Major Asian Copper Smelter Selects Metso Technologies for Large Scale Production

(IN BRIEF) Metso has won a major EUR 180 million order to supply engineering services and critical process equipment for a new primary copper smelter project in Asia. The facility, designed to produce 300,000 tonnes of copper cathodes and 1.1 million tonnes of sulfuric acid annually, will be based on Metso’s Outotec® Flash Smelting, PS Converting, and Lurec® technologies. The project highlights Metso’s leading role in sustainable copper processing solutions and its extensive track record in delivering large-scale smelting facilities worldwide.

(PRESS RELEASE) ESPOO, 9-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Metso has secured a significant contract to deliver engineering services and core process equipment for a new primary copper smelter project in Asia. Valued at approximately EUR 180 million, the order will be recorded in Metso’s Minerals segment order intake for the fourth quarter of 2025, with options in place to potentially expand the project scope.

The planned copper smelter complex is designed to produce around 300,000 tonnes per year of copper cathodes alongside approximately 1.1 million tonnes per year of sulfuric acid. The facility will be built around Metso’s licensed and well-established Outotec® Flash Smelting, PS Converting, and Lurec® technologies, which are widely used in large-scale copper smelting operations.

Metso’s delivery covers the design and supply of key process equipment across the main areas of the smelter complex. This includes gas cleaning systems, a sulfuric acid plant, a copper electrolytic refinery, and a precious metals refinery. In addition to process technology and equipment, the scope also includes site services and spare parts to support reliable commissioning and operation.

Piia Karhu, President of Minerals at Metso, said the company is pleased to be selected for the project, highlighting the Outotec® Copper Flash Smelting method as the most widely applied technology for large-scale copper smelting worldwide. She noted that the technology forms part of Metso Plus, the company’s portfolio focused on delivering improved sustainability and operational performance.

Metso is a long-standing technology partner to the global copper processing industry, offering end-to-end solutions that span the full production chain from concentrate treatment to refined copper. Its Metso Plus solutions are designed to reduce CO₂ emissions while improving energy and water efficiency, without compromising metal recovery, even when processing complex or lower-grade raw materials.

The company’s copper smelting portfolio includes industry-leading technologies such as Outotec® Flash Smelting and Ausmelt® processes, complemented by Lurec® solutions for advanced gas cleaning and sulfuric acid recovery. Metso also provides e-Scrap smelting technologies for electronic waste recycling, as well as a comprehensive range of lifecycle services. Since the 1950s, Metso has delivered more than 50 copper smelters to customers worldwide, reinforcing its position as a key technology supplier in the sector.

Read more about Metso’s offering for copper processing on our website– Opens in a new window.

Further information:

Lauri Pesonen, Director, Smelting Sales, Metso Corporation, tel. +358 40 682 1115, email: lauri.pesonen(at)metso.com

Metso Media Desk, tel.+358 20 482 1930, email: media(at)metso.com

Metso is a frontrunner in sustainable technologies, end-to-end solutions and services for the aggregates, minerals processing and metals refining industries globally. We improve our customers’ energy and water efficiency, increase their productivity, and reduce environmental risks with our product and service expertise. We are the partner for positive change.

Metso is headquartered in Espoo, Finland. At the end of 2024 Metso had close to 17,000 employees in around 50 countries, and sales in 2024 were about EUR 4.9 billion. Metso is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. 

metso.com

SOURCE: Metso