AlbChrome

AlbChrome
Ltd
Industry Mineral Industry
Founded 1948 (1948)
Headquarters Tirana, Bulqiza
Elbasan, Burrel
Klos, ALB
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Samir Mane (President of Balfin Group)
Luan Saliaj (CEO of AlbChrome)
Products Chrome, Ferrochrome
Number of employees
 885 (2013)
Subsidiaries Ferrochrome factory of Elbasan
Enrichment Plant of Klos
Mine of Bulqiza
Ferrochrome Plant of Burrel
Website Official Website

AlbChrome is a Albanian-based private company founded in 1948. The company is the largest producer of chrome in the country[1] and among the leading producers of ferrochrome in the world.[2][3]

History

After the fall of communist regime in Albania, AlbChrome was reopened in the beginnings of 1991. In 2000, facilities such as mines, smelters, plants and factories, part of the chrome industry infrastructure in Albania, were given to a private company from the Government of Albania. The 'DARFO' group worked and exploited these concessionary assets until 2007, when an Austrio-Russian group took over the concession and formed a new company called "Albanian Chrome" (ACR). Under the Austrio-Russian industrial expertise, two out of three furnaces installed in Elbasan Ferrochrome Plant were refurbished and their technology was changed to provide for a higher performance and production. Also Bulqiza Mine experienced a reconstruction of the whole exploitation scheme. Important investments were done for security, exploration and ore processing fields, making the company more efficient.

In 2009, ACR had a change in ownership, and DCM (Austrian investing group) took over 100% of the shares of the Concessionary Agreement, becoming the only shareholder of ACR. DCM continued to improve and implement new projects and ideas to further develop the company into a modern European industrial business with high perspective for the future. In 2013, due to difficulties in actualizing investments, DCM sold the whole shares of ACR to Balkan Finance Group, BALFIN, owned by Samir Mane.[4]

The actual engagement and future premises of this company (now named AlbChrome) proud part of BALFIN Group and all his representing structures are excellent so far. We are immediately and strongly working to renovate the technology used in smelters, increase safety investments in mines and implement new optimistic and courageous projects throughout all the assets with the final goal of increasing both productivity and quality of the operations and the products of the company.

Based on a successful background and an optimistic feeling for the future, BALFIN Group is expecting to realize the most ambitious projects and investments ever developed in Albanian Industry and to guarantee prosperity and healthy environment in every part/asset of AlbChrome for more years to come.

Today AlbChrome has more than 800 employees in Bulqiza, Elbasan, Tirana, Burrel and Klos and is involved in an intense revitalization.[5] AlbChrome, with the support of Balfin Group has started 3 main investment projects:[4] Traverbank in Klos - the railway tunnel that connects Bulqiza Mine with Enrichment Plant in Klos. Enrichment plant in Klos - it was never operative and now will be fully operative. The deepest well in Bulqiza Mine - this is considered from the experts the biggest investment in the mineral industry of the region and probably in Europe of the latest years. Opening the second furnace in Elbasan - now that the second furnace become operative the production of Ferr-Chrome in Albania is doubled.[6]

Facilities

Bulqiza Mine

The Bulqiza mine is one of the largest and richest area with chromium in Albania operating up to 800 metres. About 630 employers Bulqiza mine, part of AlbChrome operates in five levels.[7] Actually from our mine in Bulqiza is extracted about 54’000 tons of chrome mineral per year and it is aimed that after the investment it has started to extract up to 100,000 tones. With the opening of the Well Number 9 it will be added 6 new levels to the mine deeper reaching over 1’500’000 tons of other reserves which prolong the life of the mine. As part of the mine of Bulqiza is the sector of Qafe Buall which is expected to be operational and have an output of more than 40,000 tones of chrome mineral per year.[8]

Ferro-Chrome factory of Elbasan Ferro-Chrome factory of Elbasan started to operate in 1989. It is designed to produce high-carbon ferrochrome using as raw chromium material coming from the mines in the country, mainly from Bulqiza area. Currently Ferro-Chrome Factory of Elbasan works with two furnaces for the production of high-carbon ferrochrome. One of the furnaces was recently introduced into production, in early May 2013, after an investment of Balfin Group. Current production capacity is about 33’000 tons of ferrochrome per year.[9] This product is entirely destined for export, mainly to the markets of developed industrial countries in Europe, Asia and America.

Ferro Chrome Plant of Burrel Built in 1979, is one of the first investments in minerals industry in Albania and very close to the place of chrome mining. The plant covers an area of 14 hectares, has three electric furnaces with 9 MW installing power and situated 7 kilometers from the town of Burrel. The main units of Ferro Chrome Plant of Burrel are the melting unit, electromechanical unit, internal transportation and services units.[10] Chrome mineral that is used in melting power plants, is supplied from the mines of the country, mainly from the chrome-holding basin of Bulqize. The final and only product of the Ferro Chrome factory in Burrel is ferro-chrome with high carbon content (C= 6–8 %), whereas the chrome in ferro-chrome is Cr=60-65 % (base 63%).[11]

Enrichment Plant of Klos Built more than 25 years ago, this plant is the only one of its kind in Albania and serves to enrich that part of the mineral inferred in the mine which is of poor quality. Once enriched the mineral may be suitable for melting in furnaces of Ferro-Chrome Factory of Elbasan. Currently the Enrichment Plant of Klos is subject to a general intervention to become again operational. Renewal of equipments is performed by Swedish engineers who are part of the company that also built it many years ago. Chromium enrichment plant will enable the collection of low quality mineral from all mines of Albania and the region.[12]

Products

The chromium ore of Bulqiza Mine is a ready-to-sell product, but also the primary raw material for our metallurgic Plant of Elbasan producing high-carbon Ferro – Chrome. The quality of the Chrome ore product is of 40% Cr2O3 The exploitation system in our Bulqiza Mine is that of “sub-floors” and the ore body thickness in the richest area of the Mine can mount up to 3–4 m. this gives high hopes for the product quality and quantity. The chrome ore comes out of the underground and then undergoes a series of selecting processes. It is finally divided in ore fractions. About 40% of the initial product is + 70 mm fraction, leaving around 20% as 20–70 mm fraction and the rest is 0–20 mm fraction. These fractions are used differently in different parts of the mining industry. But mainly they are used for the metallurgic smelters that produce Ferro-Chrome and other chrome alloys FERRO-CHROME The final product of the Elbasan Plant is Ferro – Chrome. This represents an alloy, a mixture of iron and chrome ore, with a 6 – 8.5% of carbon compound, making the product a high-carbon Ferro-Chrome. Ferro-Chrome is an output of melting chrome ore in hi-tech furnaces, with alternative current. Other elements composing the charge are the reducing compound (Coke) and fluxes (waste forming). A typical view of the final product composition would be:

The Ferro – Chrome Plant of Elbasan has actually two furnaces at work, both producing high-carbon Ferro – Chrome. One of the furnaces was refurbished and restarted production on May 2013, under the management of Balfin Group. The actual production capacities are about 33.000 tons of Ferro-Chrome, which is totally destined to be exported. Actually, Albchrome exports its Ferro-chrome in the most industrially developed economies, in Europe, Asia and The Americas. The product is sold in fractions, crushed according to the market needs. The most wanted fractions for the time being are: 10–50 mm. 50–80 mm but an escalating market need has risen for the 5–10 mm fraction, as well.[13]

See also

References

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