Investments in the circular economy led to a major project in Italy

“There are already quite a few Tapojärvi employees in Terni”

Tapojärvi, a mining sector service company specialising in industrial processes and the treatment of materials, is launching its largest internationalisation project thus far in Terni, Italy. Terni, which is located a little over a hundred kilometres from Rome, is home to one of the most notable steel mills in Italy, Acciai Speciali Terni (AST). Tapojärvi is building a valorisation plant in Terni to manufacture CE-marked products from the slag generated as a by-product of steel production.

“Tapojärvi’s expertise in the circular economy and the most efficient and environmentally friendly deployment of materials generated as by-products of industrial processes is the starting point for this joint project”, says AST CEO Massimiliano Burelli.

“The goal is for Terni to play a key role in the processing of industrial by-products”, Burelli continues.

After the completion of the slag treatment plant, the slag that used to end up as waste will be used, for example, in the manufacture of asphalt and cement.

“Our trump card is the highest possible metal recovery from slag, we are one of the best in the world at that and, as a result, slag can be used to make multi-purpose materials”, says Tapojärvi’s Chief Commercial Officer Henri Pilventö.

Burelli and Pilventö presented the joint project “rifiuti zero”, or “zero waste”, at the Finnish Embassy in Rome on Tuesday.

The design of the slag treatment plant is already in full swing in Terni, and project management from Tapojärvi have been living in Italy since October last year.

“Full cultural immersion now underway and there are quite a few Tapojärvi employees already in Terni. We are currently at the recruitment phase, looking for the best Italian experts to build the valorisation plant”, says Tapojärvi’s acting CEO Mari Pilventö.

Practical construction will mainly be handled by Italian workforce, but know-how and project management from Tornio will be in Terni from laying the cornerstone to the inauguration of the slag treatment plant. The inauguration is scheduled to take place in about two years.

“The cooperation with Italians has started very well and the people are really helpful and nice. Of course, there are some clashes between cultures from time to time, such as meals. You cannot get food here when you are hungry, but only at the time of Italian lunch or dinner”, says Pilvento.

Tapojärvi Oy is a company specialising in mining industry services and industrial processes as well as the treatment of materials. The company has two unique valorisation plants in Tornio, where by-products of ferrochrome and refined steel slag are productised into their own CE-marked products.

Tapojärvi employs more than 450 employees, and around 60 people are employed by subcontractors.

Acciai Speciali Terni is a subsidiary of the German industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp. ThyssenKrupp is one of the largest steel producers in the world.

• The cooperation agreement promotes the circular economy.

• Circular economy innovations save natural resources.

• The production of aggregates from virgin raw materials

is significantly reduced.

• Efficient use of materials is ecological.

• Cost savings are achieved through the efficient use of materials.