Kristiansand
Norway

The Nikkelverk refinery uses a chlorine leach and electro-winning process to separate and recover component metals. It is an extremely cost-efficient process for treating complex raw materials, which achieves high productivity and recoveries. This efficiency allows greater flexibility in sourcing and treating custom feed.

The refinery processes a granulated matte produced by Sudbury and Raglan operations as well as custom feed from other sources. The granulated matte is crushed to a very fine powder and then transported to the chlorine leach plant. The metals contained in the matte are separated and distributed to the various process areas for further purification and refining. From there, the products are cut, packaged and shipped to world markets.

The Nikkelverk refinery has the capacity to process 86,000 tonnes of nickel, 39,000 tonnes of copper cathodes and 5,200 tonnes of cobalt annually. It also treats the silver, gold and precious metals contained in the Sudbury and Raglan feeds and in the feed from other sources.

2005 Production Rates

84,886 tonnes nickel
38,681 tonnes copper cathodes
 5,021 tonnes cobalt

Nikkelverk opened in 1910 as Kristiansands Nikkelraffineringsverk and was acquired by Falconbridge June 14, 1929. The refinery plays an important role in the city of Kristiansand and is one of the major industrial employers of southern Norway.