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Outokumpu, the global leader in sustainable stainless steel, unveils EvoMaterials – a brand marking the next phase for the proprietary technology for low CO2 metals. EvoMaterials’ technology builds on advanced sulfidation-based process technology. In practice, EvoMaterials’ technology is designed to increase e.g. the chromium content and chromium-to-iron ratio of ferrochrome. The technology can be extended to other strategic materials, including nickel and molybdenum, and it can also extract metals from side streams, broadening its commercial potential.
As the only chrome mine in the EU, Outokumpu’s Kemi mine in Finland provides a unique strategic asset, enabling EvoMaterials to start with enriched ferrochrome and chromium metal. These materials are essential for meeting the future demand of several critical sectors, including space, aviation, and defence. Over the longer term, the technology could help establish a fully Western supply chain for critical chromium materials. In addition to reducing emissions and improving resource efficiency, our modelling indicates that the technology can be economically competitive compared to conventional production routes.
Development of the technology began in the U.S. in 2021 for Kemi chromite. Since then, Outokumpu has developed and scaled the technology through its R&D work, combining it with proprietary technologies and process expertise towards commercialization, supported in part by a non-exclusive patent license agreement from MIT. Outokumpu is now commercializing and further developing these technologies. Through ongoing scientific work, the technology has advanced significantly, resulting in several process innovations. The company has sought intellectual property protection for these key process elements to ensure its long-term technology leadership and future commercialization opportunities.
“EvoMaterials is more than a step forward in reducing carbon emissions. It can fundamentally change how we think about extracting and producing metals. We can recover critical materials from resources that were previously considered waste and produce the quality the application demands. That would open entirely new possibilities for securing the materials we need for the future,” says Stefan Erdmann, CTO at Outokumpu and Head of EvoMaterials.
Pilot plant in New Hampshire operational in early 2027
Testing and modelling new processes have been underway in Outokumpu laboratory in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Next, we will scale up the technology at our pilot plant in Londonderry, New Hampshire, U.S., from 1 kg to 1 ton, demonstrating the technology’s scalability and industrial feasibility. This pilot plant project is progressing according to plan, and the plant will be operational during the first half of 2027. The next step will be to build an industrial-scale plant, to be operational in 2030. Outokumpu is currently evaluating potential locations in the U.S. and Europe.
From 2030 onward, to reach the full potential of the technology, the ambition is to expand into other materials, such as specialty alloys, nickel and molybdenum – as well as entirely new material streams – further entrenching Outokumpu’s leading position in low-CO₂ metal solutions.
“EvoMaterials will reimagine how metals can be produced for the 21st century. By combining a lower climate impact with greater processing efficiency, the technology has the potential to fundamentally change how we extract and produce critical materials. As the demand for metals accelerates, supply chains tighten and regulatory expectations evolve, we need solutions that are lower-carbon, geopolitically resilient and economically competitive. EvoMaterials builds on this ambition to address all these three. Taking this technology to industrial scale will mark an important new chapter for Outokumpu,” says Kati ter Horst, President and CEO at Outokumpu.
Find out more at https://expertise.outokumpu.com/evomaterials