Former Outokumpu CEO Eero Mäkinen elected to the US National Mining Hall of Fame

Outokumpu Corporation
News
November 4, 2024

Outokumpu’s former and first CEO Eero Mäkinen has been recognized for his pioneering work in the Finnish mining industry and inducted to the U.S. National Mining Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place in Denver, Colorado on November 2, 2024, and Eero Mäkinen is the first Finnish inductee among such notable members as Alfred Nobel and the U.S. President Herbert Hoover.

Eero Mäkinen in front of the department of geology.  

Eero Mäkinen was the embodiment of the innovation spirit at Outokumpu and was instrumental in development of flash smelting technology for copper production in the 1940s. Even today, this process is the best in energy efficiency among the available smelting methods, and nowadays, it is part of Metso Corporation’s sustainable offering. Outokumpu focused on stainless steel in the 2000s and exited its technology business, which had its beginning in the flash smelting innovation.

“We are extremely proud that our former CEO Eero Mäkinen has been recognized for his contribution by the National Mining Hall of Fame. The same spirit of innovation is still evident at Outokumpu, as it was when flash smelting was first invented – not only was it totally new but energy-efficient process to tackle the energy challenges in post-war Finland. Even though this technology is not part of our operations anymore, both innovation and energy efficiency continue to be embedded in our operations at Outokumpu even today, when Outokumpu supports its customers with a carbon footprint that is up to 75% lower than the global industry average*,” says Jukka Sieppi, Vice President, Core Stainless Technology at Outokumpu. “Flash smelting was the start of our technology division, which is today part of Metso, and we are proud of the shared history and continued cooperation.”

“Flash smelting is one of the cleanest smelting technologies available, and even today, Eero’s legacy continues to shape the mining industry. As we speak, the same technology, but in a much larger scope, is being commissioned in Indonesia at the world’s largest single-line copper smelter,” says Jyrki Makkonen, Vice President, Smelting at Metso. “Metso and Outokumpu share a long-lasting history together, and we are pleased and honored that Eero and flash smelting will be featured in the National Mining Hall of Fame.”

Who was Eero Mäkinen?

Eero Mäkinen was born in 1886 and  Ph.D. in geology and educated as mining engineer in Stockholm. He became first controller (of the first joint venture by Hackman and the Finnish state) and then managing director of Outokumpu as of 1921. Eventually he became the “Grand Old Man” of Finnish mining and was still at the helm of Outokumpu for nearly 30 years.

During Eero Mäkinen’s time, Outokumpu had grown into one of the five major copper producers in Europe and began expanding into downstream production – electrolytic copper, bar, wire, sheet and tubing. Fast industrialization in Finland boosted our operations. Outokumpu built an integrated copper chain in the 1930s by opening six new plants, including a new electric smelting plant in Imatra – the largest of its kind in the world at that time – and a copper refinery in Pori on the western coast.

How flash smelting technology was invented?

In the 1940s, Outokumpu, like Finland, was facing World War II – and Outokumpu’s copper smelter in Imatra was close to the eastern border. Outokumpu dismantled the entire smelter as it was Finland’s only source of copper, moved it to safety at Harjavalta and had it up and running within six months. Nor did we simply move it but doubled the plant’s capacity.

However, in Imatra we had been able to utilize hydroelectric power, which was not case in the new location. Electricity prices skyrocketed as Finland had lost capacity in the war. To solve this, our metallurgists came up with autogenous smelting. It uses the natural heat of reaction between iron and copper sulfides to bring the ore concentrate up to a smelting temperature. Only a few years later, “flash smelting” technology as it became known, was in production. It was the start of the Outokumpu’s technology division.

Outokumpu today 

Outokumpu continues to be a pioneer in its field, now stainless steel production. Outokumpu is accelerating the green transition as the global leader in sustainable stainless steel. Our business is based on the circular economy: our products are made from 95% recycled materials, which we then turn into fully recyclable stainless steel. This steel is utilized in various applications across society, including infrastructure, mobility, and household appliances. One of our latest innovations is Outokumpu Circle Green©, the world’s first towards-zero stainless steel, with up to 93% lower carbon footprint than the industrial average*.

*) Outokumpu stainless steel CO₂ emissions (2023): 1.52 kg CO₂e per kg of stainless steel. Global average CO₂ emissions (2023): 7 kg CO₂e per kg of stainless steel. (Outokumpu’s calculation based on data provided by CRU, worldstainless and Kobolde & Partners AB). Outokumpu Circle Green CO₂ emissions: down to 0.5 kilos of CO₂   e per kg of stainless steel. 

Sources: Markku Kuisma's A History of Outokumpu, Gummerus, Jyväskylä 1989. 

Read more about Outokumpu's history

For more information:

Outokumpu media desk, tel. +358 9 421 3840, e-mail media(at)outokumpu.com