In its just released 2019 annual report, FLSmidth reviews progress with a number of its mining and mineral processing innovation projects. Taking an example, FLSmidth’s discovery of the Rapid Oxidative Leach (ROL) technology was first announced in May 2015. This ground-breaking solution overcomes three major challenges in the mining industry (copper in particular) – declining ore grades, increasing levels of arsenic and other impurities, and reduced production from existing SX-EW facilities due to falling recoveries from heap leach when transitioning from oxide to sulphide ores.

The company states: “We are currently testing concentrates from several interested copper miners at our pilot plant in Salt Lake City, USA, and at a third-party independent laboratory. The purpose of these tests is to establish data for the customers to determine if they would like to move ahead with pre-feasibility studies. During 2017-2018, the concentrates from one customer have been tested and indicated a positive return on investment. We have supplied the relevant equipment to this customer in 2019 in order to operate a demonstration scale ROL process plant at their facility in South America. This is an important step in scaling up and commercialising the ROL process. Preliminary operation started at end of 2019 and is expected to conclude by mid-2020.”

In addition to copper, FLSmidth has tested ROL with refractory gold (gold not easily recovered by standard methods), and it has proved possible to apply the technology in the laboratory to significantly improve gold recovery. “We are currently working with several gold producers in research and development of this process, with the goal of potentially moving on to pilot scale testing.”