Eramet Norway Sauda

Sauda, in the northeast part of Rogaland county, is a community of 5000 inhabitants. The local rivers were harnessed for hydroelectric power generation in the early 20th century, paving the way for industrialization in Sauda.

Eramet Norway’s processing plant in Sauda employs about 175 people and, with its two 40 MW furnaces, is the largest ferromanganese producer in northern Europe. Production has more than doubled since the 1960s, and nearly 60 per cent of the plant’s revenue is from refined products.

An American discovery

In 1915, the American-owned Union Carbide Corporation set up a new company, Electric Furnace Products Limited (EFP), with a view to producing carbide in Sauda. After World War I, demand for this product declined sharply, and the plant was converted to produce ferroalloys.

In 1981, Union Carbide sold the Sauda plant to Elkem, a Norwegian metal company. The 1990s proved a difficult time for the ferroalloy industry, and in 1999 Elkem sold its manganese alloy plant to the French mining and metals company Eramet. Unlike Elkem, Eramet Norway benefits from an ample supply of manganese ore from the parent company’s mine in Gabon, West Africa.

The main market for Eramet Norway Sauda is the international steel industry, especially producers in Europe and North America. Steady economic growth in Asia, primarily driven by China, has resulted in a doubling of global steel production over the past 15 years. This in turn has led to new growth in the sector during the early years of the new millennium.

Measured in tonnes produced, Sauda is the largest plant in the Eramet Norway family. Sauda has the highest output of refined ferromanganese alloys, processing about 60 per cent of the manganese ore imported by Eramet Norway.

Cornerstone company with long traditions

Eramet Norway Sauda is a cornerstone of the local economy and takes its corporate social responsibility seriously, benefiting both the company and our stakeholders.

The plant will soon celebrate its centenary, and its vision is reflected in the motto “All set for another hundred years in Sauda!” The first step towards this vision is an attractive workplace offering secure jobs with prospects. Eramet Norway Sauda has a particularly good, mutually productive relationship with the local education system, especially Sauda Upper Secondary School. The plant hosts 20–25 apprentices at any given time. This provides the plant with a good recruiting base, which is crucial to meeting the need for new skilled labour.

The plant continues to build on the solid expertise that has been accumulated over its hundred years of operation. At the same time, there is a constant updating of working methods, production processes and the plant itself to ensure competitivnes in the long run.