Tag Archives: MECS

Kamoa-Kakula-Ivanhoe

Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in DRC to install MECS sulphuric acid plant

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

The Kamoa-Kakula copper complex, a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin Mining Group and the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has partnered with Elessent Clean Technologies to install a new 2,500 t/d smelter off-gas MECS® sulphuric acid plant.

In conjunction with global EPC partner, China Nerin Engineering Co. Ltd, the new acid plant will be part of a new 500,000 t/y direct-to-blister flash copper smelter that is under construction at Kamoa-Kakula, as part of its Phase 3 expansion. Upon completion of the Phase 3 expansion, Kamoa-Kakula is projected to be the fourth largest copper operation globally.

The MECS sulphuric acid process incorporates state-of-the-art technologies, such as the MECS pre-conversion technology and the MECS DynaWave® gas cleaning technology. DynaWave scrubbers, the gold standard in gas cleaning applications, according to Elessent, clean and condition the upstream off gas of the smelting furnace at the sulphuric acid plant. The MECS pre-conversion technology is a novel approach for processing off-gas streams with elevated sulphur dioxide concentrations while consuming significantly less power, according to the company.

The MECS sulphuric acid technology has been in use for nearly a century in the phosphate fertiliser, non-ferrous metals (leaching & smelting), oil refining and general chemical industries. MECS technologies feature breakthrough solutions, many of which have revolutionised the performance, quality and cost-effectiveness of customer operations, according to Elessent. They include MECS heat recovery systems (HRS™), MECS SolvR® regenerative SO2 scrubbing and MECS MAX3™ sulphuric acid production technology. Integrated into these MECS technologies are specialty products such as catalysts, Brink® mist eliminators, DynaWave scrubbers, ZeCor® corrosion resistant alloy products and acid coolers, all of which are specifically designed for the most demanding operating environments. The MECS technology has more than 1,000 sulphuric acid plant licenses and projects.

David Mitchell, Kamoa-Kakula’s Senior Project Manager for the smelter project, said: “At Kamoa-Kakula we aim to set a new industry standard by being the greenest major copper mine in the world. It helps that DRC not only has an incredible mineral endowment, but also has an abundance of clean hydroelectricity to power its mining industry. However, we also need the right technology to extract the copper in a sustainable way. By using the MECS acid plant design and its incorporated technologies, our new plant helps achieve our path to net zero.”

Eli Ben-Shoshan, CEO, Elessent Clean Technologies, said: “Kamoa-Kakula is one of the world’s fastest-growing major copper operations. Partnering with NERIN on the mine’s greenfield smelter complex is very exciting. It is a great honour to work with the owners of what is anticipated to be one of the greenest major copper operations on the planet.”

The Kamoa-Kakula copper complex has been in commercial operations since July 2021. The operation is currently undergoing its Phase 3 expansion, which will increase copper production to over 600,000 t/y copper from the September quarter of 2024.

SNC-Lavalin to assess sulphuric acid plant options at Ammaroo phosphate project

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, Water management, , , , , ,

SNC-Lavalin Group says it will undertake a definitive feasibility study for Verdant Minerals’ Ammaroo phosphate project in the Northern Territory of Australia.

The group is providing engineering and procurement services to assess the feasibility of a 4,500 t/d sulphuric acid plant, which will be part of a fully-integrated mine and downstream processing facility to produce ammonium phosphate fertilisers.

This sulphuric acid plant will use DuPont Clean Technologies’ MECS® technologies to minimise SO2 emissions, rendering the plant more sustainable in the long term, SNC-Lavalin said. MECS Heat Recovery System (HRS) technology will also be used to recover medium pressure steam from the sulphuric acid plant, an energy now captured instead of being wasted, providing the majority of energy requirements for the site and removing the need to have additional sources of energy.

This will maximise energy efficiency while reducing the overall facility’s reliance on energy supply from external sources and overall lessen its carbon footprint, SNC-Lavalin added.

Initial development of Ammaroo could produce in the order of 2 Mt/y of phosphate concentrate, with further downstream processing resulting in 500,000 t/y of merchant-grade phosphoric acid (100% P2O5) for domestic and global markets, Verdant says.

Patrick Sikka, Vice-President, North America, Mining & Metallurgy at SNC-Lavalin, said: “We are proud to be working with Verdant Minerals on this project to develop a world-class sulphuric acid plant as part of its major new mine and processing development, ensuring the long-term sustainability of its operations.”

DuPont Clean Tech to provide low emission sulphuric acid plant input at Rhyolite Ridge

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , ,

ioneer Ltd has awarded DuPont Clean Technologies a contract for the licence, engineering and supply of proprietary equipment for the planned sulphuric acid plant at the company’s Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project in Nevada, USA.

Specialty technology provider DuPont will work with engineering partner SNC-Lavalin on the plant design, providing best-in-class MECS® sulphuric acid production technology for a plant with a 3,500 t/d capacity, and controls that limit emissions to among the lowest in the world for this type of facility, ioneer says.

The DuPont contract is conditional on a final investment decision on the project by the ioneer Board of Directors, which is expected shortly.

In June, Rhyolite Ridge became the first project with planned sulphuric acid production to receive a Class II Air Quality permit in Nevada.

Employing advanced technologies, the plant will meet stringent NV Class II air quality standards and water pollution control, according to ioneer. DuPont will also supply its latest generation MECS Super GEAR™ catalyst and other critical proprietary equipment, with the plant set to convert sulphur into commercial-grade sulphuric acid, used to leach lithium and boron from the crushed rock.

The heat released in the process will be recovered to produce steam for electricity. The plant will generate an initial 35 MW of electricity, which is sufficient to power the entire Rhyolite Ridge operation and means ioneer will not draw electricity from the grid, the company says.

“Rhyolite Ridge will be an energy-independent operation, using primarily co-generated, zero-carbon power,” it added.

The heat generated will also be used for evaporation and crystallisation processes required to produce lithium carbonate and boric acid.

Once operational, Rhyolite Ridge is expected to produce 20,600 t/y of lithium carbonate, converting in year four to 22,000 t/y of battery-grade lithium hydroxide, and 174,400 t/y of boric acid. Pending final federal US Department of the Interior approval of the Plan of Operation, the project is expected to begin production in the second half of 2024.

Commenting on the contract, ioneer Managing Director, Bernard Rowe, said: “Development of the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project is a critical strategic step to enable US production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. ioneer’s core commitment is to produce essential materials in an environmentally and socially responsible and sustainable manner through lowered emissions, reduced water usage and a minimal surface footprint. We are delighted to welcome MECS-DuPont to our team. It is a world-leader in clean technology and emissions control and will work alongside ioneer to deliver this tier-1 project in the US.”

Global business leader of DuPont Clean Technologies, Eli Ben-Shoshan, said: “We have worked in close partnership with ioneer and SNC-Lavalin to be able to guarantee the precise performance and emissions control ioneer needs for its Rhyolite Ridge project to meet stringent environmental standards and production objectives. We are excited to be part of a project that helps ioneer cleanly produce lithium essential to advancement of electric energy markets and to be able to support it with our many decades of expertise in sulphuric acid plant technology.”

ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project achieves major permitting milestone

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining policy, , , , , , , ,

ioneer Ltd, a lithium-boron project developer, has confirmed the issuance of a Class II Air Quality Permit for its Rhyolite Ridge project in Nevada, USA.

The issuance of the Air Quality Permit follows a detailed review of the project by the State of Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Bureau of Air Pollution Control and is a requirement for construction to commence at Rhyolite Ridge.

The project will comprise a quarry, an overburden storage facility, the first sulphuric acid plant permitted in the State of Nevada, an ore processing facility responsible for boric acid and lithium carbonate production, and a spent ore storage facility.

The project’s acid plant features MECS®/SNC Lavalin designed heat recovery technology, which means the plant will generate all the electricity and heat needed for normal operations, according to ioneer. This means the operation will be energy-independent and using co-generated zero-carbon power. The acid plant features state-of-the-art controls that limit emissions to among the lowest in the world for this type of plant, the company claims.

“The facility will not use fossil fuels to generate electricity during normal operations and will not draw power from the electricity grid,” the company said.

ioneer’s Managing Director, Bernard Rowe, said: “Our commitment to responsible production is at the core of our operation. The issuance of the Class II Air Quality Permit represents a significant milestone for the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project and supports our detailed plans for a processing plant with low emissions and minimal hazardous air pollutants.

“After regulatory review and public comment period, we are pleased that Rhyolite Ridge is the first project with sulphuric acid production to receive a Class II Air Quality permit in Nevada.”

He added: “As the most advanced lithium development project in the US, we are committed to ensuring Rhyolite Ridge is a sustainable, environmentally sensitive operation that also delivers significant positive economic impact in the state of Nevada. This important step allows us to continue to develop the project and work toward construction.”

The lithium and boron resource at Rhyolite Ridge is estimated at 146.5 Mt, including a reserve of 60 Mt. The company expects to mine and process 63.8 Mt over the 26-year mine life at an average annual rate of 2.5 Mt/y.