Eramet Titanium & Iron
A former Norwegian plant producing pig iron and titanium dioxide clinker from ilmenite ore.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Eramet Titanium & Iron was the name used for a metallurgical plant at Tyssedal in Norway that produced pig iron and titanium dioxide clinker. The facility was established as Ilmenittsmelteverket on 21 December 1983, following the closure of Det Norske Nitridaktieselskap's aluminum operation in Tyssedal. Production began in 1986. Its location enabled the plant to process locally available Norwegian ilmenite ores, which contain a high proportion of titanium dioxide, reported at approximately 50% TiO2. In 1988, the operation was acquired by Tinfos Jernverk and renamed Tinfos Titan & Iron. Eramet later acquired Tinfos in 2008, bringing the Tyssedal operation into the Eramet group and giving it the Eramet Titanium & Iron name. Under Eramet, the plant remained focused on the processing of ilmenite into titanium-bearing products and iron products rather than operating as a broad consumer-facing brand. Eramet announced in May 2020 that it intended to sell the plant to Tronox. The proposed transaction was subsequently abandoned in 2021, with the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority investigating aspects of the deal. In September 2023, Eramet completed a sale of the plant to INEOS for $245 million. The transaction also included a long-term agreement under which Eramet would supply ilmenite from its Grande Côte Opérations operation in Senegal. Following the acquisition, the facility was renamed INEOS Tyssedal. The Eramet Titanium & Iron identity therefore represents a former operating name rather than the plant's current brand.
History
The Tyssedal operation later known as Eramet Titanium & Iron was created in response to the closure of an earlier aluminum plant in the same Norwegian industrial community. Ilmenittsmelteverket was established on 21 December 1983 as a replacement industrial project after Det Norske Nitridaktieselskap shut its Tyssedal aluminum facility. Construction and commissioning led to the start of production in 1986. The operation's principal feedstock was Norwegian ilmenite ore. The ore was notable for its high titanium dioxide content, described as close to 50% TiO2, making it suitable for the production of titanium dioxide clinker. The plant also produced pig iron as part of its metallurgical process. Its activities placed it within the upstream industrial materials chain serving titanium dioxide and related applications, rather than in the finished-goods market. In 1988, Tinfos Jernverk acquired the facility. Under Tinfos ownership it operated as Tinfos Titan & Iron, a name that reflected its titanium and iron output. The plant changed ownership again in 2008 when Eramet acquired Tinfos. It was subsequently known as Eramet Titanium & Iron and became part of Eramet's wider mining and metallurgy portfolio. Eramet sought to divest the operation during the 2020s. In May 2020, the company announced an agreement or planned transaction to sell the plant to Tronox, a major titanium dioxide producer. The proposed deal did not proceed. It was abandoned in 2021, amid regulatory attention that included an investigation by the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority. On 22 September 2023, Eramet sold the Tyssedal plant to INEOS for $245 million. The transaction was accompanied by a long-term supply arrangement for ilmenite produced by Eramet's Grande Côte Opérations in Senegal. After the acquisition, the site was renamed INEOS Tyssedal. Accordingly, Eramet Titanium & Iron is best treated as a historical operating name for the Tyssedal plant, not as its current corporate identity.
- 2023
Sale to INEOS and rebranding
[1]Eramet sells the plant to INEOS for $245 million on 22 September. The facility is subsequently renamed INEOS Tyssedal.
- 2021
Tronox transaction abandoned
[1]The proposed sale to Tronox is abandoned following regulatory scrutiny, including a UK Competition and Markets Authority investigation.
- 2020
Planned sale to Tronox announced
[1]Eramet announces its intention to sell the Tyssedal plant to Tronox.
- 2008
Eramet acquires Tinfos
[1]Eramet's acquisition of Tinfos brings the Tyssedal facility into the Eramet group and leads to the Eramet Titanium & Iron name.
- 1988
Tinfos acquisition and renaming
[1]Tinfos Jernverk acquires the operation, which is renamed Tinfos Titan & Iron.
- 1986
Production begins
[1]The plant begins producing pig iron and titanium dioxide clinker from ilmenite-based feedstock.
- 1983
Ilmenittsmelteverket is established
[1]The Tyssedal plant is established on 21 December 1983 as an industrial successor to the closed aluminum operation of Det Norske Nitridaktieselskap.
Products and positioning
A specialized heavy-industrial processing operation using high-titanium Norwegian ilmenite to produce titanium dioxide clinker and pig iron.
Titanium intermediate · 1986
Titanium dioxide clinker
A titanium-bearing intermediate made by processing ilmenite ore. The Tyssedal plant was associated with Norwegian ilmenite containing approximately 50% titanium dioxide, giving the operation a locally sourced feedstock for titanium-material production.
Ironmaking product · 1986
Pig iron
An iron product generated by the plant's metallurgical processing of titanium-rich ore. Pig iron was produced alongside titanium dioxide clinker and represented the operation's principal iron-related output.
Brand decisions
2023
Sale to INEOSM&ABackground
After the earlier Tronox transaction failed, Eramet arranged a sale of the Tyssedal plant.
Action taken
Eramet sold the plant to INEOS for $245 million and included a long-term contract for ilmenite supplied from Eramet's Grande Côte Opérations in Senegal.
Aftermath
The facility became INEOS Tyssedal, ending the Eramet Titanium & Iron operating identity.
Sale price. $245 million (22 September 2023)
2020
Proposed divestment to TronoxM&ABackground
Eramet announced a planned sale of the Tyssedal plant to Tronox.
Action taken
Eramet pursued the transaction, subject to completion and regulatory review.
Aftermath
The transaction was abandoned in 2021, following regulatory scrutiny that included a UK Competition and Markets Authority investigation.
Sources1 sources
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