Kopar - a specialist in demanding bulk material handling
Kopar is more than a supplier of conveyor solutions. It is an international technology house that designs and manufactures bulk material handling systems for demanding industrial environments.
Founded in 1989, Finnish company Kopar is at its best when bulk materials are particularly hot, abrasive or otherwise difficult to handle. Kopar is relied on for expertise in cooling, drying, crushing, screening and transporting materials. The company designs its own solutions.
”For decades, the main driver of our product development has been customer feedback, and we have always been at the forefront of new developments. In practice, there are no standard solutions in our portfolio, but we always tailor a solution to the customer's problem,” says HarriTalvensaari, sales director.
Kopar's long experience is particularly useful for projects involving development work. It has opened its own test facility, where comprehensive information on materials and their properties is collected. The test facility includes a pneumatic conveyor system and a range of other equipment, such as crushers and a drum screen, which are critical to the exploitation of new materials.
”One day in a test facility can save months of testing at a customer's site.”
”The pilot plant will enable testing of materials. This is particularly important if, for example, in circular economy projects materials, that have not been used before and for which no one has specific knowledge of, are utilised. One day in a pilot plant can save months of testing at a customer's site,” says EeroLehtiläTechnology Director.
Kopar has experience with hundreds of materials. It works in a wide range of industrial sectors, including metal, chemical and mineral processing plants and associated facilities, on a variety of circular economy projects. It is at the forefront of material handling solutions for battery chemical projects in Northern Europe.
A solution for the safe handling of solid coal
Photo by Aku Saarenpää / Hycamite Oy
One of Kopar's project partners is Hycamite, and more specifically its largest methane decomposition hydrogen production plant in Europe, located in Kokkola. In addition to hydrogen, the plant produces high-quality carbon products for industrial use. The materials are used for applications such as battery production, electronics, tyres and polymers.
”We set out to develop a suitable solution for solid coal handling with the customer. At the start of the process, the material is hot, so it needs to be cooled before being transferred to the storage facilities. On the other hand, the transport must take place in an oxygen-free environment so that the material does not catch fire or explode. We also had to ensure that the end product doesn't get contaminated,” Lehtilä lists.
Removing oxygen from porous carbon requires specific expertise. For this project, Kopar developed an inerting tank that uses nitrogen to remove oxygen. The transfer is carried out pneumatically.
Talvensaari says: ”The site was a pilot site for the client, so everything was planned from scratch. Development was flexible as the project progressed and adapted to changes.”
Project procurement started towards the end of 2023, with the plant commissioned in the summer of 2025. Kopar believes that carbon sequestration will play a major role in future projects.
A solution for handling of ladle slag
Another of Kopar's partners is Saint-Gobain, whose slag processing plant is located in Raahe Finland, next to the steelworks. The ladle slag from steel production is sorted and processed. The metals are recycled back to the steelworks and the slag itself is processed into a binder for cement-based building materials. The aim of the plant is a waste-free process in which all slag is utilised.
Talvensaari explains, ”The customer was building a new type of ladle slag processing plant, which is why there was no ready concept. Together with the customer, we looked for the best solutions.”
Cooperation on this project started in 2023, but Saint-Gobain and Kopar knew each other from years ago. The inauguration of the Raahe plant took place in autumn 2025. Kopar's role in the project includes the simultaneous transport and cooling of slag. Kopar's flagship product, the KRC cooler, which is particularly efficient in terms of cooling, has been used for the implementation.
”The particle size distribution of slag is very wide, which makes it challenging to combine efficient cooling and wear-resistant construction in the design of conveyor equipment. Thanks to the development done together with the customer, the process has been successfully put into operation!” Lehtilä is delighted.
Talvensaari continues, ”We see the further processing, recovery and reuse of similar slags as a growing area of our business. The customer does not need to approach us with a ready-made layout. They can tell us from where to where to move the goods. Also, what the temperature is at the beginning and what should it be at the end. Based on the material properties, we develop a reasonable and cost-effective concept and solution.”
