SMM9, June 2: Swedish miner Borden (Boliden) plans to expand its Finnish nickel smelter by 40 million euros ($47.5 million), aiming to increase its raw material capacity by nearly 20% while reducing emissions by the same amount.

Boliden Harjavalta's expansion projects include new concentrate dryers, improved electric furnaces and granulation capacity, and automatic tapping of molten metal. This will increase the supply capacity of raw materials from 310000 tons / year to 370000 tons / year.

Daniel Pelton (Daniel Peltonen), president of the smelter business, said: "We will now continue to implement the nickel strategy that began in 2015. This investment will enhance our productivity and competitiveness while further improving our already strong environmental performance. The investment is also well coordinated with the maintenance needs of the plant. "

The expansion of the plant, which will begin in 2021, will reduce carbon dioxide intensity per tonne of nickel in Harjavalta by 15-20 per cent, the company said. Boliden Harjavalta's nickel production reached 26000 tons in 2019, with an operating profit of 746 million Swedish kronor ($86 million).

"Harjavalta is the largest nickel smelter in the EU and has a strong position to meet the growing demand for nickel in the battery manufacturing sector of the automotive industry," the company said. "

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