Eti Bakir, a Turkish metals and fertiliser producer, is investing in an expansion of its Mazidagi integrated fertiliser and metal production site in Türkiye to recover additional value from leach residue and reduce the environmental footprint of the site.
The company has awarded Metso, its long-term technology partner, a major order for the delivery of core process technology and equipment for the project, including a rotary kiln process and a DRI smelting furnace, the OEM reported. This project marks the first commercial-scale delivery of Metso’s DRI Smelting Furnace technology and represents an important milestone in the industrial deployment of DRI smelting technology.
The value of the order is approximately €55 million ($64 million).
Metso’s integrated solution is designed to convert leach residue into valuable iron and slag products while supporting Eti Bakir’s objective to effectively use side streams at the Mazidagi site. The solution combines Metso’s thermal treatment and smelting technologies to convert leach residue into molten hot metal. The delivery scope includes basic and equipment engineering, as well as supply and advisory services for an SL/RN Xtra rotary kiln pellet direct reduction process integrated with a 30 MVA Metso Outotec® DRI Smelting Furnace. The system includes a hot feeding system for DRI smelter.
Bekir Kan, General Manager of the Mazidagi site at Eti Bakir, said: “In our operations, we aim to minimise environmental impact in a feasible way, and this new investment reflects our long-term commitment to sustainable growth, the circular economy and value-added production. By reprocessing leach residue into high-value industrial materials, such as iron and slag products, we can further strengthen Mazidagi’s role as a pioneering zero-waste industrial complex in Türkiye.”
Alexy Strikha, Vice President, Minerals Europe and Türkiye at Metso, added: “We are pleased to continue our long-standing collaboration with Eti Bakir in this ambitious project. This is a significant milestone for Metso, as it marks the first commercial-size delivery of our DRI smelting furnace technology. The project demonstrates how our integrated thermal processing and pyrometallurgical technologies can help customers recover more value from complex materials while reducing waste streams. It is also an important benchmark for the industry, showing how innovative DRI smelting technology can unlock new value from industrial residues and support more sustainable metals production.”
Metso and Eti Bakir have worked together for several years on cutting-edge technological solutions for the Mazidagi plant. Metso has delivered a beneficiation plant, calcination plant, off-gas cleaning plant, sulphuric acid plant and metal recovery leaching plant for the Mazidagi site in Mardin Province, Türkiye.
