the position and 38 years with the company. Mick Nallen and Satyen Prabhu have taken as co‐leaders at the company, which provides thermal processing technologies. Mr. Doyon will remain actively involved with the company, assisting with specific operational needs of other businesses owned by the Rowan family and pursuing new business avenues and opportunities for the Inductotherm Group.
Ipsen USA has launched its Field Service Engineer Academy, designed to be a 20-week in-depth program with classroom training and experience in the field with veteran service technicians. Darci Johnson, program and transformation manager at the company, is leading the implementation of the FSE Academy. Content will focus on the fundamentals of vacuum furnace repair.
Industrial furnace equipment manufacturer Gasbarre welcomed Dan Hill as product development manager; he will be based at the company’s Livonia, Michigan, facility. A licensed professional engineer, Dan brings a diverse background in capital equipment, spanning material handling, control systems, boilers and furnaces, combustion systems, and industrial washing/deburring equipment.
The U.S. Navy recently selected StandardAero to serve as its engine depot-level repair prime contractor to perform Rolls-Royce T56-A-427A engine MRO services, supporting the Navy’s fleet of E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The aerospace aftermarket service supplier has also announced that Turkish and European Boeing 737 Operator Corendon Airlines has extended its contract for the support of CFM LEAP-18 engines.
Ipsen USA recently announced the formal launch of its Service HUBmodel, marking a significant shift in how the company delivers customer service and support across the United States. The program has been under the direction of Geoffrey Somary, the company’s global CEO. Currently being led by John Dykstra, chief service officer, the HUBs now provide services across a large portion of the Midwest and Southeastern United States. Lu Chouraki, manager of business development, is leading the implementation of the HUBs.
Steve Fuller Plant General Manager Nitrex HTS Source: Nitrex Wade Sholmire National Business Development Manager Superheat Source: SuperheatTim Litchauer Business Development Manager for the Greater Houston Area Superheat Source: SuperheatBobby Boom Business Development Manager for Southeast Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas Superheat Source: Superheat
Chris Martin Regional Service Manager for the Southeast Ipsen Source: IpsenAdam Woelber Manager of Aftermarket Parts and Service AFC-Holcroft Source: AFC-HolcroftEthan Castle St Louis Plant Manager
Source: PauloGary Doyon Retiring CEO Inductotherm Group Source: Inductotherm Group The launch of Ipsen USA’s Field Service Engineer Academy Source: Ipsen USADan Hill Product Development Manager Gasbarre Source: Gasbarre
Kudos
James Wellborn, gas nitride manager at Advanced Heat Treat Corp, celebrates 25 years with the company.
Patricia Miller, director of technical services at Uddeholm, has been named the Technical Committee Member of the Year by North American Die Casting Association (NADCA).
Denise Blaubach, who is known as the resident flow meter assembly expert at UPC-Marathon in Wisconsin, recently celebrated 35 years with the company.
Constellium today announced it has achieved Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard Certification for all its operations, and for its corporate office in Paris.
Sinosteel E&T and Tenova have successfully completed the performance test for the ENERGIRON DRI Plant at the Baosteel Zhanjiang site in China. The sustainable hydrogen-based 1,000,000 tonnes/year ENERGIRON Direct Reduction (DR) plant demonstrated the nominal production of DRI, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and marking a significant step in the green steel industry.
James Wellborn Gas Nitride Manager Advanced Heat Treat Corp Source: Advanced Heat Treat Corporation Patricia Miller Director of Technical Services Uddeholm Source: UddeholmDenise Blaubach celebrates 35 years at UPC-Marathon Source: UPC-MarathonENERGIRON DRI Plant at the Baosteel Zhanjiang site in China where Sinosteel E&T and Tenova complete performance test Source: Tenova
Today’s News from Abroad installment highlights global accomplishments from pilot programs in gas recovery and a successful trial run of biomass usage in ferrochrome making to the first electric furnace for luxury bottles and state-of-the-art furnace upgrades – all with a goal of achieving production efficiency and sustainability.
Heat TreatTodaypartners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat. heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets, and Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe.
Bolstering Sustainable Operations with Cutting Edge Gas Recovery
Industrial hydrogen recovery plant with process piping and equipment Source: Outokumpu
“Outokumpu, a supplier of sustainable stainless steel, and ON2Quest, an innovator in the field of industrial gas purification and generation, are piloting a cutting-edge gas recovery system that will enable the recovery of hydrogen from their production processes. The collaboration aims to enhance sustainable operational efficiency by integrating hydrogen recovery into the stainless steel production cycle at Outokumpu’s production plant in Krefeld, Germany. The gas recovery system is designed to recover hydrogen – a by-product of the stainless steel manufacturing process – where the gas will undergo a rigorous cleaning and compression process to ensure that it will be suitable for use again. The purified hydrogen will then be blended with natural gas, creating a hybrid fuel that will be used to power the burners.”
Reinforcing Capacities with State-of-the-Art Furnace Upgrades
Speira upgrades its plants in Grevenbroich and Töging with two new furnaces each. Source: Speira
“Speira, a European aluminum rolling and recycling company, is upgrading its plants in Grevenbroich and Töging with two new furnaces each, replacing the previous units with state-of-the-art systems. With the four tiltable rotary furnaces, the aluminum recycler is reinforcing its capacities specifically for the recycling of so-called ‘low grades’ such as heavily contaminated scrap and dross produced during the melting process. ‘We take a holistic view of our contribution to a functioning circular economy. That’s why we don’t just look at the pure, easy-to-recycle scraps, but also at the more difficult lower grades and by-products. Wherever aluminum is in it, we want to get the maximum out of it and put it back into the cycle,’ explains Ralf Köring, Head of Recycling Services, which are provided for Speira’s other business areas as well as for external customers, for example in the automotive and packaging industries. Speira is investing around eleven million euros in the four furnaces. This includes charging machines, suction hoods, thermal afterburners, piping and other infrastructure.”
Biomass Usage in Ferrochrome Trial Marks Progress in Reducing Carbon Footprint
Tata successfully conducts trial of biomass usage at Ferrochrome Plant. Source: Tata Steel
“Tata Steel, has successfully conducted the trial of biomass usage in ferrochrome making at its Ferrochrome Plant in Athagarh of Odisha’s Cuttack district. The plant, operating under the Ferro Alloys and Minerals Division (FAMD) of the company, becomes first in India to have performed the trial run as part of its sustainable alternative to traditional carbon sources. Marking a significant step towards sustainable ferrochrome production and reducing the carbon footprint, the trial involved substitution of conventional fossil fuels with biomass, a renewable energy source derived from organic materials. This initiative is expected to lower CO2 emission by 0.08/t of Ferrochrome (5% use of biomass) which is around 6% of total CO2 emission from Ferrochrome plant.”
France’s First Electric Furnace To Impact Sourcing Green Energy
Groupe Pochet and ABO Wind join forces to source first electric furnace in France. Source: Groupe Prochet
“Groupe Pochet and ABO Wind announce the signing of a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the commissioning of the developer’s largest photovoltaic (PV) park in France. The PV park, with an installed capacity of around 20 MWp, will be in operation by early 2025, and will accompany the project to build France’s first electric furnace for luxury bottles. Through this agreement, Groupe Pochet is acting to reduce its impact on the planet by sourcing green energy and securing the long-term purchase price of electricity. Pursuing its ‘Sustainable Beauty’ CSR roadmap, and in line with its decarbonization plan, Groupe Pochet has teamed up with ABO Wind, a major player in the development of renewable energies worldwide, by signing a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement. As a major project under the decarbonization plan, the electric furnace, which will be operational by the end of 2024, will be partly supplied by green energy from the future photovoltaic plant.”
