Tag Archives: Metso Outotec

Eldorado turns to Metso Outotec for dry stack tailings solution at Skouries

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining project news, Water management, , , , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it will deliver sustainable filtration technology for dry stacking of tailings to Eldorado Gold’s Hellas Gold Skouries copper-gold concentrator project in northern Greece.

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery consists of the engineering, manufacturing and supply of several Planet Positive Larox® FFP3512 filters as well as installation and commissioning advisory services. The fully automatic, fast-opening filter press (FFP) combines the benefits of membrane technology and sidebar design with high mechanical and process performance, providing safe and sustainable high-volume dewatering of tailings at low operating and life cycle costs, according to the company.

Brock Gill, SVP Projects & Transformation for Eldorado Gold, said: “Skouries is a world-class project, and we are aiming for best-in-class sustainable technologies in the project design. For tailings management, the Skouries project will use dry stack tailings impoundment, which requires less space, reduces water consumption and maximises recovery of process water for reuse. Metso Outotec filters were selected as key and proven technology for the dry tailings facility not only because of their performance, but also because of their energy efficiency.”

Jussi Venäläinen, Vice President, Filtration business line at Metso Outotec, added: “Eldorado Gold and Hellas Gold were looking for a reliable partner to help ensure the safety and sustainability of the Skouries tailings dry stacking facility. We are pleased having been chosen to deliver this core technology for the project. Previously, we’ve supplied proprietary technologies for grinding, flotation, thickening and automation to Skouries.”

The value of the order is approximately €14 million ($13.8 million), according to Metso Outotec.

Metso Outotec says its filtration product portfolio is the largest in the field, with the company having carried out over 14,000 filtration tests and delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide.

A 2021 feasibility study on Skouries highlighted a 20-year operation able to produce 140,000 oz/y of gold and 67 MIb (30,391 t) of copper.

Metso Outotec to supply direct blister furnace to Kamoa-Kakula operations

Automation, Base metals, Environmental, Metallurgy, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Kamoa Copper SA has selected Metso Outotec to supply a high-capacity direct blister furnace to the company’s copper mining complex expansion project in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The value of this type of a delivery is typically between €30-40 million ($30-40 million).

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery consists of key equipment and automation for the direct blister furnace designed for the production of blister copper in a single flash furnace without the need for separate converting stages. The 500,000 t/y copper throughput furnace will have the largest licensed flash smelting capacity in the world, according to Metso Outotec.

The scope also includes intelligent safety and monitoring automation systems for the furnace.

Jyrki Makkonen, Vice President, Smelting at Metso Outotec, said: “Non-ferrous metals play a key role in the green transition, and a major increase in global copper production is required to support this transition. We are pleased to support Kamoa Copper in their ambitious expansion project, in which high capacity and reliable, sustainable processes play a vital role. Our collaboration has been excellent throughout the initial stages of the process, including the initial study work, basic engineering as well as pilot testing.”

Metso Outotec has delivered more than 60 flash furnaces around the world since the 1950s, with the technology being the most used in pyrometallurgical copper production. The Metso Outotec Flash Smelting Process is, the company says, the cleanest smelting method available and part of the company’s Planet Positive offering.

Last month in its quarterly report, Ivanhoe Mines, which has a 39.6% interest in Kamoa-Kakula, said a new 500,000 t/y direct-to-blister flash smelter was to be constructed as part of the Phase 3 expansion at the mine.

Upon commencement of Phase 3 production, the Kamoa-Kakula Mining Complex will have a processing capacity in excess of 14 Mt/y, with increased copper production capacity of approximately 600,000 t/y. This production rate will position the Kamoa-Kakula Mining Complex as the third-largest copper mining operation in the world, according to Ivanhoe.

Commissioning is expected in the December quarter of 2024.

Metso Outotec launches direct reduced iron smelting furnace to further decarbonise steel sector

Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec is launching the innovative DRI (direct reduced iron) Smelting Furnace to, it says, substitute blast furnaces used in iron and steel making.

The DRI Smelting Furnace is one of Metso Outotec’s key solutions for decarbonisation of the iron and steel industry, which currently produces about 8% of the global carbon dioxide emissions.

Jyrki Makkonen, Vice President, Smelting at Metso Outotec, said:“The DRI Smelting Furnace is a true breakthrough technology. It will help the iron and steel industry to reach their CO2 emission reduction targets and limit global warming. The new high-capacity 6-in-line DRI Smelting Furnace is part of Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive offering, which is focused on environmentally efficient technologies.”

Kimmo Vallo, Product Manager, DRI Smelting Furnace at Metso Outotec, said: “Combined with a direct reduction plant, the DRI Smelting Furnace will substitute blast furnaces in the production of hot metal. This is an optimal solution for primary steel producers aiming for a significant reduction in their CO2 emissions with minimal changes to the rest of the steel plant. The furnace can be integrated with Metso Outotec’s hydrogen-based CircoredTM process or other direct reduction processes.”

Timo Haimi, Senior Sales Manager, Smelting, added: “The DRI Smelting Furnace enables the use of easily available blast furnace-grade iron ore instead of DRI-grade iron ore by managing bigger slag volumes than what scrap melting electric arc furnaces (EAF) are capable of.”

DRI Smelting Furnace technology is based on existing Metso Outotec equipment. The furnace and related products are complete and ready for implementation, according to the company. Customer-specific pilot-scale testing will be conducted in the Metso Outotec research facilities to demonstrate large-scale DRI smelting.

The company said: “DRI smelting technology development continues to further optimise the process for customer-specific feed materials and to complement Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive offering for decarbonisation of the iron and steel industry.”

Metso Outotec’s DRI Smelting Furnace provides the following benefits:

  • Flexible for any DRI feed;
  • High productivity with capacity above 1.2 Mt/y;
  • Continuous production of hot metal with high availability and long campaign life;​
  • Capable of handling large slag volumes;
  • Possibility to change slag chemistry to achieve high iron yields and good-quality slag;
  • Minimal changes to existing steel plant; and
  • Furnace off-gas can be used as energy or in a carbon capture and storage process.

Metso Outotec adds mill lining recycling to latest Boliden Kevitsa service agreement

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it has signed a Life Cycle Services (LCS) contract with Boliden for its Kevitsa mine in the Sodankylä region of Finland, which will see the OEM offer the mining company a novel Planet Positive mill lining recycling service for used liners.

The 3+2-year agreement covers the supply and optimisation services of the Megaliner™ liners for four mills with advanced discharge systems, supported by shutdown planning and execution services of the mill linings.

The contract is a performance-based cost-per-tonne agreement, with the common target to ensure the availability of the grinding circuit and to maximise valuable production time, striving for a common sustainability goal that benefits both parties, the company said.

The value of the order is about €35 million ($34 million) and the first part of the contract has been booked in Minerals’ September quarter orders received.

Anssi Poutanen, Senior Vice President, Mill Lining business line, Metso Outotec, said: “We are very excited to expand cooperation with Boliden in Finland. Metso Outotec is committed to supporting Boliden’s operative and sustainability targets and further increasing their liner wear life. When it is time to replace the worn liners, our innovative mill lining recycling service will dispose of the worn liners in a sustainable way.”

After over a decade of intensive development work and pilots for worn mill liner recycling, Metso Outotec says it is ready to introduce its latest circularity innovation, a unique separation line to process rubber, Poly-Met™ and Megaliner liners of all sizes. For customers, the new mill liner recycling service solves the problem of disposing of worn mill liners and offers a way to reduce CO2 emissions and improve environmental efficiency, as less material is being sent to landfills unprocessed, according to the company.

The first-of-its-kind service aims to recycle and create value from used mill liners on an industrial scale. It enables the separation of different liner components so that they can be either reused or recycled in the most optimal way.

Lars Furtenbach, RTD & Engineering Director, Mill lining business line at Metso Outotec, said the new separation line has already processed more than 200 liners.

“We are also exploring ways to increase the number of recycled materials in our liners to further close the circularity loop,” he added.

In the first phase, the recycling service using the new separation line is available for mill lining service contract customers in Europe. The recycling service will be expanded to new markets in 2023.

Metso Outotec accelerates return on investment with Flotation Plant Unit introduction

Automation, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec is introducing what it says is another innovative plant concept, Flotation Plant Units, to its minerals processing portfolio.

The solution provides unparalleled metallurgical performance by seamlessly integrating functional design with a comprehensive scope, leading to high operational reliability and a fast return on investment, according to the company. Compared with the traditional delivery, Flotation Plant Units result in the earliest time-to-volume, it says.

Tatu Miettinen, Product Manager, Flotation Islands at Metso Outotec, said: “In flotation, changing ore types can cause recovery losses, and poorly integrated plant equipment leads to underperformance. Maximising overall performance and reliability requires in-depth understanding of the complex flotation circuit sizing. All these concerns have been taken into consideration in the design of the Metso Outotec modularised Flotation Plant Units to provide unmatched results. The plant units feature industry-leading technologies, which also include several Planet Positive solutions. The units consist of state-of-the-art flotation equipment, conditioners, froth handling systems, as well as automation and sophisticated services.”

The Flotation Plant Units are Metso Outotec’s fourth complete plant unit launch for concentrator plants. The previous launches include Stirred Mill Plant Units, Horizontal Mill Plant Units and Filtration Plant Units.

The Metso Outotec Flotation Plant Units benefits, as stated by the company, include:

  • Integrates flotation circuit testing, piloting and modelling capabilities from in-house test centres and modeling software into unrivalled flotation circuit design capabilities;
  • One-stop-shop from testing to full plant delivery;
  • Froth handling is designed for a high operational window, allowing for flexibility in circuit operation;
  • High emphasis on accessibility;
  • Maximised maintainability and froth visibility thanks to optimal pipe and cable routing, which keeps the top of the cells clear;
  • Safe, easy and representative process sampling; and
  • Option to vary flotation circuit configuration online.

Metso Outotec says it has one of the widest portfolios of flotation solutions on the market, with an installed base of over 15,000 flotation equipment installations around the world.

RG Gold looks to quadruple yellow metal output with new processing plant

Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , ,

RG Gold, majority owned Kazakh private equity group Verny Capital, has launched a new processing plant at its operations in Kazakhstan that is expected to enable the company to quadruple its gold output to circa-190,000 oz in 2023.

The new carbon in pulp plant, worth more than $420 million, has an annual processing capacity of around 5 Mt/y.

The new processing plant deploys modern equipment from global industry leaders, including Metso Outotec, thyssenkrupp, FLSmidth, Weir Minerals, Roytec and Kemix, RG Gold said.

RG Gold operates the RayGorodok deposit in northern Kazakhstan, one of the country’s largest mines with 5.9 Moz of JORC Code gold reserves. Its output is set to exceed 50,000 oz this year.

Bulat Utemuratov, the key investor in Verny Capital projects, said: “The launch of the new processing plant is a key milestone for RG Gold. It is underpinned by the highest global industry standards using the latest innovation and technical expertise from Resource Capital Funds, our strategic partner. The new plant allows us not only to quadruple RG Gold’s overall output, but importantly, it also provides the opportunity to boost investment in the region.”

Platinum producer targets improved filter life with Metso Outotec preventative maintenance contract

Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it has signed a three-year Life Cycle Services (LCS) contract with one of the biggest platinum producers in the world, aiming to provide a preventative maintenance solution that will improve machine life.

With LCS, the customer’s critical assets will achieve enhanced availability and higher production, according to Metso Outotec, adding that the performance-based agreement provides, among all, a Reliability Centered Maintenance application that focuses on preventive maintenance.

The value of the order is approximately €16 million ($15.9 million) and it covers 12 filters across five customer sites.

Vivian Pillay, Director, Global Key Account Management in Metso Outotec, said: “We are very pleased to have been chosen as the key supplier of filter services for our customer’s sites. Our service approach will improve the safety, overall filter reliability and performance in line with customer’s throughput targets.”

Metso Outotec’s LCS offering covers the entire after-market portfolio, including process support and optimisation, sustainable wears, spares, and service solutions. Core service elements in the LCS packages for filters are spare parts, repairs, maintenance, reliability, connected equipment and process optimization.

The company says it has the most comprehensive filtration portfolio on the market with 15 different filter types available for hundreds of applications. It has performed over 14,000 filtration tests and has delivered over 5,000 filters around the world.

Metso Outotec banks fifth Chinese pelletising order in two years

Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Metso Outotec has signed a contract with Beijing Shougang International Engineering Technology Co. Ltd. (BSIET) for the delivery of an iron ore pelletising plant to Shougang Qian’an Iron and Steel Co. Ltd.

The plant will be built in Qian’an, Hebei province, China. The order value, which is not disclosed, is booked into the company’s Metals’ September-quarter orders received.

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery includes the engineering and design of the indurating system and process gas fan system, as well as supply of proprietary equipment, instrumentation and control systems. Supervisory services and technical training are also included in the delivery scope. The core of the plant is Metso Outotec’s traveling grate pellet indurating furnace with a grate area of 504 sq.m.

Attaul Ahmad, Vice President, Ferrous & Heat Transfer business line at Metso Outotec, said: “We are very excited about this recent win in China. This is our fifth pelletising plant order in China since 2020. The win is yet another demonstration of our strong technological leadership in the pelletising space, as well as our long-term partnership with BSIET. We are looking forward to further strengthening our cooperation with BSIET and the customer operating the steel plant in Qian’an.”

Pellet production at the Qian’an plant is estimated to start by the end of 2023.

Metso Outotec says its traveling grate technology ensures high performance and quality while significantly decreasing energy consumption and emissions. The process produces uniform pellets and ensures high performance and quality, with low investment and operating costs as well as decreased energy consumption and emissions.

Metso Outotec launches carbon-neutral and autonomous pelletising concept

Automation, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec is launching NextGen Pelletizing™, a visionary concept for the next generation of pelletising plants that, it says, strive to be carbon-neutral and autonomous.

This concept is a part of the company’s Planet Positive offering focused on environmentally efficient technologies.

Attaul Ahmad, Vice President, Ferrous and Heat Transfer business at Metso Outotec, said: “NextGen Pelletizing is yet further proof of our strong commitment to building innovative pelletising solutions that are sustainable and contribute to climate targets. It offers significant benefits and will help the industry decarbonise, providing an 80-90% reduction in CO2 emissions.”

NextGen Pelletizing offers unmatched benefits, according to the company, including further energy reductions of 5-10%, production and availability increases of 10-15%, and improved product homogeneity and quality to support the transition of the steel industry.

The concept considers all relevant factors for energy efficiency, plant production and pellet quality to enable a holistic optimisation of the performance of the pelletising process, the company says. It follows a modular approach to minimise the sources of CO2 from the three carbon-intensive steps involved in pelletising and introduces further improved gas schemes, advanced combustion and burner technology (low NOx, hydrogen, and alternative fuels) as well as increased plant stability and performance through advanced process control.

Matthias Gabriel, Director, Ferrous technologies at Metso Outotec, added: “Pelletising is and will remain crucial in the future for the industry’s transition to green, carbon-neutral steel production. I am really excited about NextGen Pelletizing, which I firmly believe will completely revolutionise the way pelletising plants are built or operated in the future.

“The best part about NextGen Pelletizing is that it can be implemented fully or in parts, depending on the customer needs. And it can be easily upgraded in existing plants. Our experts will continue to evolve this vision with improved and innovative processes and tools.”

As the original inventor of the pelletising process, Metso Outotec’s NextGen Pelletizing also offers an exhaustive suite of digital solutions that help improve process performance, production capacity, and product quality as well as reduce energy consumption, environmental impact, and operation and maintenance costs, Metso Outotec says. These solutions include VisioPellet™ , Ferroflame LowNox burner, the Pallet Car Condition Monitoring System, and the Training Simulator, among others.

Metso Outotec has an installed worldwide base of over 120 pelletising plants.

Metso Outotec to deliver modular crushing station, milling equipment and more to G Mining’s Tocantinzinho gold project

Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec has been awarded equipment orders by G Mining Ventures Corporation for the company’s flagship asset, the Tocantinzinho gold project, in Para State, Brazil.

The value of the orders is approximately €20 million ($19.7 million).

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery to the greenfield project consists of a compact aggregates plant and the key process equipment for the beneficiation plant from Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive offering. Included are, for example, a modular FIT™ crushing station, Premier™ SAG and ball mills, an MRM Mill Reline Machine and High Rate Thickeners.

“We are delighted to be part of this important project,” Fernando Samanez, Minerals Sales Director for Metso Outotec in South America, said. “G Mining has a superb team and the Tocantinzinho project is implementing efficient and sustainable technology combined with low operating and life-cycle costs. We are glad to be building another success with our FIT crushing station concept and also delivering the first MRM Mill Reline Machine in Brazil.”

On September 12, the G Mining Board gave official signoff for construction of Tocantinzinho , which, according to an updated feasibility study from earlier this year, will have an average milling rate of 4.6 Mt/y for average annual gold output of 175,000 oz.