Tag Archives: Metso

Australian Vanadium teams up with Metso for test work

Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining project news, Steel and iron ore,

Australian Vanadium has announced the selection of Metso for the next phase of definitive feasibility study pilot testing at its Australian Vanadium project.

Metso was chosen because of its world-renowned expertise in Grate Kiln (GK) processing solutions, the ASX-listed company said.

“AVL and Metso are committed to working together to develop an improved thermal processing solution involving pelletising of the vanadium rich iron concentrate produced at the Australian Vanadium project,” Australian Vanadium said.

The solution will involve pelletising the concentrate and processing it through a GK system. Pelletising has been used previously in Europe and China for the processing of primary vanadium-titanium-iron ores, with the benefits including:
• Improved roasting reaction;
• Minimal dusting, and;
• Reduced build-up of residues within the kiln.

Bench-scale tests have already been completed by the company on its pelletised vanadium-rich iron concentrate and have confirmed that pelletised concentrate roasting offers a substantial advantage to the traditional rotary kiln technology currently employed by all primary vanadium producers, AVL said.

AVL’s pelletised roasting tests have shown vanadium extraction results averaging 95.4%, versus a rotary kiln extraction of 85-88%, which is typical of standard vanadium roasting technologies, according to the company.

The next phase calls for pilot scale testing to simulate and optimise the GK process.

“The GK system is a combination of a travelling grate furnace for pre-processing with a rotary kiln for final roasting,” AVL said. “The feed concentrate is formed into pellets of a particular size that are well-suited for the process. The pellets are then loaded onto the traveling grate and pass through multiple furnace heating zones where progressively hotter and hotter gases from the kiln are forced through the bed of pellets.”

This process accomplishes gradual and controlled drying and preheating of the pellets while recouping much of the energy from the hot kiln exhaust gases, according to the company.

The rotary kiln is then dedicated to the final roasting of the pellets after they’ve been dried and preheated and can be controlled independently to achieve thermal profiles which result in higher levels of vanadium extraction.

AVL said: “Although the GK technology is more commonly used for indurating iron ore pellets, it has also been successfully applied to similar roasting applications because of its unique ability to improve upon conventional rotary kiln processing.”

The pilot scale testing will be conducted at Metso’s Pyro Technology laboratory located in Danville, Pennsylvania, USA, where over 120 GK testing programs have previously been performed, according to the company.

Todd Richardson, AVL’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Vanadium roasting technology has not changed much since the 1930s, when cement kiln technology was adapted for salt roasting vanadium bearing ores. Since that time, the technology has gone largely unchanged.

“By partnering with Metso, a world leader in pyrometallurgical processing, AVL is confident that the roasting process can be greatly improved.”

Truck & Shovel conference gains Singapore Mining Club support

Automation, Careers in mining, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The inaugural Truck & Shovel conference is now just over seven weeks away and the stage is set for an exciting event looking into the future of the global loading and haulage industry.

With topics such as automation, digitalisation, fleet management, and tyre and fuel optimisation on the agenda, there will be much to discuss at the 1.5-day event, taking place at the InterContinental Singapore, Middle Road, on September 19-20.

In addition to gaining the support of Komatsu Mining (Platinum Sponsor), Zyfra Mining (Gold Sponsor) and Mining Industry Professionals (Media Sponsor), IM Events is pleased to announce that the Singapore Mining Club has backed this global event.

Truck & Shovel 2019 will now be held in association with the Singapore Mining Club, an influential group that exists to promote development of Singapore as the pre-eminent regional hub for the management and financing of mining enterprises.

We chose Singapore for this global event for several reasons, including:

  • Many of the big mining companies have procurement and marketing hubs in this Asian metropolis;
  • It acts as a gateway through to key mining hubs such as Australia, India, China and Indonesia, and;
  • It has good transport links and an excellent reputation for event hospitality.

Taking place in Ballroom I and II of the InterContinental Singapore, this event has attracted a number of high-profile speakers that have masses of industry knowledge to share with delegates.

We plan to kick off the day with a keynote from Komatsu Mining’s Jason Knuth (Senior Manager – Data Solutions) and Simon Van Wegen (Product Manager – Data Solutions) on ‘Data-driven designs for dynamic mining environments’.

The duo, who have spoken at many high profile conferences around the world, are set to reveal how advanced mining original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are leveraging the plethora of data nodes on smart equipment to adapt equipment and design solutions for the modern mine environment.

Mikhail Makeev, Global Business Director, Zyfra Mining, is set to continue this digitalisation theme during his catchily-titled ‘How to make your mine “rock”’ presentation. The company has automation and fleet management expertise that it has applied across many mine sites, with Makeev keen to share details on these experiences.

Automation

For those focused on surface mining automation, Truck & Shovel tackles the concept from three different angles.

Drew Larsen, Director of Business Development, ASI Mining, will provide a business case for haulage automation with a presentation titled: ‘Autonomous Mining – more feasible than you might think’. The company, 34% owned by global mining OEM Epiroc, began work on a project with Barrick Gold to retrofit and automate a fleet of Komatsu 930-E Ultra Class haul trucks at the Arturo joint venture operation in Nevada, last year, and is expecting to issue news on projects with other miners in the near future.

Tony Cutler, Principal Consultant, OTR Global, will be tackling automation from a different stance in his ‘Factoring tyres into autonomous haulage’ presentation. Research from the leading mining OEMs offering autonomous haulage systems (AHS) indicates these systems have the potential to prolong tyre life, a claim Cutler will interrogate up on stage.

And Steve Russell, Director – Mining, Scott Technology Ltd, will be looking at autonomous refuelling in his talk. With a title of ‘Robofuel Robotic Refuelling – A safety and productivity initiative for the 21st Century Mine’, he will highlight case studies that showcase just how effective this process is in an open-pit mining context.

Equipment design and innovation

The look and feel of loading and haulage equipment hasn’t changed dramatically over the past few decades, but with mining companies and OEMs now receiving data in real time about how trucks and excavators are operating and interacting with each other, one would expect these design blueprints to, in the future, be altered in some way – for example Komatsu’s cabless haul truck concept.

Taking on this topic at the event will be Christopher B Althausen, Director of Sales & Marketing for Pioneer Solutions LLC, and Brad Rogers, CEO of Bis Industries.

Althausen’s presentation, ‘Mining truck design and development: challenges, hurdles and solutions’, looks at his and his company’s experiences approaching haul truck design over many decades. Rogers’ talk, meanwhile, focuses on ‘Innovation in minesite haulage’. With Bis Industries now having successful trials of its revolutionary Rexx haul truck in its back pocket, delegates will look forward to hearing all about the proven productivity benefits of using this 20-wheel machine.

Maximising payload

The first day of the event will finish with a packed session on truck bodies and excavator buckets where four speakers will highlight just how effective customised solutions can be in the open-pit mining environment.

Carl Samuelson, Global Business Support Manager, Metso Haul Truck Solutions, will talk about successes the mining OEM has had with its hybrid haul truck tray, the Metso Truck Body, while David Pichanick, Global Manager Market Development & Innovation, Austin Engineering, will reveal how thinking ‘outside the box’ and changing the way the company uses materials in dump bodies and buckets has had an impact on safety and productivity. Tom Smith, Engineering Manager at DT HiLoad, rounds out the truck body talk, presenting, ‘HERCULES: The Strongest Tray in Earth’.

Ian Cornfoot, Managing Director of G&G Mining, has the honour of closing day one with a presentation on the use of customised excavator buckets titled, ‘Moving Rocks Not Steel – “Productive innovations in earthmoving buckets”’.

Fuel efficiency and management

As has been well documented, fuel efficiency is key when it comes to open-pit mining, with optimised fuel selection and management often keeping the cost per tonne down.

This topic kicks off day two of the event, with Kevin Dagenais, CEO of Blutip Technologies, looking at the use of predictive modelling techniques to target mining inefficiencies in this space. Sean Birrell, Group Product Officer, FluidIntel, follows closely behind him on ‘Analytics opportunities in fuel and lubricant management – unseen risks & untapped value in your supply chain & operations’, with Joao Silveirinha, Chief Technology Officer of Banlaw, rounding out the fuel talk with a talk titled, ‘Digital Transformation and Automation as it relates to the management of Hydrocarbons in Mining’.

Safety and training

The last session of the conference is all on safety and training, with two speakers keen to talk up the benefits of these in open-pit mining where accidents can cost lives and machines.

Daniel Bongers, Chief Technology Officer of SmartCap Technologies, will present, ‘Zero fatigue incidents achieved – moving to alertness monitoring’ in his 30-minute slot, with Graham Upton, Director of Business Development at simulator specialist, Doron Precision Systems Inc, following him with ‘Shovel and Truck, side-by-side Coordinated Training’.

For details of how to register for this event, or access the full program, please visit the website: https://im-mining.com/truck-and-shovel/

Please note, all company delegations of two or more people are entitled to a discount. Get in touch with Editorial Director, Paul Moore ([email protected]), or Editor, Dan Gleeson ([email protected]), for more information.

Stephan Kirsch gets top mining job at Metso

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining people, Mining services, Water management, , , ,

Stephan Kirsch, as of August 1, will become President of Metso’s Mining Equipment business area, replacing Victor Tapia in the process.

Kirsch, who joined Metso in 2018, and currently works as Senior Vice President, Business and Product Management in the Mining Equipment business area, will also become a member of Metso’s Executive Team from August.

The current President of Metso’s Mining Equipment business area, Victor Tapia, will take on another internal assignment before leaving the company, Metso said.

Metso President and CEO, Pekka Vauramo, said: “I want to express my warmest thanks to Victor for his contribution in developing Metso’s Mining Equipment business and wish him the best of success. At the same time, I wish Stephan most welcome in his new role and to the Executive Team.”

Metso’s Vauramo sees positives in mining equipment pipeline

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, Water management, , , , ,

Metso may not have registered any large mining equipment orders in the June quarter, but President and CEO, Pekka Vauramo, remained upbeat about the company’s future mineral processing sales prospects.

The company’s June quarter results saw healthy market activity in both the Minerals and Flow Control division, Metso said, with orders received increasing 2% – to €869 million ($966 million) – sales up 16% – to €903 million – and operating profit rising to €114 million – from €86 million previously.

Minerals posted a flat year-on-year result, whereas Flow Control orders were up 9%, according to Metso, noting that Minerals orders were positively impacted by strong services and aggregates equipment orders, while Flow Control benefited from oil & gas projects as well as services.

Metso said on the Minerals division’s results: “Equipment orders declined 14%, whereas services orders increased 9%. The lower volume of equipment orders was a result of the lack of large mining equipment orders due to timing.”

When it came to Minerals sales, however, the €735 million number was a 17% improvement on the same period in 2018, with equipment sales growing faster than services in both Minerals and Flow Control segments.

During the quarter, the company completed the acquisition of HighService Service, expanding Metso’s services offering in the mining market of Chile and neighbouring countries. And, after the quarter ended, it announced a proposed acquisition of Outotec to become Metso Outotec. This deal, if completed, would see the combined company become the second biggest process, technology, equipment and services firm serving the minerals, metals and aggregates industries based on 2018 sales. The transaction would also see the company’s Flow Control business spunoff into a separate entity called Neles Oy.

Vauramo concluded on the latest financial results: “We continued to perform well and made good progress during the second quarter. Activity in our end markets remained healthy and is shown in the good order intake for both Minerals and Flow Control.

“The pipeline for mining equipment orders continues to be good even though there were no large bookings during the quarter due to timing. Sales grew at a healthy double-digit rate in both segments. In addition to volume growth, we continue to show higher operational leverage with improving profitability in both segments. This proves that the internal work done across the businesses is generating the targeted results.”

Metso to establish new service centre in Lithuania

Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Metso has decided to establish a new Metso Business Services (MBS) centre in Vilnius, Lithuania, initially offering services for the company’s finance operations before moving into logistics.

The investment supports the company’s profitable growth strategy by improving operational excellence and scalability of business services, Metso said, with the opening of the new centre expected to take place during the December quarter.

“The objective is to centralise the related services to the new centre and thus gain benefits from process harmonisation, standardisation and digitalisation,” Metso said.

The centre will employ some tens of experts, but the number of personnel is expected to grow in the coming years, according to the company.

As part of the initiative, employee negotiations have been held at Metso Minerals in Tampere, Finland, to review the possible employee arrangements and implications, with the company deciding to transfer its Financial Services operations entirely from Tampere to Vilnius.

As a result, 28 permanent positions in Metso Financial Services in Tampere will be discontinued in 2020, after a transition period. Metso will support the affected personnel, for example by offering re-employment services and possible relocation support, it said.

Metso’s CFO, Eeva Sipilä, said: “In the past couple of years, Metso has invested in its Tampere operations by, eg strengthening its R&D and manufacturing activities. Currently, we are also exploring options for a new, modern facility in Tampere. However, the best location for the new service centre turned out to be Vilnius, which has a strong service centre culture supporting international companies.

“With this new centre, we aim to improve the efficiency of our business services and increase digitalisation to support Metso’s growth,” she said.

Metso is in the middle of trying to complete the acquisition of fellow mining OEM Outotec.

CRC ORE grade engineering trial pays off for Minera San Cristóbal

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A successful full-scale production trial of Australia-developed grade engineering techniques is paying dividends for a South American mine, and its local workers, according to CRC ORE.

Once fully implemented, this is expected to generate an additional A$451 million ($312 million) in profit for the mine and reduce its energy consumption, it said.

Located in the south-western Bolivian province of Nor Lípez, and owned by Sumitomo, Minera San Cristóbal (MSC) is the country’s largest mine. Operating since 2007, the mine produces around 1,500 t/d of zinc-silver and lead-silver concentrates. To achieve this result, MSC needs to move a daily average of 150,000 t of rock – ore and waste.

Part of MSC’s vision is to “develop a model mining operation through safe operations, at low cost, with innovative technology”.

Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Summit Mining International, Sumitomo is a participant of the Cooperative Research Centre for Optimising Resource Extraction (CRC ORE). Based in Brisbane, Australia, CRC ORE works to minimise the impact of declining grades and radically improve the productivity, energy and water signatures of mining operations, CRC ORE said.

The centre is jointly funded by what it calls ‘Essential Participants’, which includes mining companies such as Sumitomo; mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies; research organisations; and the Australia Government.

One of CRC ORE’s key solutions developed for the mining industry is grade engineering. “This solution deploys a range of waste rejection technologies that integrate with a suite of separation technologies relevant to ore specific characteristics,” CRC ORE said. “A deeper understanding of the orebody can be achieved, leading to the ability to exploit inherent ore deposit heterogeneity and variability.”

For mining operations such as MSC, this involves an innovative approach to the early separation of ore from waste material, minimising the impact of declining grades and productivity.

CRC ORE and MSC teams conducted site studies and analysis in 2017 to determine the level of opportunity available at the mine by deploying grade engineering, and a great deal of potential was evident.

Since late 2018, CRC ORE and Sumitomo have been working together on a full-scale production trial of grade engineering using screening at MSC. A Metso Lokotrack ST2.8 mobile screening plant, which can process up to 450 t/h, was deployed on site to assist in providing a production-scale testing capability.

The trial focused on upgrading mineralised waste from the pit to determine if grade engineering could efficiently produce a new economic stream of valuable material that could then be combined with run of mine feed through to the concentrator and produce a positive net smelter return.

CRC ORE Chief Executive Officer, Ben Adair, said initial results of the trial were impressive and encouraging, with 66% of value now contained in just 25% of the grade engineered mass.

“So far, results show that by applying grade engineering to areas previously designated as ‘mineralised waste’, the value of grade engineered feed to the mill can be increased by over 2.5 times,” Adair said.

“This has the potential to convert this waste material into high-grade ore feed with associated opportunity to increase metal production and reduce process power and water intensities.”

A 15-20% reduction in energy has been evident in the mine’s SAG mill when processing a combined grade engineered and direct run-of-mine feed, according to CRC ORE.

The success of the grade engineering trial has led to Sumitomo considering deployment of grade engineering techniques for life of mine extensions, CRC ORE said.

MSC Operations Director, Dave King, said: “The big benefit of grade engineering is its potential ability to extend the life of the mine and add over A$451 million in profit to its value.”

To fulfil its goals of knowledge transfer and for its technology to directly benefit the local mining industry, CRC ORE says it has recently commenced similar production trials at Australia mining operations.

Metso and Outotec to join together in ‘industry-shaping combination’

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , ,

The boards of Metso and Outotec have unanimously approved a demerger plan and a combination agreement to combine Metso’s Minerals business with Outotec.

As part of the deal, Metso Flow Control, which was recently split off from the Metso Minerals division, will become a pure-play listed entity under the name of Neles.

The combination of Metso Minerals and Outotec is highly complementary and will create a unique company in the industry, according to the two companies. “Metso Outotec will leverage the strengths of both companies, including technology and R&D, product and process excellence, scale and global service offering footprint. The combination will deliver significant benefits to all stakeholders,” they said.

The combined company, Metso Outotec Corp, had illustrative 2018 combined sales and adjusted EBITA of €3.9 billion ($4.4 billion) and €369 million (excluding the impact of the €110 million provision recorded in relation to the ilmenite smelter project as described in Outotec’s 2018 financial statements).

This represents an illustrative combined adjusted EBITA margin of 9.6% in 2018, excluding the benefit of the expected synergies, and also Metso’s recently announced acquisition of McCloskey International. Including McCloskey, illustrative 2018 combined sales would have been approximately €4.2 billion.

Metso Minerals and Outotec expect to achieve run-rate annual pre-tax cost synergies of at least €100 million, and run-rate annual revenue synergies of at least €150 million, delivering significant value for shareholders, they said.

Upon completion of the agreed demerger, Metso shareholders will receive 4.3 newly-issued shares in Outotec for each share owned in Metso on the record date. This implies Metso shareholders would own around 78% of the shares and votes of Metso Outotec, and Outotec shareholders would own the remaining 22% of the shares and votes of Metso Outotec. In addition, Metso shareholders will retain their current shares in Metso, which will be renamed Neles.

The current CEO of Metso, Pekka Vauramo, will become Metso Outotec’s CEO, and the current CEO of Outotec, Markku Teräsvasara, will become the Deputy CEO of Metso Outotec. Eeva Sipilä will become the CFO and Deputy CEO of Metso Outotec.

The board of Metso Outotec will include board members from both companies. It is proposed that Metso Outotec’s Chairman will be Mikael Lilius and that the Vice Chairman will be Matti Alahuhta.

Shareholders representing 33.6% of the shares and votes of Metso and shareholders representing 24.8% of the shares and votes of Outotec have irrevocably undertaken to vote in favour of the transaction, which the companies hope will close in the June quarter of 2020.

Metso Outotec’s headquarters will be in Helsinki, Finland and it will maintain its listing on Nasdaq Helsinki, the companies said.

Outotec Chairman, Matti Alahuhta, called the deal an “industry-shaping combination” that joins two “uniquely complementary companies”, while Metso Chairman, Mikael Lilius, said the deal represented a “transformational combination of two great companies” and the simultaneous creation of an “independent leader in flow control”.

Outotec CEO, Markku Teräsvasara, said: “The combination of Outotec and Metso marks an important milestone in each company’s history and in Outotec’s strategic development. I am excited about the many benefits that the combination will deliver for customers, employees and ultimately shareholders, with the larger scale and combined strengths of both companies. Outotec has a highly compelling portfolio of technologies and capabilities that will be a key catalyst for unlocking many of these benefits. I look forward to building a great new company together with the Outotec and Metso Minerals employees, as part of Metso Outotec.”

And, Metso CEO, Pekka Vauramo, said: “This is a unique opportunity to create value for our customers, employees and partners globally. Metso Outotec will have capabilities that will enable us to drive sustainable growth, while providing our customers with high-quality technology, equipment and services that will ultimately improve their businesses. We will have an extensive global presence, complementary offering, strong services and a large installed base. We also have excellent people – the best talent in the industry. I am therefore eagerly waiting to join with Outotec’s personnel to begin our exciting journey together.”

The combination of the two companies is, according to Metso and Outotec, expected to deliver a range of strategic, commercial, operational and financial benefits:

  • A leading company with a wide presence across the value chain allowing Metso Outotec to provide an end-to-end offering in minerals processing;
  • Enlarged installed base coupled with advanced service offering providing opportunities to unlock significant benefits;
  • Leadership in sustainable technology across all businesses;
  • Breadth across verticals (minerals/metals/aggregates), geography and application provide enhanced performance;
  • Significant revenue and cost synergies, and;
  • Solid capital structure and attractive dividend policy.

The companies said: “The combination of Metso Minerals and Outotec will create a leading company in process technology, equipment and services serving the minerals, metals and aggregates industries. Metso Outotec will also have expertise in specialist areas, such as recycling and energy solutions.”

Metso Outotec will have a presence across the full minerals processing and metals refining value chain, with a “differentiated ability to deliver end-to-end solutions across the whole process from crushing to end products”, they said. The combined company will own a broad portfolio of leading technologies in, for example, comminution, beneficiation and metals refining, as well as a market leading aggregates business and global strength in services.

On a combined basis, Metso Minerals and Outotec had 15,630 employees globally, as of March 31, 2019, with close to 100 nationalities represented.

Completion of the transaction is subject to approval by a majority of two-thirds of votes cast and shares represented at the respective EGMs of Metso and Outotec, regulatory approvals, including competition clearances, and other conditions.

As a result of the combination of Metso Minerals and Outotec, Metso will be renamed as Neles and will become a globally recognised flow control company with highly attractive market positions.

Neles, which will continue to be listed on Nasdaq Helsinki, is expected to create additional value for Metso’s shareholders as a separate entity through:

  • Leading position as a flow control solution provider with market leadership across pulp & paper valves and down stream oil & gas control valves;
  • Continued outperformance of market growth with best-in-class profitability and proven resilience through the cycle;
  • Diversified sales mix both by region and industry;
  • A fully focused, dedicated management to deliver shareholder value and leverage further growth opportunities;
  • Solid balance sheet and financial position, and;
  • Crystallisation of attractive sector trading multiples.

At year-end 2018, Neles had illustrative combined net cash of €72 million. To support the capital structure of Neles, Metso has entered into a €150 million term loan facility agreement, which may be used for the repayment and replacement of Metso’s credit facilities and other liabilities that benefit the flow control business and are to remain with Neles post completion. Prior to the completion, Metso is also expected to enter into a new revolving credit facility of €200 million to be used for the general corporate purposes of Neles.

Olli Isotalo, who was named the new CEO of the Flow Control division last month, will become Neles’ CEO.

Metso commits to a filtered tailings future

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Metso might have just launched a new tailings management concept, but the management of tailings and dewatering solutions are nothing new for the mineral processing company.

Helsinki-headquartered Metso developed its first VPA filter for mining in the 1980s – the maiden unit being delivered to the Greens Creek mine in Alaska (now owned by Hecla Mining) – and has since dispatched hundreds of units to mines across the globe.

In addition, Metso has a long history of designing and manufacturing tube presses and other complementary dewatering solutions; its current membrane-type filter press offers pressures up to 100 bar for particularly difficult dewatering applications, such as china clay, while its inclined plate settler (IPS) and dewatering spirals offer separation and thickening options for miners.

The VPX™ filter is the launch product that comes with this new tailings management concept, but there is much more to this focus than a lone invention.

As Niclas Hällevall, VP, Process Equipment for Metso, told IM: “It is no longer a matter of just finding the most technically-suitable equipment or solutions to do the job. It is about how to transform mining into a sustainable and long-term development.”

Metso is intent on “challenging the conventional” in this regard. This includes looking at its own approach to designing mineral processing equipment – ensuring all products use, recycle and recover water in a responsible manner – as well as the industry’s way of thinking. Instead of pursuing short-term fixes, such as implementing tailings monitoring solutions using sensors, the company thinks miners should prepare for a future where wet tailings dams are eradicated from mine sites. Dry stacking – or filtering – tailings is the end goal Metso is pursuing.

This unconventional mindset is also apparent in the design of Metso’s VPX filter. Instead of equipping the machine for high throughputs alone, Metso has built the filter to manage varied input materials and to offer pressures up to 25 bars (and perhaps even higher pressures).

Metso has eliminated the use of hydraulics on this new filter, instead using electromechanical screws to achieve the high-pressure closing that turns wet material into dried cakes with as low as 7% moisture content in some applications. This electromechanical switch could cut operating costs due to a reduction in maintenance requirements, according to the company. The modular design, meanwhile, allows the filter to be scaled to any size, plus fit it into a container for easy logistics.

An advanced control system (ACS) using self-learning functions provide customers with a solution to monitor the operation of the filter, while there are plans to equip the machine with artificial intelligence functionality to monitor the conditions of the input material and select the optimal dewatering route.

Also, the filter press offers a variable and very fast opening and closing time thanks to the robust rack and pinion system, thus providing the high-capacity dewatering large mines require.

Metso is ready with its “future-ready” solution – a pilot VPX filter is currently in Sala, Sweden, about to be taken on a roadshow. This unit has already been tested on a mine tailings application in Sweden, IM understands, with the company expecting many more trials over the next year.

As Lars Gustavsson, Business Manager, Beneficiation Solutions, explained, the company’s filter press trial plan includes taking small size samples in its laboratory before graduating to the full-scale pilot unit, which is equipped with the same ACS and sensors commercial units will have. “This gives customers all they need to build the business case,” he said.

The Metso tailings management concept goes further: Hällevall says the use of the Metso IPS and Metso MHC™ hydrocyclone, in circuit with a VPX filter, results in less use of chemicals and energy in the dewatering process, on top of water recoveries of up to 90% in some applications. This is achieved by controlling the feed and optimising the filtration process. “We simply separate the stream into fine and coarse streams by using Metso MHC hydrocyclones,” Hällevall says, explaining that the overflow – the fines stream – is directed to the Metso IPS thickener, with the coarse stream going direct to the filter.

With two separate streams, the company can decide the optimum way to filter and dewater the material, with the IPC, in particular, offering the most “superior setting of fines using minimum amounts of flocculants and energy”, Hällevall says.

This new concept has allowed Metso to become one of only a few mining OEMs talking up the use of pressure filters – and accompanying separation and thickening infrastructure – to reprocess legacy tailings dams. The ability to “turn waste into value” could enable mining companies to not only clean up these dams, decrease their footprint and improve their sustainability credentials with local and other stakeholders, it could also allow them to generate additional revenue from the recovery of valuable minerals and metals.

This could potentially provide the positive investment case miners need to start making wet tailings dams a thing of the past.

Just 5% of all fresh tailings generated in 2018 were dewatered in some way, according to Metso’s data. With its own “future-ready” solution now in place, the company is doing its bit for industry to ensure this figure continues to rise.

Metso launches VPX filter as part of new tailings management approach

Environmental, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , ,

Metso says its new approach to tailings management is aimed at addressing the water conservation and responsible mine reclamation requirements that are becoming increasingly important for mines to ensure they can retain their social license to operate.

Its new approach is spearheaded by the launch of the new Metso VPX™ filter for tailings dewatering, which, with an operating pressure of up to 25 bars, can deal with difficult-to-dewater tailings.

The company’s broader tailings management concept is geared towards enabling and supporting environmentally and economically sustainable mining, it said.

Victor Tapia, President, Mining Equipment business area at Metso, said: “Our ambition is to challenge the conventional way of looking at tailings management in mining.

“In practice, this means that besides environmental and regulatory concerns related to tailings, we need to improve the conservation of water, chemicals and ore, as well as looking for opportunities to reprocess tailings and generate value by extracting any remaining minerals. Ultimately, it allows transforming legacy practices in tailings management into a new, positive value creation model.”

Metso is driving this change by introducing a new concept for the dewatering, handling and reprocessing of tailings. It said: “Designed to maximise water recovery and reduce the footprint of tailings dams or eliminate them completely, Metso Tailings Management Solutions provide a long-term solution for mining companies looking for a viable approach to their tailings management and end-of-mine strategies.”

There are a huge amount of tailings discharged and lying in legacy dams, according to Metso. “Today, only about 5% of tailings are dewatered, while roughly 70% of the mines are located in countries where water scarcity is considered as an issue. The way tailings are handled can have a long-term impact on the mines’ economic efficiency as well as on the well-being of the surrounding environment and communities,” the company said.

Niclas Hällevall, VP of Beneficiation Solutions, Mining Equipment business area, said: “Metso views dry filtered tailings as the most viable and long-term solution for tailings management: it helps in recycling significantly more water to the concentrator, while enabling mines to reduce their freshwater footprint when compared to traditional tailings impoundments. Furthermore, the risk of tailings dam failure could be completely avoided by dewatering and dry stacking the tailings.”

He added: “Contrary to conventional belief, dry tailings are also much more capex (capital expenses) and opex (operating expenses) efficient compared to wet or thickened tailings.”

Metso Tailings Management Solutions bundle Metso’s beneficiation technologies into a “full, customisable and future-ready suite of solutions”, it says. Metso, with its core component, is taking filtration technology “to the next level” by introducing the Metso VPX filter, a new generation filtration solution for maximum water recovery and reuse, it said.

The company said: “The Metso VPX filter can handle difficult-to-dewater tailings, because it has up to 25 bars operating pressure, the highest pressure in its category. This enables up to 90% water recovery. The Metso VPX is also equipped with a fully electromechanical drive system and no hydraulics, making it the safest solution on the market. With its modular design, the Metso VPX filter is scalable as well as easily transportable to the site in standard containers.”

The VPX filter is available for mining customers globally and an ideal solution for a range of dewatering applications, Metso said, adding that the filter press will be on show at the Exposibram trade fair to be held in Brazil, in September.

CRC ORE welcomes Metso to the fold

Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

The Cooperative Research Centre for Optimising Resource Extraction (CRC ORE) says it has officially welcomed industrial equipment and services provider Metso as its newest participant.

Earlier this year, Metso joined a select cohort of Australian and international mining, equipment, technology and services (METS) participants to assist CRC ORE to achieve its goals.

“Since its origins 150 years ago, Metso has provided equipment and services for several industries, including mining, and is at the forefront of the supply of technologically advanced mining equipment,” CRC ORE said.

Metso Vice President of Innovation LAB, Lars Grönvall, said that the work of CRC ORE closely aligns with Metso’s vision of being the best choice for sustainable processing of natural resources.

“Metso’s cutting-edge services and solutions improve availability and reliability in minerals processing and flow control, providing sustainable process and profit improvements,” Grönvall said.

“We are excited by what can be achieved by partnering with CRC ORE and its high-quality participants in developing solutions to more efficiently separate valuable ore from waste material as early as possible in the mining process.”

CRC ORE Chief Executive Officer, Ben Adair, has previously worked closely with Metso, in areas including process control and concentrator equipment application, according to CRC ORE.

Adair said he was encouraged by the commitment of the major European company to improve the productivity, energy and water signatures of mining operations.

“Now well into our second term at CRC ORE, we appreciate the support given by specialist equipment provider Metso and the expertise they bring as a participant,” Adair said.

“In their short time so far as a participant, Metso has made a valuable contribution through the supply of one of its Locotrack mobile screening units (pictured) to support a major production trial of grade engineering at Sumitomo’s Minera San Cristóbal mine in Bolivia.”

Adair said that CRC ORE worked with Minera San Cristóbal to use off-the-shelf equipment from Metso to support this innovative site trial, helping to minimise the complexity and cost of the project.

“CRC ORE aims to drive collaborations such as this to help deliver positive change across the mining industry,” he said.

CRC ORE is a cooperative research centre focused on optimising resource extraction. It delivers value to Australia by improving mine productivity, commercial return and environmental outcomes, CRC ORE says.

Established in 2010, CRC ORE has made significant progress in rapidly developing and integrating technology from concept to implementation, it says. CRC ORE uses innovative methodologies to develop new technology, or repurpose existing technology, often from outside the mining industry, to significantly reduce the time from prototype to production scale application.