Industrial Minerals


RHI acquires SMA Mineral Magnesia and expands in Turkey

June 2011

by Mike O'Driscoll

Leading world refractories producer RHI AG is making good on its earlier announced strategy of securing refractory raw material supply outside China, predominantly magnesia-based, by acquiring Norwegian magnesia producer SMA Mineral Magnesia AS and expanding its Turkish subsidiary’s capacity.

Keywords: magnesia, magnesite, fused magnesia, RHI, SMA Magnesia

  • RHI to build fused magnesia plant at SMA
  • On stream mid-2012 to supply European plants
  • MAS to expand capacity

Mike O’Driscoll

 
“It’s not over after this one, this is just one step on the way.”, Henning Jensen, chief executive officer, RHI AG. 
 

Henning Jensen, chief executive officer of RHI, talking to IM on the SMA deal, said: “It’s not over after this one, this is just one step on the way.”

“With SMA in full flow, this will increase our magnesia materials self-sufficiency by almost 20% [in terms of value]” Jensen added.

Overall, this would bring RHI’s magnesia self-sufficiency by value to 61%, nearing the company’s target of hitting 80% by around 2015.

The SMA purchase contract contains conditions which must be met by 31 August 2011.

For the first quarter...