Ferrexpo, based in Horishni Plavni, Ukraine, is the world’s third-largest exporter of iron ore pellets. Iron ore is one of the materials that form the foundation of our modern lives, as it is used in steel production. Steel is indispensable in many sectors, from construction to the manufacturing of cars and wind turbines, to everyday items such as kitchen utensils. Since 1970, Ferrexpo has been producing iron ore pellets, delivering one of the building blocks for many industries and aspects of life.
Ferrexpo and Eirich: Ensuring Quality Through Partnership
Despite the ongoing state of war in Ukraine, Ferrexpo continues its successful path, further expanding its business and improving the quality of its core product. This is possible in large part thanks to the special partnership that Ferrexpo has shared with the German company Eirich for 25 years. Together with Eirich, a global leader in solutions for processing raw materials, Ferrexpo has overcome major milestones for decades.
Thanks to its reliable partner in Germany, Ferrexpo is able to continue joint projects even during the war. The cooperation between the two companies began around the year 2000, when Ferrexpo decided to modernize its pelletizing plant with the aim of producing the best pellets in Europe. Eirich, as an expert in advanced technologies for mixing, granulating, dispersing, and tempering, became a partner in this endeavor for the first time.
To meet the increasing quality demands of steel producers and strengthen its market position, Ferrexpo wanted to ensure particularly high mixing quality of the concentrate. The mixing coefficient – i.e., the degree of homogenization – was to be at least 98%. The choice therefore fell on the use of an Eirich intensive mixer.
Challenges Create Bonds – Even Before the War
In every joint project Ferrexpo and Eirich carried out in the following years, the commissioning of the new mixers went according to plan and on time, with no production downtime. To date, over 20 million tons of iron ore concentrate have been processed with the first mixer installed by Eirich – and it continues to run successfully.
These excellent results should not overshadow the effort and challenging circumstances involved: for the transport of some mixers, a Ukrainian highway had to be temporarily rerouted. Lifting the D31/7 mixer to a height of 30 meters on site took more than 8 hours. During commissioning, manual labor was sometimes needed to shovel several tons of concentrate out of the mixer. Some Eirich supervisors still recall how they shared dinner and watched the World Cup with their Ukrainian colleagues – still in their work clothes. From the very beginning, this collaboration forged a close bond between the companies on a much more human level than is usually possible in a mere client-contractor relationship.
Not Even War Can Stop the Pursuit of Excellence
Unfortunately, conditions for the long-standing cooperation between Ferrexpo and Eirich changed in the 2020s. With the onset of the Russian invasion, most of a large-scale project already underway had to be halted: four DW40 mixers, each with a throughput capacity of over 1,000 tons/hour, as well as conveyors and control systems, had been delivered but not yet commissioned. In mid-2023, the first of the four mixers was successfully commissioned remotely with guidance from an Eirich supervisor in Germany. Mixers two and three followed, and the last mixer was also commissioned in 2024.
Despite the extraordinary circumstances, the end result is impressive: the plant in Ukraine represents a unique solution and is equipped with the best equipment in the world. Eirich supervisors remain in continuous contact with the customer and provide extensive support. In 2023, over 300,000 tons of concentrate were already processed in the first mixer, and more than 1,000,000 tons in 2024.
During the war, Ferrexpo also built a concentrate storage facility, with two pelletizing departments currently under construction. The company also plans to install Haver-Boecker pelletizing discs and is confidently moving toward its goal of producing 18 million tons of the best pellets in Europe. Steel manufacturers from Japan, South Korea, Austria, Germany, and the UAE are happy to buy these high-quality products.
Ferrexpo Relies on Eirich – In All Circumstances
However, there are some devices in the plant outside of Eirich’s scope that Ferrexpo specialists are highly dissatisfied with. As their functionality affects the quality of the final product, the pellet manufacturer now wants to obtain these devices from Eirich as well. Initial project planning discussions began in early 2025. Thus, the successful cooperation between the two companies continues across borders and barriers. In this context, the war is not only a logistical factor. A true partnership reveals itself especially in times of crisis.
At the beginning of the war, Eirich brought 30 Ukrainian women and children – employees of its Dnipro office, business partners' families, and friends – to Hardheim. The company provided housing without bureaucracy and supported them with official procedures. Eirich subsidiaries also provided valuable material aid. Ten Ukrainians still live in Hardheim. The mothers have successfully completed integration and language courses and are currently looking for jobs. The children attend school in Hardheim and are top of their class in some subjects.
Together with their business partners in Ukraine, Eirich continues to discuss post-war reconstruction and visions for the future. Ferrexpo has experienced time and again that with such a partner, anything is possible. With Eirich at its side, Ferrexpo remains focused on delivering the best iron ore pellets and maintains an optimistic outlook for the future.
