Fortum enters the scrap metal export market

Finnish company to ship ferrous scrap from demolition project to Turkey.


Pictured above, from left: Tero Holländer of Fortum and Kristoffer Retva, CEO of Cronimet Finland; photo credit: Riku Isohella, Fortum

Finland-based Fortum, a power company involved in electricity, heating and cooling, has reported that for the first time it is exporting scrap metal. The scrap being exported is being generated through the demolition of its Inkoo, Finland, coal-fired power plant. The company is shipping the ferrous scrap to Turkey.

The Inkoo demolition project is currently the largest demolition project in Finland, according to Fortum. The company indicates the project is expected to generate around 230,000 metric tons of various materials. The scrap metal generated is being sorted on-site.

“This time the [ferrous] scrap metal will be delivered to a Turkish steel plant, where it will be melted down and turned into new steel for the construction industry,” says Tero Holländer, Fortum’s head of business development and product sales, recycling and waste solutions. “In essence, the metal from the power plant’s walls will be recycled and become part of a new building.”

The company is working with metals recycling firm Cronimet Nordic, located in Estonia, on the shipment. Also taking part is the Finnish shipping company Meriaura, which will be responsible for the sea transport.

“Scrap metal is a valuable raw material for industry. The recycling of metals also conserves natural resources and decreases carbon dioxide emissions because the metal can be melted into new products again and again, virtually forever,” says Holländer.

The demolition work began during the first half of 2017 and will take place in three phases, with work continuing into 2019. According to Fortum, as much as 58 percent of all the demolition material has been recycled so far.

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