The Regional Administration of Northern Finland (PSAVI) has granted Outokumpu Tornio site an environmental permit for its operations. The permit will enable the commissioning of the extension to the ferrochrome production capacity already under construction in the autumn of 2012 as planned. The investment in ferrochrome production will double the ferrochrome production capacity to 540,000tns per year. The value of the entire investment is around EUR 440 million, of which over EUR 60 million will go into environmental investments. The investment will be implemented using the best available technology (BAT). This will ensure Outokumpu’s position as a pioneer in environmental matters also in the coming years. Outokumpu has for two consecutive years achieved the No. 1 place in the steel industry in the Dow Jones evaluation of the environmental efforts of the 342 companies studied.