Martin Bakker, Stephen Gwynn-Jones, Hugo Joubert, Stanko Nikolic
Tenova Pyromet’s (Pyromet) core furnace know-how and expertise has been developed worldwide
in the ferro-alloy, platinum group metal (PGM) and base metals smelting industries. Pyromet Technologies
had itself been building furnaces for over 30 years and following the integration within the
Tenova Group, which included Techint Technologies (Tagliaferri) and Core Furnace Systems Corp
(Lectromelt), Pyromet’s combined furnace experience now dates back over a century. Modern furnaces
have been installed at Anglo Platinum, Norilsk Nickel, Glencore/Xstrata, Kazchrome,
Lonmin and Assmang sites, among others. From 2000, within base metals, a 30 MVA slag cleaning
furnace was supplied and commissioned for Anglo Platinum. The furnace functioned as both a slag
cleaning furnace and primary copper-nickel-PGM furnace to smelt concentrates. In 2009, Pyromet
completed the refurbishment of two nickel slag-cleaning furnaces for Norilsk Nickel, and in 2010
commissioned a new 12 MVA smelting furnace for Lonmin. Pyromet’s most recent project within
base metals is the new Northam Platinum 24 MVA furnace. This project followed the successful
implementation of Pyromet’s complete furnace cooling system for Northam’s six-in-line furnace in
October 2013. Over 35 furnaces or electrode column projects have been completed by Pyromet in
other smelting industries during this time.
The construction and modernisation of furnaces for clients has allowed Pyromet to offer the individual
components of their furnace design as custom technical solutions. Cooled copper elements
for launders, tapholes and sidewalls, as well as the electrode columns, the heart of the electric furnace,
have been selected by clients and other technology suppliers alike to provide the best possible
solutions to technical challenges.
A review of the implementation of Pyromet’s furnace solutions in the base metals industry is discussed
with reference to how applying these designs can enable optimisation of base metal plants
for sustainable production.