The Ferronikeli company is situated 35 KM from Prishtina with its headquarters in the Gllogovc municipality. It is served by three open pit mines, two of which are less than 2 KM from the plant itself and one 28 KM away; the later is linked with the plant with a direct rail line.
The decision to build the factory was taken by the Assembly of Kosovo of 1978 and its construction began in 1979, the factory finally started working in 1984.
Previous geological research showed that the reserves in the ground are 17.500.000 tones with an average content of 1,32% of Ni and 0,07% Co.
The Ferronikeli ore Mining/ Metallurgical Operation is one of the largest socially owned enterprises in Kosovo.
At its operational height in 1989 the company employed approximately 2000 people. The mine and the plant were both under utilized and degraded during the Emergency Measures of the 1990s.
The company now employs 200 workers, the maintenance and reconstruction works has been carried out successfully since the end of the NATO campaign in Kosovo.
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 Geology of the Ore |
The Ferronikeli ore are mainly silicate late rites. They are comprised essentially of nontronite minerals and partially nontronitized serpentines. The main difference that exists between the overall quality of the ores at the various mine sites is the nickel content, which varies from 1,30% to 1,40%. The average ore analyses for the mines are:
Production of Ferronickel consist of the following average components:
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