Finnish ore processing technology eyed for local steelmaking

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has tagged a Finnish ore processing technology being used in New Zealand that can enable the Philippines to manufacture steel out of its abundant magnetite sands.

In a 21-month research and development effort conducted by the DOST-Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Department of Environment and Natural Resources (MGB-DENR), it was proven that the rotary kiln electric furnace-basic oxygen furnace (RKEF-BOF) furnace process used in New Zealand can be adopted here to make steel out of the Philippine’s magnetite sands.

Agustin Fudolig, deputy executive director of MIRDC and leader of the R&D project, said that New Zealaned magnetite ore was almost similar to the Philippine ore.

“Our magnetite ore is almost the same, it has the same titanium content and vanadium content,” Fudolig told The STAR. “Using our magnetite resources, using local materials, we can make steel.”

The findings of the collaboration project were presented at a lecture series conducted by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines in partnership with the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Pasig City recently.

Fudolig said that the RKEF-BOF technology removes the need for steps that could add costs to magnetite ore processing for steel production.

“Once you get the (magnetite) sand, you just have to get the 58 percent iron content from it. You don’t need to grind it. Just feed it to the New Zealand process, and you can make steel,” Fudolig said.

The R&D discovered that the process results in a byproduct of high-value vanadium. “The extraction of vanadium can make the operation more profitable,” Fudolig said.

The process uses equipment developed and patented by Finnish technology company Outotec Oyj, and has been used in New Zealand to produce steel out of their own magnetite sands.

The Philippines currently exports its magnetite sand resources, mainly to China, and then imports more expensive crude steel, mostly from China, for use of local downstream steel manufacturing companies to produce reinforced steel bars, angle bars, steel wires and coils, and so-called finished “flat” steel products such as galvanized iron sheets, welded black iron pipes and tubes, and welded galvanized pipes and tubes.

Engineer Juancho Pablo Calvez, chief metallurgist of the MGB-DENR and a member of the R&D team, said the discovery of the vanadium byproduct in magnetite sand processing into steel bolstered the case for the country to pursue efforts in value-added processing of its mineral resources.