Tenova and Latrobe Magnesium first MgO Production in Australia

The first production of Magnesium Oxide in Latrobe Valley has been successfully achieved

A major milestone has been reached in Tenova’s project with Latrobe Magnesium Limited (LGM), an Australian-based company, which includes the engineering, supply and supervision of a Magnesium production plant in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, Australia. The demonstration plant, which uses a novel process combining hydromet/thermal reduction, has successfully started production, marking the world's first production of MgO from brown coal fly ash, a significant advancement for the industry. Nearly 100% of resources from the project will be turned into valuable commodities, thereby fostering circular economy.

Tenova’s Spray Roaster technology, a well-established technique in the steel industry, has been adapted for use in LMG’s flowsheet to extract and produce Magnesium metal. This adaptation has enabled LMG to produce Magnesium Oxide efficiently and effectively throughout the entire process.

The project is particularly significant for Tenova as it introduces a technological breakthrough to the Australian market and demonstrates an impressively swift execution, achieving supply within only ten months from the contract signing.

The next phase of the project, currently under development with Latrobe Magnesium, includes scaling up the plant to reach an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons of Magnesium metal.