Metso has received an order for Vertimill® and HIGmill™ regrind mills for the Reko Diq copper-gold project in Pakistan.

The order, which also includes apron feeders and vibrating feeders, is part of the equipment delivery frame agreement announced on August 14, 2024.

The order value of the regrind mills and feeders is approximately €50 million.

“Following an innovative and collaborative test work campaign, a two-stage regrind circuit consisting of a Vertimill and HIGmill operating in series was selected to optimise the overall energy-efficiency and operating cost. In this solution, the robust feed particle size capability of the Vertimill is optimally combined with the efficient fine grinding and particle conditioning of the HIGmill,” Bjorn Nielsen, Vice President, Stirred Mills and HPGR at Metso, says.

Metso’s stirred milling technologies portfolio consists of Vertimill, HIGmill, and Stirred Media Detritor (SMD) mills. These mills are based on gravity-induced and fluidise technologies, allowing for an optimum equipment solution for all comminution circuits in secondary, tertiary, fine, ultrafine, regrind and lime slaking applications, the OEM says.

It is anticipated that Reko Diq will have a mine life of approximately 40 years as a truck-and-shovel open-pit operation, with construction expected in two phases and providing a combined processing capacity of circa 90 Mt/y. The first production is targeted for 2028.