Smelting Newsletter 2025

Season’s greetings to you, our valued Smelting family!

Another year has come and gone so quick. Somehow, when you get older, time seems to be flying faster - or is it just because you have so much fun?

Personally, it could be either way, as I had an opportunity to participate in one of the commissionings and physically feel the heat of the operations. This was such a pleasant experience, and reminded me of the early days of my career when I was working in operations.

This experience also reminded me about the environment we are dealing with, and that safety needs to remain top of our agenda every day to ensure the safety of our personnel, our customers’ personnel and our contractors. A good way to do this is to start all your meetings with a safety discussion, and continue to have them with your colleagues on a regular basis. Risks are out there, but we should not get too used to them or become careless. Target must be zero harm.

Many of you have recently asked me about the timing of our next International Flash Smelting Conference (IFSC). Due to the circumstances, we have decided to postpone the next IFSC to September 2027. Stay tuned for more detailed information and instructions on how and when to register for that event.

We have also been quite active on the green steel front. We have commissioned our own pilot facility for DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) smelting furnace, and have already conducted two test campaigns with it.

Additionally, Metso is contributing the core process design and technology for Fortescue Ltd’s Christmas Creek Green Metal Project in the Pilbara, Western Australia, where installation of Metso equipment commenced in September 2025. The project will demonstrate the production of high-purity green metal using renewable energy for hydrogen-based reduction and smelting technologies for further downstream steel processing. Read more about that in our press release here.

Many of you have also shown interest in Metso’s Outotec® DRI Smelting Furnace. If you are interested in testing your materials, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are at your service to discuss the way forward.

Finally, at this time, I would like to remind you all of the importance of your families and other loved ones. The festive season is approaching us, and I would like to urge you to take time, if possible, with those closest to you. Not only will this help you recharge with the energy for 2026, but it will also build and strengthen connections between you and them, which will make it easier to overcome whatever we may face in the future.

Once again: Happy Holidays, stay safe and enjoy festive season with your loved ones.

Jyrki