Tag Archives: Metso

Metso extends calcining and acid roasting input at Kemerton lithium hydroxide processing plant

Energy minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , ,

Metso says it has been awarded a contract to deliver ancillary equipment for Albemarle Lithium Pty Ltd’s calcining and acid roasting facilities at the Kemerton lithium hydroxide processing plant in Western Australia.

This agreeement is an addendum to the two pyro processing and comminution lines that were awarded to Metso and announced in December 2022. The value of the contract is approximately €40 million ($43.5 million).

Metso’s scope of delivery includes selected material handling and gas cleaning equipment for the calciner, calcine grinding and acid vapour sections.

Chris Urban, Vice President, Heat Transfer at Metso, said: “We are pleased that Albemarle, which is one of the largest lithium producers in the world, has selected us as the partner for their lithium hydroxide processing plants. In addition to the pyro processing and comminution lines ordered, it was also our honour to deliver two pyro lines, which were recently commissioned.”

The Kemerton plant initially consisted of three production trains, each producing 20,000 t/y of lithium hydroxide, with a potential expansion to five trains that will see production increase to 100,000 t/y by around 2025. The plant will be supplied with lithium concentrate produced at the nearby Greenbushes mine.

Metso to supply SAG mills and mill liners to Origin Mining’s Mineral Park project

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Metso says it has been awarded orders for the delivery of grinding plant equipment to Origin Mining Company’s brownfield Mineral Park Mill Restart project in the US.

Origin Mining is managed under the Waterton Global Resource Management umbrella of investments, with Mineral Park in a historic, copper-rich mining district next to Kingman, Arizona. The total value of the order is €16 million ($17.4 million).

Metso’s scope of delivery includes two Planet Positive Premier® SAG mills and Skega Poly-Met™ mill liners, and the possibility to supply other comminution and beneficiation process equipment technologies later.

Jack McMahon, President of Origin Mining, said: “We have been impressed with Metso’s commitment to support our vision to grow the USA copper supply. Metso’s leading comminution and beneficiation process equipment technologies will help us do our part to contribute to the transition to an electrified future.

“Metso has actively supported the project in a time responsive, technical and open manner, allowing for ’fit for purpose’ process solutions. We also value Metso’s ability to provide the necessary value added after-sales services in Arizona to support our operation.”

Tim Robinson, Vice President, Minerals Sales in North and Central America at Metso, said: “We are very excited to support Origin Mining in their drive to develop and supply locally key battery minerals, like copper, in the USA. Our industry-leading products and large service team in Arizona is committed to supporting them in this quest.”

Metso receives largest filter modernisation order in its history

Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , ,

Metso says it has been awarded repeat orders for filter modernisation, plate packs and related services from several major mining companies in the North, Central and South America markets.

In addition to filter modernisation, several larger modernisation orders for other types of dewatering solutions have been booked, according to the company.

By utilising Metso’s expertise and technology, customers will be able to increase uptime and achieve capacity improvements, Metso claims, adding that the value of the orders amount to more than €15 million ($16.4 million).

In the March quarter, Metso received the largest filter modernisation order in its history, totaling €10 million, while the company’s largest thickener modernisation order was also booked in this same three-month period.

Tomas Hakala, Senior Vice President, Beneficiation, Dewatering, and Hydrometallurgy Services business line, Metso, said: “The customer interest and need for high-quality filters, filter spares, and services are rising. We are very glad to confirm several repeat orders with our key customers. The new polymer filter plate factory in Mexico is an important investment, and it will increase our capability of meeting customers’ demands, simultaneously strengthening our strong position in mining concentrate and tailings filtration solutions.”

From the new factory, Metso will provide customers with shorter lead times and transportation distances, especially to the Americas, it says. The first filter plates are expected to be manufactured in the second half of 2024, and full production capacity is expected by the end of the first half of 2025. Once fully operational, the factory will have the capacity to serve the full filter portfolio.

Metso’s filtration portfolio consists of 15 different filter types and services for hundreds of applications. More than 80% of Metso filters are part of the company’s Planet Positive portfolio, primarily thanks to their efficiency in the recovery and reuse of water, the company says. It has carried out more than 14,000 filtration tests and delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide. Many of the filters are sold under the Larox® product name along with Metso corporate branding.

Metso looks to grow mining truck body, bucket exposure with Häggblom buy

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Metso says it has signed an agreement to acquire Ab A. Häggblom Oy, a privately-owned Finnish engineering and manufacturing company with a key offering that includes mining truck bodies and buckets.

Häggblom’s service portfolio includes wear parts, truck body and bucket refurbishments, as well as related field services. It has partnered with Metso for several years in the manufacturing of truck bodies.

The acquisition will broaden Metso’s offering in bodies and buckets by providing complete end-to-end loading and hauling solutions, while  strengthening the company’s position in the aftermarket, according to Metso. The aim is to leverage Häggblom’s strong engineering and manufacturing expertise in collaboration with existing partners on a regional and global basis.

Heikki Metsälä, President, Consumables business area, Metso, said: “Loading and hauling is a growing business, and our goal is to further develop our capability to serve our customers. Häggblom’s product range, manufacturing know-how and engineering capabilities, as well as service expertise, are a good addition to Metso’s wear parts portfolio. Häggblom’s employees will bring valuable skills to Metso, and we look forward to building on the great partnership we have developed over the years,”

Jukka Karhula, CEO, Häggblom, said: “This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our company. We have successfully cooperated with Metso for many years, and we are now excited to become part of an international company. We are confident that our expertise and products will align well with Metso’s loading and hauling offering. This acquisition will benefit our customers and employees who are our most important assets.”

The acquisition is estimated to be finalised in August 2023. The parties have agreed not to disclose the transaction value, which has no material impact on Metso’s financials, it says.

Metso to deliver Larox pressure filters to Tosyali iron ore concentrator plant expansion in Algeria

Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Metso says it has signed a contract with Sinosteel Corporation for the delivery of seven Larox® FFP2512 pressure filtration units to Tosyali’s iron concentrator plant expansion in Algeria.

The contract value, which exceeds €10 million ($10.9 million), is booked in Minerals’ June quarter 2023 orders received.

Xun Fang, Head of Minerals Sales, Greater China at Metso, said: “This is a repeat order from Sinosteel, which operates as the EPC contractor for the Tosyali II Iron concentrator. According to our end client and the contractor, Metso was selected for our wide reference base in iron concentrate and tailing applications. We have previously supplied filters for Tosyali’s phase I project, and they successfully met the set performance targets.”

Metso’s filtration portfolio consists of 15 different filter types and comprehensive services for hundreds of applications. The Larox® FFP pressure filters, Metso says, provide a reliable and optimised dewatering solution with high-volume processing for concentrates, tailings and bulk applications.

Over 80% of the Metso filters – including the Larox FFP pressure filters – are part of the company’s Planet Positive portfolio, primarily thanks to their efficiency in the recovery and reuse of water. Metso says it has carried out more than 14,000 filtration tests and has delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide.

Blackstone Minerals engages Metso for nickel, cobalt refinery plans in Vietnam

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Blackstone Minerals Ltd has announced the inclusion of Metso as the technology supplier for the definitive feasibility study of the company’s pCAM (precursor cathode active material) processing plant in its Ta Khoa refinery in Vietnam.

Metso is already involved in the design of the pCAM plant and will also conduct independent pCAM test work to validate the nickel and cobalt sulphates generated during the pilot program for suitability in pCAM generation, the OEM says.

Metso is currently designing the pCAM plant with Wood, providing experience and engineering technical support.

Scott Williamson, Managing Director at Blackstone Minerals Ltd, said: “Blackstone intends to leverage off Metso’s engineering services and know-how into the pCAM facility design, thus de-risking the project and confirming Blackstone’s intent to be a real player in the pCAM space. Securing another world leader to the Ta Khoa project is yet another jigsaw piece in the battery value chain puzzle. Blackstone continues to look forward to project success as it marches towards developing the greenest and most resilient nickel business in the world.”

Blackstone highlighted the OEM’s high value technology in the context of the pCAM facility design, such as the modular OKTOP® reactors (with industrial references for scaling-up pCAM precipitation processes), Larox® filtration technologies and Courier® HX continuous product quality analyser equipment to enable precision control and real-time optimisation.

“Metso has shown that precursors precipitated with OKTOP reactor technology are proven to meet the required chemical and physical properties for high-performance cathode active material,” it said.

Rudi Rautenbach, Director, Minerals Sales, Asia-Pacific, Metso, said: “We are confident that our experience in nickel processing and battery metals technologies will contribute positively to the project. Many of our offerings that are planned to be used in this project are selected from our range of Planet Positive products, which are demonstrably more energy or water efficient than the industry benchmark or Metso’s previous generation products in the market, to help our customers cut their CO2 emissions and/or to achieve other sustainability priorities. We believe these are all in line with Blackstone’s objectives towards developing the greenest and most resilient nickel business in the world.”

Metso says it provides sustainable technology and equipment for the entire lithium, nickel, and cobalt production chain from the mine to battery materials and black mass recycling with project scopes ranging from equipment packages to plant deliveries. Metso has its own pCAM testing facilities.

A February 2022 prefeasibility study on the 90%-owned Ta Khoa project outlined first concentrate production in in 2025, ramping up to nameplate design of 8 Mt/y in 2027. It expected a steady-state average annual nickel output (recovered in concentrate) of circa-18,000 t/y and steady-state average annual concentrate production of circa-225,000 t/y. The project also came with a steady-state refining capacity of 400,000 t/y, with first production of NCM811 precursor material commencing in early 2025.

Metso and Torngat Metals partner on rare earth processing pilot

Energy minerals, Mineral processing, Mining services, , , , ,

Torngat Metals Ltd and Metso have signed a contract for large-volume pilot scale processing of ore, with the focus of the agreement being to pilot test the beneficiation of ore extracted from Torngat’s Strange Lake rare earth project in Québec, Canada.

This project is a critical driver for the electrification value chain, specifically the manufacturing of permanent magnets for electric motors, wind turbines and other low carbon technologies, Metso said.

The process incorporates advanced technologies including X-ray sensor-based ore sorting, magnetic separation and flotation, based on Metso’s proprietary and leading-edge technology. This work is being executed in close collaboration with GTK Mintec (Geological Survey of Finland), the company added.

“We are very pleased to expand this partnership with Metso, not only because of its world leading mineral processing expertise and capabilities, but also because of the values we share in our commitment to enabling sustainability and decarbonisation in our operations and in our communities,” Dirk Naumann, President and CEO of Torngat, said.

The first phase of work will be completed by the end of 2023, resulting in the production of a rare earth concentrate. The next phase of work will use the rare earth concentrate to scale-up and optimise the subsequent process steps to produce a mixed rare earth solution, based on Metso’s expertise in acid- and heat-based minerals processing and purification, it said. Metso will also provide production-scale engineering and offer technology and equipment solutions for future commercial operations with Torngat.

Torngat is a private company developing the Strange Lake project in the Nunavik region of Québec to provide a long-term responsible supply of rare earths required for technologies including electric vehicles and wind turbines.

Metso builds out Ma’aden relationship with Mansourah & Massarah LCS contract

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

Metso says it has signed a two-year Life Cycle Services (LCS) contract with Ma’aden’s Base Metals and New Minerals company’s new gold processing plant at the Mansourah & Massarah site in Saudi Arabia.

Metso will support the customer in commissioning, ramping up and optimising the new greenfield site, covering both maintenance and plant operations, it says. Other elements of the agreement are field services and recommendations for wear and spare parts management, and advisory and training services.

The agreement demonstrates Metso’s service expertise, and it is an important continuation of the greenfield mineral concentrator and gold processing plant agreement signed in 2019, it said. This contract, related to Outotec at the time, saw a consortium of Outotec and Larsen & Toubro awarded with an engineering, procurement and construction contract to build a greenfield mineral concentrator and gold processing plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Mansourah & Massarah operation has been built in the Central Arabian gold region, with the processing plant capable of up to 4 Mt/y throughput. The concentrator and the gold processing plant has been designed to produce an average of 250,000 oz/y of gold over the life of mine.

The customer has the option to extend the contract by one year.

Kamal Pahuja, President Middle East and India market area, Metso, said: “We are very delighted with the customer’s continued trust in Metso. By choosing Metso’s Life Cycle Services contract, Ma’aden will receive comprehensive and top-notch service solutions as well as on-site technical expertise and support. We are committed to safety and sustainability objectives and will work with and support the customer in achieving their operational objectives. We are also committed to strengthening our service capabilities in the region to serve the growing customer base.”

Duncan Bradford, Executive Vice-President, Ma’aden Base Metals and Minerals BU, said: “Our aim is to lift the productivity of the new plant to the target level, strengthen the skills of our Saudi employees, and achieve our production and safety targets. The new plant will use three different methods of gold processing, including the first autoclave in Saudi Arabia; this requires a lot of know-how and proactive planning for trouble-free operation and maximum productivity. Metso already has a comprehensive range of key equipment for the plant flowsheet, and we will be able to benefit from Metso’s technological and service expertise.”

Metso receives repeat order from iron ore processing plant in Europe

Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, ,

Metso has received a repeat order for an iron ore processing plant in Europe, for a replacement chain for its iron ore pelletising system.

The OEM’s complete chain package delivery consists of more than 6,000 high-quality grate plates, chain links, through rods and side plates supported by comprehensive maintenance and full services to maximise production uptime.

The order valued at €9 million ($9.9 million) has been booked in the Minerals’ segment March quarter orders received.

“We are honoured that the customer has chosen Metso to provide critical components for this important project,” Roar Vasboe, Vice President of Sales and Services Nordics for Metso, said. “Our team is dedicated to providing high-quality, reliable products that meet the needs of our customer. We are committed to sustainability and continuous improvement, and we are confident that our solution will help them to achieve their production goals safely and efficiently.”

Metso says it is the only supplier in the world that has both the straight grate and the grate kiln process for pelletising.

The company has designed and supplied the most modern and largest grate kiln systems in the world, with these plants having the highest outputs with the lowest fuel usage and lowest emissions.

Metso boosts comminution power at Zijin Mining’s Julong copper concentrator

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

Metso says it has been awarded an order for key concentrator plant equipment by Zijin Mining Group for its Julong copper project in the Tibetan Autonomous region.

The value of the order is approximately €85 million ($93 million).

The comminution circuit will be one of the highest powered in China, including a Superior™ MKIII primary gyratory crusher, a geared Premier™ SAG mill and gearless mill drive (GMD) Premier ball mill with 24 MW of installed power, as well as four Nordberg® HP900™ cone crushers, Metso says.

To ensure efficient and sustainable concentrate separation, Metso will deliver 24 TankCell® TC630 flotation cells, five HRT Hight Rate Thickeners, and two Larox® FFP2512 filters. Thanks to their superior energy- and water-efficiency, most of the equipment are part of Metso’s Planet Positive offering, the company added.

Xun Fang, Head of Metso’s Minerals Sales in Greater China, said: “We are very pleased to have been chosen as the partner to deliver the concentrator plant equipment for this ambitious project. The Julong copper mine is located on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau at an altitude of 5,300 m, one of the highest mining sites in the world. The elevation of the plant places tough requirements for the equipment. This is one of the reasons Zijin Mining chose Metso, as our technology is known for its sustainability, reliability and high performance. The delivery includes a GMD ball mill, the first GMD mill to be delivered to China and the most powerful ball mill ever made. TankCells and High Rate Thickeners to be delivered are high-capacity equipment, reducing embedded carbon and increasing overall plant availability. Two of the thickeners are for tailings and are 100 meters in diameter. In addition, our local service capability is highly appreciated by the customer.”