Abstract:
Throughout the communist era that lasted from the Second World War until 1989,
Albania was one of the primary producers of chromite in the world. In the 1980's,
Albania was the third largest chromite producer in the world with over one million
tons produced annually. Some 80% came from the Bulqiza mines. This chromite
was, and still is, recognized as mining area with the finest quality in the world due
to its high chrome to iron ratio that commonly exceeds 2.5:1 with best grades in
excess of 3.3:1. This places Albania along with Kazakhstan and Turkey as
countries that produce high grade (+38% Cr2O3) and high-quality premium-
priced direct shipping ore that goes into production of High Carbon Ferrochrome.
One of the biggest assets of this industry is Bulqiza Mine. This mine is a ready-to-
sell product, but also the primary raw material for our metallurgic Plant of Elbasan producing high-carbon Ferro – Chrome. The exploitation system in Bulqiza Mine is that of “sub-floors” and the ore body thickness in the richest area of the Mine can mount up to 6-7 m. This provides good conditions for mining companies to maintain satisfactory quality and quantity ratios. The chrome ore comes out of the underground and then undergoes a series of selecting processes. It is finally divided in ore fractions.
