August 2 (SeeNews) - Slovenian metallurgical group Slovenska Industrija Jekla (SIJ) said its subsidiary, SIJ Acroni, has taken over the operations and equipment for processing slag from Harsco Minerali, with whom it had closely collaborated.
The purpose of the takeover is to solidify SIJ Group's operations according to the circular economy and vertical integration principles since SIJ Acroni shall henceforth process the slag – the by-product in the steel production – to be reused in the production process or market it as an input material for other industries, SIJ said in a statement on Wednesday.
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"Taking over the operations of Harsco Minerali is an important step for SIJ Acroni and the entire SIJ Group in order to establish a more effective and environmentally friendly production", said Tibor Simonka, SIJ Group management board member.
"Steelworks is one of the most exemplary cases of a circular economy as we produce products from recycled steel and metal. What was once production waste, as is the case with white and black slag, is now being changed into by-products", Simonka noted.
Last year, Harsco Minerali processed 200,000 tons of SIJ Acroni's slag and a total of 950,000 tons of white and black slag since 2011.
Black slag, a by-product in the production of non-alloy steels in electric arc furnaces, is used as an aggregate for asphalt mixtures and other engineering solutions after processing. Mineral product from the processing of white slag is used for the construction of all types of engineering embankments, remediation of landfills, etc.
The SIJ Group is the largest vertically integrated metallurgical group in Slovenia, occupying with its products leading positions on European and global niche steel markets.