Metso has been awarded orders for the delivery of grinding plant equipment for South32’s greenfield Hermosa project in the Patagonia Mountains in southern Arizona.

The order is booked in the Minerals segment’s 2024 June-quarter orders received, the OEM says.

Metso’s scope of delivery includes a Premier™ Primary Autogenous Grinding (AG) Mill and a Vertimill® VTM-4500 Secondary Grinding Mill with the potential to supply other comminution and beneficiation process equipment technologies.

Christoph Hoetzel, Senior Vice President, Grinding at Metso, said: “Metso’s broad grinding technology portfolio offers the best tool for the job. In this case, primary grinding utilising an AG Mill eliminates steel media usage and the Vertimill in secondary grinding and regrinding improves energy efficiency and reduces steel media consumption. This is a truly Planet Positive combination.”

Tim Robinson, Vice President, Minerals Sales in North and Central America (NCA) at Metso, said: “We are very pleased to be supporting South32 in their development focus to supply critical minerals like zinc and manganese in the USA. We are committed to supporting South32 in this endeavor with our Planet Positive offering and our large service group in Arizona.”

Earlier this year, South32’s Board of Directors gave final investment approval to develop the Taylor Deposit, part of the wider Hermosa project, as part of a $2.16 billion development involving a circa-4.3 Mt/y operation with average payable zinc-equivalent output of circa-253,000 t/y over a 28-year mine life.