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MetsoOutotec-testing

Metso Outotec on the need for holistic testing

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The Metso Outotec global network of testing, research and product development facilities covers the whole process flowsheet from comminution through separation, to filtration, refining and pyrometallurgical/hydrometallurgical processing.

It has centres all over the globe – in Australia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Finland, Peru, USA and more – able to, the company says, offer extensive expertise and circuit simulation to a wide range of industries.

Metso Outotec’s research and testing services include evaluation of ore types, mineralogical characterisation, feed material testing, sampling, materials selection, analytical chemistry and flowsheet development.

To get a flavour of this extensive research and testing portfolio, IM spoke to Alan Boylston, Director, Process Engineering at Metso Outotec, and Rodrigo Grau, Technology Director – Minerals Processing at Metso Outotec, about the capabilities of two of the company’s facilities – York (USA) and Pori (Finland), respectively, while also touching on Metso Outotec’s global testing and research capabilities.

In 2022, the company announced a consolidation of its minerals testing services in USA into a single 5,500 sq.m facility in York able to eventually cover the full minerals value chain and support the mining industry worldwide. Pori, meanwhile, focuses on mineral technology, hydrometallurgical processes development, pyrometallurgy and ferroalloys technology and material technology. In other words, the company conducts laboratory and pilot test work, flowsheet development as well as validation and development of new technologies for the industry.

IM: Will the York facility now be seen as your ‘testing centre of excellence’?

AB: The York facility is a centre of excellence for testing, but we have many of these within the company. Our global presence, the knowledge and our expertise at each of these locations is one of the factors that sets us apart.

Each of our locations is a centre for excellence in its own field. Pori, for example, has extensive research capabilities, Sorocaba in Brazil focuses on comminution and beneficiation testing, while Lappeenranta Dewatering Technology Center concentrates on thickening and filtration. Each location is an integral part of our global testing offering. In addition to these, we have various facilities around the globe covering also aggregates and pyrometallurgical testing, research and development.

That being said, the effort we have made to expand the York Test Center gives us a much better advantage for research and testing in North America, compared to a few years ago. We can now do more pilot-scale testing, especially with equipment like our HRC™800e high pressure grinding roll (HPGR). We can also carry out pyrometallurgical testing, plus conduct magnetic separation tests. At some point in 2023, we also expect to add thickening and filtration testing to this remit. But this is a very high-level view of what we have to offer in the York location.

Metso Outotec has a global network of testing, research and product development locations

IM: Even with this consolidation in USA, are you expecting to collaborate with other global facilities when it comes to testing processes throughout the flowsheet?

AB: Yes, absolutely. For example, we have a project coming in right now where the sample was first in Tampere (Finland) for some crushing test work, before they split off a sample for us for grinding test work in York and then Pori is also receiving a sample for some broader mineralogy testing.

This speaks to why we are able to claim to have global capabilities. No matter the testing or research need, we are able to assist our customers to get the job done. This all goes towards one goal – the customer’s benefit.

IM: How do you see these testing capabilities interacting and benefitting from other modelling work you carry out in-house? For example, do you anticipate using these facilities and the likes of the Geminex digital twin in unison to offer clients physical and digital representations of flowsheet options?

RG: Modelling is very important for us. In each project we work on, modelling and simulation are at the heart. Here in Pori, we carry out flowsheet development and technology validation. One of the outputs of our work is to end with a simulation of an industrial plant. Going from that simulation into Geminex is just one more step we will be taking in the future.

AB: At the York lab, we are now moving to a SCADA-based system to run everything: when a sample comes in, it gets tagged and identified and we then automatically know what test to run. We have tablets to, for instance, setup all the parameters of a test for an HRC 800e. We can start and stop the test on that tablet and see the real-time information coming in as the test is being carried out. That data is also being stored for future use.

We’re undergoing a program right now to build out a database function where all the post processing of this data goes on in the background and can then be seamlessly integrated into things like our HRC simulation software. We are building the backbone to carry out that real-time digital twinning.

IM: Do you anticipate your global testing capabilities to lead to a higher uptake of Planet Positive solutions?

AB: With our customers having a huge focus on sustainability, I do. As an example, since we have had the pilot-scale HRC 800e available for testing, it has been fully booked. In 2023, we are preparing for a test plan where we could take the HRC product and go directly into a pilot Vertimill. Those are two Planet Positive approaches we are putting together in a single test plant to show how far we can push energy efficiency and media consumption reduction.

RG: I would definitely agree with Alan. And to add to that – for example at Pori, we do a lot of hydrometallurgical testing and piloting, and that is only increasing with the rising demand for lithium and other battery minerals. And our customers are really looking at how our equipment is reducing their carbon footprint and other sustainability benefits.

You will hear us say it time and time again, but this is definitely a trend that we are seeing at all of our facilities.

Metso Outotec testing and research capabilities cover the entire flowsheet – from comminution through the entire operation to pyrometallurgical/hydrometallurgical processing

IM: Will these expanded testing facilities also benefit your equipment and process R&D work?

AB: I think so. We built this lab to not just be a materials testing facility, but also a research hub, especially for grinding, but also for any other Metso Outotec business area needs. There is definitely a huge opportunity out there for us!

RG: And this rings true around the globe at all our facilities. For example, in separation, we have been testing the Concorde Cell™ flotation technology in Pori for a long time. And that is how we’ve approached development of a lot of our other innovations that go to market.

IM: How would you say industry testing requirements have changed over, say, the last five years?

AB: From our perspective, I am seeing more comprehensive test programs come through.

Instead of, say, one certain test, it is an entire test program with specific timings around evaluations and the ability to develop the flowsheet through the testing required. There is more collaborative designing of the flowsheet taking place through testing than there was five or 10 years ago.

RG: It is certainly more comprehensive now than it previously was.

For example, we carry out early engagement with our customers in Pori and start developing a flowsheet and evaluating the ore types.

The amount of material that is tested nowadays is much bigger than it was before. Obviously, it is not just limited to this example, because, as Alan mentioned before, we’ve got this connection between all our facilities to ensure our customers get exactly what they need from their testing program.

Also, our customers think about different drivers in the process very carefully and want that reflected in the test work. That could be more evaluation on the water they consume. They also look at the energy expended, on top of the expected recoveries and metal grades.

There is more emphasis on sustainability, even at these early stages, in addition to looking at how the ore types may change over time and what impact this will have on the processing requirements.

This is where our extensive simulation and modelling capabilities are leveraged for the biggest impact.

IM: Anything else to add?

RG: Pori and York are but a fraction of the expertise of the wider Metso Outotec research and testing portfolio; one that continues to expand in line with customer requirements. We don’t just cover mining, either – like our equipment offering, we provide research and testing services for the whole flowsheet.

And we are continually improving our capabilities in this space for our customers. So, stay tuned for the future and where we can take research and testing!

ASX mining movers showing signs of green shoots

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Before the Year of the Tiger roared into life on February 1, 2022, more than A$8 billion ($5.8 billion) was changing hands daily on the ASX as cheap debt, low cash rates and soaring stock markets bolstered investor confidence.

As of December 31, 2021, a whopping 240 companies listed on the ASX via Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), with the dollar value of those deals topping more than A$329.2 billion between Q1 (March quarter) 2021 and Q3 (September quarter) 2021, which is close six times more, year-on-year, and smashes the previous annual record of A$139 billion in 2007, the organisers of IMARC say.

Record mineral exploration spends saw a seasonally adjusted increase of 4.5% to A$925.9 million in Q3 2021, which was underpinned by a 15.8% rise in iron ore spending of A$174 million and a bullish outlook on battery metals.

For companies participating in Australia’s biggest mining conference, the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in 2022, seizing opportunities in the Year of Tiger is critical.

In 2022, more than 70 ASX companies will partake in IMARC including stock gainers such as Core Lithium.

Tyros burst onto the ASX

The ASX welcomed 240 companies to its ranks in 2021, which is the highest number of new companies since 2014. A staggering 60% of those stocks were linked to the mining and resources sector, and the money is flowing in, according to IMARC organisers.

In 2021, new ASX listings generated more than A$12 billion – the greatest number of listings in 14 years.

For EMR Capital Executive Chairman, Owen Hegarty OAM, 2021 was underpinned by strong commodity prices against a backdrop of cautious market sentiment and COVID-19 volatilities.

EMR Capital, which spun out copper player 29Metals (ASX: 29M) on July 2, 2021, was one of the most successful and biggest resource company floats of 2021. Additionally, 29Metals was one of the most successful listings in 2021, with a share price of A$3.09 (at the time of writing), which is up 50% from A$2.05/share.

“It was one of the biggest IPOs in Australia in about 10-15 years, but certainly not by design,” Hegarty said. “It got away very well. We raised quite a lot of money from the market and put a lot of stock out there. And we retained 45% of the company.

“We were able to use the funds in two directions, to return capital to our shareholders, and to inject good capital into 29M.

“Now, it’s in terrific shape to go forward in terms of its developments and growth trajectory. It has multiple projects in addition to lots of exploration that we wouldn’t have been able to fund through a private equity firm.”

Boom or bust for iron ore

Iron ore peaked at $233/t in May 2021, with majors like BHP and Rio Tinto shelling out record dividends. But, on December 12, 2021, the iron ore price tumbled to $103/t, as Beijing tightened its grip on monetary policy to shrink the output of its steel mills.

However, at the time of writing, iron prices recovered to $126/t, which proves that digging the key steel ingredient out of the ground is still a very profitable exercise.

Hegarty says Australia’s relationship to China as the producers and sellers of coking coal and iron ore, will clearly play a huge part in the future of the key export commodity.

“We’ve got this inflationary environment, you’ve got disruptions, and so on and so forth,” he said. “You’ve got China, which is very dependent on Australian iron ore. They’ve been disrupted by Mongolia and their local suppliers and so on.

“China will continue to increase its demand, and to reduce its dependency on Australia or any one source. So, that decreasing reliance on Australian iron ore and competitive pressure from other countries, means the current iron prices can last forever.

“Iron ore is a very solid commodity and has been a tremendous source of revenue for the country.”

The new commodities super cycle

While the jury might still be out on the short-term future of iron ore, Hegarty is optimistic about the promise of battery metals. Hegarty says despite all COVID-19’s challenges, the world has done quite well since the pandemic hit in 2020.

“When you look back two years ago, people were predicting half the world going to hell in a handbasket,” he said. “Here we go again, it’s another GFC. What’s it going to be, what’s the recovery going to be? Is it going to be the bell-shape, J shape, W shape, inverse square root shape? The price of everything went south.

“But the economy came back very strongly. The leading indicators indicated that this isn’t as bad as the GFC. You know the world has responded very quickly. The whole technological revolution has given us the ability to know what’s going on all the time everywhere.”

Part of the COVID-19 recovery stems from the optimism surrounding battery metals. Following many years in the doldrums, the tide seems to be turning in the electric vehicle market, as policies championing the use of clean energy and the production of electric vehicles is driving a surge in demand for a range of commodities.

Since January 2021, copper, nickel and rare earth metals more than doubled in price, while the lithium juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down, with the spot price at $37,000/t as of January 13.

The path to electric vehicle uptake and electrification point towards a new battery metals super cycle, which analysts predict could bring sustained growth opportunities for decades to come.

Hegarty is also bullish on battery metals and Australia’s potential to play a key role in the energy transition.

“For 2022, our outlook is that, as the world grows, there will always be more demand for those commodities, so you’re going to see that sort of multi-decade growth,” he said.

“Now, you know, on top of all that, and what you would usually describe as normal, is the whole transition towards decarbonisation and net zero.

“Whether you want to characterise it as greening the economy or responding to climate change, it will increase the demand for battery metals.

“Australia is going to dominate because its base resources are here, its people are here, and its base technologies are here.

“Fifty years ago, we were just starting some of these things, but now we have built a world-class competitive advantage.”

So, which battery metals are flying under the radar and should be front-of-mind for investors keen to catch the next wave?

Hegarty said graphite, manganese and vanadium are key commodities to watch in 2022.

“Those companies which have some form of application to electric vehicles or the energy transition, are the winners,” he said.

Golden opportunities

In December, Omicron sent another shockwave into the global economy, serving as a stark reminder that we are still at the mercy of COVID-19, despite the growth and optimism of 2021. So, it comes as no surprise that Hegarty gives gold pride of place as a safe haven asset for the savvy, diversified investor.

“Our view on gold is the same as it has been for 20 years and that is; it’s a commodity, it’s a currency, it’s a store of value, it’s a hedge against all sorts of things,” he said. “It’s got multiple demand factors on it.

“Silver will come and go because it’s also a precious metal, but cryptocurrency is also up and coming and they, too, will come and go as substitutes. But gold will always stand out really because it’s still precious, it’s still rare.”

2022: the year of opportunity

2022 is off to a precarious start domestically and globally. But, Hegarty says 2022 is shaping up to be a year of opportunity for investors and mining and resource companies.

“I think it’s just an amazing time now, accentuated by the fact that you’ve got this volatility and increased demand from net zero commitments,” he said.

“It’s a double whammy. It’s not just more commodities, it’s an impetus to make discoveries in Western Australia, Queensland, or parts of Africa and the Middle East and so on.

“We’re going to be looking for more commodities, and guess who’s got the best technical capabilities?

“We have the opportunity to put more and more resources into ensuring that we can do what we need to do to encourage people to continue joining the sector.

“Taking advantage, I suppose, is the point. Taking advantage of our competitive advantage.”

EMR Capital’s Owen Hegarty will be sharing further insights on new and emerging commodities at the upcoming International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) on October 17 to 19, 2022.

International Mining is a media sponsor of IMARC

Metso Outotec adds to Planet Positive range with Activated Carbon filter for battery metals

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Metso Outotec is launching the Activated Carbon (AC) filter for, it says, efficient recovery and recycling of valuable battery chemicals.

The energy- and water-efficient AC filter responds to the market’s increasing demand for advanced and sustainable battery metals processing technologies and is part of Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive portfolio, it said.

Planet Positive is Metso Outotec’s all-encompassing approach to sustainability. It covers the environmental, social and financial aspects of sustainability, focusing on the positive impact on the environment and people through further growing its sustainable offering through products that are demonstrably more energy or water efficient than the market standard, or help customers achieve other priorities such as circularity and safety, as well as services that help customers improve their productivity.

Mika Vuorikari, Director of Industrial Filtration at Metso Outotec, said: “This launch will strengthen our capability to serve a large variety of industries and processes. Together with the Dual Media (DM) filter, Metso Outotec now has a complete filtration portfolio for solvent extraction (SX), electrowinning and crystallisation processes. We have strong know-how from the hydrometallurgical industry with more than 50 successful filtration solutions references from SX and crystallisation processes globally.”

The modular AC filtration technology is designed for smaller side streams of copper and other metal-loaded aqueous streams. It is specifically suited for efficient organics removal before the electrowinning and crystallisation processes. The AC filter uses the already proven design and operation philosophy of the Metso Outotec DM filter product family and is suitable for both greenfield and brownfield installations, the company added.

Benefits of the AC filter outlined by Metso Outotec include:

  • Increased end-product yield and quality;
  • Increased recovery and recycling of valuable process chemicals;
  • Cost-effective and modular design;
  • Low energy consumption, due to low pumping pressure;
  • Minimised water consumption with optimised back washing; and
  • Safe to use and operate, due to sealed pressure vessel and piping.

TMC’s latest offshore polymetallic nodule research campaign sets sail

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The Metals Company, an explorer of “lower-impact battery metals from seafloor polymetallic nodules”, has mobilised its latest offshore research campaign, Environmental Expedition 5C, which continues its investigation of the pelagic zone in its NORI-D licence area of the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean.

The company’s fourth environmental campaign this year, Expedition 5C is the latest work package in The Metals Company’s multi-year deep-sea research program intended to establish a rigorous environmental baseline and characterise the potential impacts of its proposed nodule collection operations to source critical battery metals from deep-sea polymetallic nodules, the company says.

Setting sail this week aboard the exploration vessel the Maersk Launcher, researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Maryland, Texas A&M and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology will conduct numerous studies over the six-week expedition to further characterise the biological species and food web structure from the ocean surface to the benthic boundary layer, just above the abyssal seafloor at depths of up to 4,500 m. In addition, researchers will continue examining the chemistry, trace metal and nutrient profiles found throughout the water column.

At the researchers’ disposal will be specialised equipment including hydrographic rosettes to collect water samples, a Saildrone autonomous vehicle and MOCNESS nets, which will be used to sample micronekton and zooplankton communities throughout the water column.

“The collection and analysis of this baseline data is a critical component of the Environmental, Social and Impact Assessment (ESIA) required to establish the state of the ecosystem as it exists prior to the commencement of nodule collection and to assist in predicting the potential effects on the surrounding environment,” Dr Michael Clarke, TMC’s Environmental Program Manager, says. “The team of researchers on this expedition are at the top of their fields and the research they produce will contribute greatly to advance society’s knowledge of the Clarion Clipperton Zone.”

TMC’s NORI-D nodule project is the first in the company’s project development pipeline. In January, The Metals Company published an upward revision to the nodule resource reported within the NORI-D area held by its subsidiary, Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI), improving resource confidence from inferred to indicated status. Resource tonnage increased by 7% over the reported area from 320 Mt inferred to 341 Mt indicated. The positive conversion rates arising from infill sampling grid with quality box core sample data are high compared to the typical outcomes from infill sampling of terrestrial mineral deposits.

Canada Silver Cobalt Works enlists SGS Canada for Re-2OX pilot plant build

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Canada Silver Cobalt Works has signed an agreement with SGS Canada Inc to proceed with its Re-2OX pilot plant in Ontario, Canada.

This critical step will allow the company to, it says, accelerate the production of client-specific battery metals for the North American electric vehicle (EV) market, one of its key strategies.

In 2018, SGS Lakefield used the environmentally friendly Re-2OX process to recover 99% of the cobalt and 81% of the nickel from a composite of gravity concentrates while also removing 99% of the arsenic, a long-time issue in this cobalt-rich Cobalt Camp. The gravity concentrates graded 9.25% Co, 5.65% Ni, 49.9% As and 9,250 g/t Ag.

The Re-2OX process, which skips the normal smelting process to create battery-grade cobalt sulphate, was used at SGS to produce a technical-grade cobalt sulphate hexahydrate at 22.6%, directly from cobalt-rich gravity concentrates produced from the first level of Canada Silver Cobalt Works’ Castle mine in the Cobalt Camp. The 22.6% cobalt sulphate compound exceeded the specifications required by battery manufacturers at that time, the company said.

The latest plan calls for SGS to design and build the Stage 1 pilot plant at Lakefield, Ontario. Feed material for this test work will come from the underground at the Castle mine, the high-grade silver discovery Robinson Zone, Beaver and Castle tailings, recycled batteries, and from newly acquired properties.

Management sees the Re-2OX pilot plant as a long-term strategic advantage that will facilitate the production of battery metals for the EV market for many years.

“More importantly, production can be certified as ethically sourced within stringent Canadian environmental standards and traceable verification of a closed-loop supply chain that will ensure this product is highly sought after and could even possibly garner a premium due to source verification,” the company said. “The cobalt ore will come from the Cobalt region including from the Castle property currently being aggressively drilled for high-grade silver and battery metals.”

The company has retained the services of ONSite Labs as an independent contract operator of the Temiskaming Testing Laboratories facility Canada Silver Cobalt Works acquired last year. ONSite is a commercial analytical lab operator.

Over the next four months, ONSite Labs will process samples to prove the ability to produce viable data with the highest standards of quality control, the company said, adding that the lab could be fully operational and open for business by the summer of 2021.

The Castle property is 15 km east of Pan American Silver’s Juby gold deposit, 30 km due south of Alamos Gold’s Young-Davidson mine, 75 km southwest of Kirkland Lake Gold’s Macassa Complex, and 100 km southeast of new gold discoveries in the Timmins West area.

JordProxa crystallises battery chemical market potential with Albermarle, Terrafame orders

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Australia-based JordProxa Pty Ltd has recently delivered crystallisation plants for two major battery metal producers, solidifying, it says, its position in the growing new energy market.

JordProxa designed, fabricated and dispatched several large-scale orders to site, including an evaporator and two crystallisation plants to lithium producer Albemarle, in Western Australia, and nickel sulphate, cobalt sulphate and ammonium sulphate crystallisation plants to Terrafame, in Finland. The modular plants are now being installed in Western Australia and installation is underway on site in Finland with the last modules in transit (pictured above), JordProxa said.

The most recent crystallisation plant deliveries follow, in 2019, the arrival of a JordProxa nickel sulphate crystallisation plant at BHP’s Nickel West operations in Western Australia.

JordProxa Managing Director, John Warner, says the rapid uptake of battery-electric vehicles has led to a surge in demand for battery chemicals and associated technologies.

“Battery chemical producers need a technology provider that can meet and exceed the demands of product purity, with a focus on continued process improvement, to keep up with changing product specifications,” Warner said.

“JordProxa understands the process fundamentals that influence product quality through evaporation and crystallisation. We combine the project delivery skills and global footprint of Jord and Proxa and are perfectly positioned to deliver state of the art plant solutions for ultra-pure battery chemicals at large tonnage scales.”

He added: “We leverage an established network of fabrication alliances and modular design capabilities. This allows us to deliver key assemblies that are tested in the workshop before they are dispatched and installed on site. Our aim is to optimise project delivery time while minimising project risk.”

Jord International CEO, Angus Holden, said he was pleased the group is demonstrating its technical and operational expertise in the new energy market.

“Our track record over 50 years of business demonstrates that we can successfully design and build reliable plants with tangible process benefits,” he said.

“This important crystalliser work from JordProxa delivers on our goal of supporting clean energy technologies and is generating a new long-term, sustainable revenue stream. It has helped our group achieve a record revenue for the 2020 financial year, aided by other new areas of business, including enhanced minerals beneficiation and topside modules for offshore gas fields.”

Mining the energy transition and digital transformation opportunities

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The mining industry is often associated with massive pits either excavated into the ground or underneath the surface, writes Andrew Berryman, President – Mining, Minerals and Metals Services, Worley.

Concern about the environmental impact of extracting minerals has existed for some time and shows no sign of abating. Despite big strides in technology, according to the World Bank, over 11% of global energy consumption comes from the mining, minerals and metals value chain. Changing this demands a serious rethink of the way minerals and metals are processed and mined.

But the challenges do not end there. The scrutiny on mining is as broad as it is concentrated, picking apart everything from corporate stewardship to the commodity mix. Shareholders are demanding better returns on less capital with a smaller environmental footprint.

The winds of change have hit mining, but blustery conditions are not always a bad thing.

The energy transition

The temptation is to jump straight to the conclusion that the energy transition is an existential threat to an emissions-intensive industry. After all, meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement depends on retiring carbon-intensive activities, doesn’t it?

It does, however, impact the movement towards low emissions technologies, such as battery storage, electrification, microgrids, wind and solar power, the mining industry is required to provide the materials needed for this shift.

As we head down the electrification and energy storage path, a different mineral mix will be required.

Many minerals will be needed for applications in the energy transition that we cannot even foresee yet.

The minerals of the low emissions future include lithium, cobalt, iron ore, manganese, aluminium, nickel, lead and graphite. But the single most important mineral that will enable electrification and electron mobility is copper. This element is critical in low emission and electric vehicles, energy transmission and storage and renewable energy technologies that harness the sun and the wind.

So, we know which minerals we need. How do we access and process them responsibly?

Understanding that mining underpins the fate of the planet, we need to consider less energy intensive ways of extracting and processing these minerals. We also need to power the process with energy that comes from renewable sources.

Our customers have growing demand for our new energy expertise to establish affordable, reliable power to these mine sites with technology at the forefront of the power sector. Technology is the biggest enabler to make the energy transition a commercially viable pathway. It is also a key ingredient to developing remote regional areas that are adjacent to mining provinces.

Throw in the digital transformation

It is offering opportunities for the progressive thinkers and grey hairs for the hesitant. Like the energy transition, digital transformation will enable some companies to evolve into mining behemoths and others to inadvertently plot their own downfall through inaction.

In spite of positive statements about digital, investment hasn’t always backed up the excitement. It is the adage of: you don’t know what you don’t know. Plus, while it pays off in the long term, innovation is time-consuming and requires change, so quantifying investment cost is hard, and returns are slow.

The industry needs to see technology as the glue that joins all elements of the physical entity, the data, knowledge components and the people who envision, create, build, test and operate the facility. There is no other glue that can stick these things together and being integrated and working together is essential for success.

Technology is already at the stage where we can tap into a virtual world and use digital twinning to build and view an end result. New parts or facilities can be incorporated into the existing world to view, test and optimise the blend of components, as well as the processes and systems used to create and operate the facility. All this can be envisaged before even committing to the development of a project.

This technology can help the industry make better investment and operating decisions and improve process controls prior to Final Investment Decision (FID). This also means the probable outcomes of embracing technology, and predicting a balanced, safe, net-zero future, can be debated as part of the FID.

Once a facility is up and running, technology also enables you to monitor its operation, make informed decisions with real-time data and allow many tasks to be performed directly by the control system, improving its own performance over time with machine learning. The assessment speed and response time helps you to keep on track, adjust performance outputs and avoid failures, all of which can contribute to a safer, cleaner and greener outcome. But it needs to be incorporated in the design phase, requiring substantial collaboration with the end user.

When the two biggest forces collide

Where there is uncertainty, there is opportunity. Then multiply that as many times as you like, because when the energy transition and digital transformation are considered in the same breath, they will turn mining on its head.

The energy transition cannot happen at the speed we need it to unless we embrace better technologies to design and run mines. At the same time, the need to improve overall sustainability and the social licence to operate remains paramount.

These technologies can assist mining companies to assess, track, collate and present the complex mix of elements that contribute to any sort of environmental or energy goal. Knowing what you have achieved is almost as powerful as achieving it. In a world where knowledge is king, a data-centric solution is key to making the right decisions towards achieving a net-zero impact.

If we can use technology to better analyse orebodies with greater accuracy, it is going to minimise the removal, transport or processing of unusable or low-grade ore, which in turn provides consistency of grade for processing. That means we can run fewer diesel trucks and consistently improve the grade of what we are supplying to the market, resulting in energy savings, potential process improvements and the overall reduction of the carbon footprint.

The opportunities for technological advances in a mining setting are endless. We can now use virtual reality for site training, 3D printing for spare parts manufacturing, predictive analytics platforms to manage safety and conduct aerial inspections of mine sites using drones. These are just some examples of digital mining processes enabling us to optimise mine operations.

This equates to increased safety, productivity and less carbon emissions, and assists the sector to do its bit in reaching the targets of the Paris Agreement and decarbonise the mining process.

Technology is the single biggest enabler of any kind of future that embraces the energy transition.

Mining techniques need to go through a revolution very quickly, but it is heartening to see the early stages of that today. We may look back at what we are doing now as baby steps, but right now, they are quantum leaps.

Vauramo looks to build on Metso’s mineral processing R&D culture

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Pekka Vauramo might have only been away from the mining industry for just over a decade, but the new Metso CEO is acutely aware that the digitalisation and automation trend he saw the beginnings of during his time at Sandvik now plays a major role in planning the mines of the future.

Fortunately for Vauramo, a mining engineer by profession, he has come into this executive role at a very good time – Metso’s October-December quarter results showed an operating profit of €93 million ($105 million), or 10.4% of sales, and a 38% rise in orders received (in constant currencies) on the back of strong mining equipment demand.

IM met with Vauramo in London just after the financial results were published and asked him for his initial impressions of Metso, three months after joining from Finnair.

IM: As a group, what are the core commodities Metso focuses on?

PV: From a crushing viewpoint, it really doesn’t matter if it is iron ore, gold, copper, or nickel. Many of our customers are investing in copper right now – electric cars and battery metals are driving this. There are also ongoing investments in iron ore.

IM: What were your goals for Metso when you were appointed to the CEO role last year?

PV: The overall objective for Metso should be to grow the business. Metso has been standing still on its feet for quite some time. We have been profitable over the years and the focus has been on delivering black numbers even in difficult days; there is always value in this.

But, when looking at long-term R&D, which really lays the groundwork for organic growth, we have to increase our investments.

Metso reorganised itself during Nico’s (Delvaux, former CEO) time a year ago. The current organisation is, therefore, fairly young and, in the short term, we need to continue making sure we know what our responsibilities are within Metso and ensure we don’t lose sight of our customers. Several of our businesses have common customers and we need to be able to deliver one Metso experience.

My approach coming into the role was to validate where we are with the current way of working. My conclusion is that right now, no bigger changes are needed. We will, obviously, finetune as we go. Also, when we look at the latest results, we have no reason to change!

IM: Speaking of change, how would you say the mining equipment market has evolved since you were last at Sandvik?*

PV: Technology plays a certain role – the industry talks more about automation and we do see more automation. I was involved very early on with automation in the Sandvik days, introducing the automated underground loaders, and can still remember when we carried out the first trials. It is becoming, maybe, not the norm yet, but every new mine has the option to automate.

Then, of course, with the automation capabilities, the question is: where are the people operating or overseeing these machines? Do they have to be on the mine site, or can some of them be elsewhere? Next, it is about how much data can be obtained from the equipment and what value can be gained from the data.

Also, consolidation has happened in the business. Some of the mining companies are no longer around and bigger ones have got bigger. This junior activity in mining has been an interesting and exciting part of the business – it is still there, perhaps not to the same extent, but there are also some new names.

We see also China investing in Africa on a bigger scale. They had their first investments in Zambia when I was with Sandvik and now it owns many more mines there. Chinese companies are also in South America; it has become a much more international field.

IM: I have seen a few interviews talking about Metso’s R&D spend and how the 1% of turnover investment figure is inadequate. What do you see as an adequate % of turnover to invest? How quickly can Metso reach this level of investment?

PV: I think Metso needs to double that. But this takes some time; it is not just about money, it is about the capability and the R&D culture within the company. We have that culture, but we need to expand it. We are ramping it up – we have added more than €10 million ($11.3 million) in R&D last year and are planning to add another €10 million this year.

Also, besides the traditional R&D, we will continue to invest in digitalisation. We currently put more than €10 million into that and I’m quite sure we need to put more money into in it, too.
Currently R&D and digitalisation are in slightly different ‘boxes’, but as long as they are delivering something that helps customers to do better business, then it is all considered product development.

IM: Do you think mining companies are fully realising the potential value these digital solutions can have within their operations?

PV: Every company is doing something by itself, but where I see the industry is partially holding back is that some of the customers think this data is something they own – and rightly so.

However, I think companies like Metso could, let’s say, put some algorithms on top of the data and add value by comparing data from other places and share the relevant results with those participating without telling the secrets of others.

If I look at what other manufacturers have done over the years, it is evident that the industry is moving in this direction. From the end users’ viewpoint, it can be somewhat complicated because companies make different choices on technology and all these technologies need to be interfaced somehow into similar formats. Currently, this might be an issue as there are not really strong enough standards in the industry – yet that would help people streamline things and concentrate on the data.

IM: Will Metso’s future focus be on organic growth from R&D, as opposed to the M&A activity?

PV: There is value in both strategies, but the R&D activity is something that companies need to do continuously. In a business that is cyclical – mining being the most cyclical business we are in – those companies that invest organically in R&D during the downturn are the ones that tend to benefit most when the upturn starts. The ones that have their offering in good shape are the ones that win when it gets busy. That is also where Metso should be.

Acquisitions do play a role, but there are no easy answers there. We made several small acquisitions last year and we will continue with this. New acquisitions can be related either to the service side of the business or technology.

IM: How has climate change and sustainability impacted the way Metso develops minerals processing technology?

PV: There has been a tremendous movement since the latest climate report was published last year. Now, everyone is rightly concerned about emissions. The mining equipment we talk about is primarily electrically driven. Energy efficiency is one of our focus areas. If we broaden the topic out to water, for example, we know some of the deposits are in difficult places where major parts of the investment go into desalinating and pumping the water to the mine site. So, becoming also more water efficient is something that will be critical for mining companies.

There are always moments that stop the industry to think about what can be done to prevent accidents from happening. Our deepest sympathies go out to the ones that lost their relatives or closest ones in the Feijão dam collapse. It will change how mining is conducted and there may be some technological developments which we, as a company, can take forward.

IM: Lastly, what parallels can you draw between the mining and airline industries?

PV: They are somewhat distant industries, but both are fairly specialised; mining is something people very seldom go into just like that. You can acquaint yourself with many other jobs or businesses by just walking around in that environment, but you don’t end up doing that in a mine or an aircraft. Yes, you travel in an aircraft, but there’s much more behind the cabin you don’t know about.

In these type of businesses, people need special training and need to be selected – not everyone can work in a mine and not everyone is qualified to fly an aircraft. Both are people businesses at the end of the day: even though the operations may be automated – aircrafts might fly with the autopilot and mines might be run by an autopilot – sometimes highly-skilled human intervention is needed.

A big part of the airline business is service. It’s a very fast cycle service business, which provides a good opportunity to learn about how service works. It’s a daily routine with people spending anything from half an hour to half a day on an aircraft. When the flight is over you get quick feedback. If you look at the mining business, some of the projects take two years to sell, two years to deliver and one year to start up. It’s a long, long cycle. But, you either like the service or you don’t like it.

IM: Do you have anything else to add?

PV: Just to say, on the results, I am very grateful to our customers for, first of all, trusting us with their business. I am also very proud of our people in all the countries we are in – and in many departments such as sales and service – who have done a great job over the past year.

*Vauramo previously held several leading positions such as President, Underground Hard Rock Mining Division, President, TORO Loaders Division and President, Drills Division, at Sandvik AB from 1995-2007

Outotec continues to invest in technology as sales rise

Automation, Base metals, Energy minerals, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Industrial minerals, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Outotec registered a year-on-year improvement in financial performance in 2018, excluding a €110 million ($125 million) ilmenite smelter project provision, the company reported today.

The company’s sales increased 12% in 2018 to €1.28 billion, while its order intake jumped 4% to €1.25 billion. The €110 million provision for the Saudi Arabia project saw adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) come in at -€46.2 million, compared with €33.5 million in 2017, yet President and CEO, Markku Teräsvasara, said adjusted EBIT would have almost doubled to €64 million had it not been for this deduction.

“In 2018, we made significant progress in several areas,” Teräsvasara said. “In the beginning of the year, the market for minerals and metals technologies improved, but global macroeconomic uncertainties and reduced metal prices started to affect the market sentiment, and we saw several larger investment decisions being delayed into 2019.

“This was demonstrated in our order intake, which increased 4% year-on-year (in comparable currencies 8%) but declined in the fourth (December) quarter from the comparison period,” he said.

The company’s largest order in the December quarter – around €34 million – was for the delivery of battery chemicals technology in Finland for the Terrafame plant to be built in Sotkamo. The company has since followed this up with a contract in Australia to convert spodumene to lithium hydroxide.

Teräsvasara said profitability continued to improve in the Minerals Processing segment, with EBIT coming in at €78.5 million, compared with €60 million a year earlier.

Outotec said copper, gold, and battery metals projects were the most active during 2018, with demand for minerals processing equipment and spare parts stable throughout the year. In the company’s Metals, Energy & Water divisions, meanwhile, “solid demand” was registered in hydrometallurgical and pelletising solutions, as well as sulphuric acid plants, Outotec said.

Outotec said the €110 million provision related to possible costs for an ilmenite smelter project in Saudi Arabia. Back in October, the company said it was working with the client to investigate the reasons why one of the repaired furnaces in a first-of-its-kind ilmenite smelter had issues starting up.

“The currently estimated provision is based on progress made with the analysis of the furnace,” the company said today, adding that the provision was booked in its December quarter results.

Teräsvasara highlighted the “leading technologies” that were part of the company’s core strength in the 2018 results.

During the year, the company continued to develop its technological capabilities and grow its patent portfolio, with Outotec’s R&D investments representing 5% of its sales and totalling €57 million last year, he said.

Outotec went into a little more detail about this in its 2018 and Q4 review.

The first two industrial references of Outotec TankCell® e630s are running at the Buenavista del Cobre concentrator in northern Mexico, the company said.

“The site has reported an increase of more than 3% in overall recovery with a higher-grade copper concentrate. The TankCell® e630 flotation cell has a nominal volume of 630 m³ and is equipped with a FloatForce mechanism with a diameter of 2,200 mm,” Outotec said.

The company has also developed and filed a patent application for a thermal leaching process to convert spodumene concentrate into battery-grade lithium hydroxide. The lithium hydroxide process has been piloted at the Outotec Research Center in Pori for Critical Elements Corporation in Canada and Keliber Oy in Finland. Lithium hydroxide corresponds to the change in demand in the metal salt markets, it said.

Meanwhile, the new Hybrid filter plates that are 40% lighter, and, therefore, more competitive than conventional plates, were introduced to the spare and wear parts markets during 2018, Outotec said. “The new plates also improve the filtration capacity, provide low residual moisture in the cake, and reduce operational costs,” it added.

Outotec has also designed a skid-mounted, modular prefabricated sulphuric acid plant which significantly lowers the installation cost and time. In addition, the modular plant offers lower operation costs, increased availability and maintainability, as well as environmentally sound and safe operation, it said. “The innovative plant concept is based on Outotec’s technology and expertise gained from 650 plants delivered globally,” Outotec said.

Meanwhile, Outotec is in the middle of a pilot study with Sweden-based miner LKAB to treat industrial waters at its Svappavaara mine in the country. The pilot started in August and consists of nanofiltration and chemical precipitation of sulphate with Outotec’s Ettringite process. The pilot has shown sulphate concentration can be significantly reduced from the inlet value of 1,800 mg/l to the level of 150 mg/l, Outotec said.

A new digital product, Outotec Health Indicator, was also introduced last year. This produces data for flotation process control when used together with Courier on-stream elemental analysers. It enables higher performance in terms of concentrate quality and recovery of valuable minerals, according to the company.

Lastly, Outotec has been developing MesoTherm™ bio-oxidation technology for leaching base metals. The development work has shown it to be effective on certain copper sulphides, yielding 98% copper dissolution.

BASF chooses Harjavalta, Finland, for battery materials production hub

Base metals, Energy minerals, High tech minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

As part of BASF’s €400 million ($460 million) multi-step investment plan, it has selected Harjavalta, Finland, as the first location for a battery materials production hub serving the European automotive market.

The plant will be constructed adjacent to the nickel and cobalt refinery owned by Norilsk Nickel, which is cooperating with BASF on the supply of raw materials for future battery materials production for lithium-ion batteries in Europe.

The investment builds upon initial battery materials production started in Harjavalta this year.

Start-up of the hub is planned for late 2020, enabling the supply of approximately 300,000 full electric vehicles per year with BASF battery materials, BASF said. The new plant will use locally-generated renewable energy sources, including hydro, wind and biomass.

Additionally, BASF and Nornickel have signed a long-term, market-based supply agreement for nickel and cobalt feedstock from Nornickel’s metal refinery. BASF said: “The agreement will establish a locally sourced and secure supply of raw materials for battery production in Europe.”

Kenneth Lane, President, BASF’s Catalysts division, said: “With the investment in Harjavalta, BASF will be present in all major regions with local production and increased customer proximity further supporting the rapidly growing electric vehicle market.

“Combined with our Nornickel cooperation, we are creating a strong platform that connects the efforts between industry leaders in raw material supply and battery materials technology and production.”

Jeffrey Lou, Senior Vice President, Battery Materials at BASF, added that the company’s high-nickel cathode materials were key to delivering enhanced energy density and vehicle range to its customers.