Tag Archives: nickel

Horizonte Minerals appoints MIP/Milpan as electro-mechanical contractor for Araguaia

Base metals, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Horizonte Minerals Plc has selected MIP Engenharia & Milplan Engenharia to provide the electro-mechanical installation services at its 100%-owned Araguaia nickel project in Brazil.

Following a competitive tender process that involved the leading industrial construction companies active in the mining sector, MIP/Milpan was selected as the preferred provider, Horizonte said.

“MIP/Milpan has a strong track record and importantly, prior rotary kiln-electric furnace (RKEF) experience from Vale’s Onça Puma mine, a ferronickel mine with a similar processing flowsheet to Araguaia, and a number of other major mining projects in the Carajas region,” Horizonte said. “MIP/Milpan is well placed to be able to provide access to a skilled workforce, which can be redeployed from projects that are being completed elsewhere in Pará, Brazil, further de-risking Araguaia’s development schedule.”

Horizonte says mobilisation of the MIP/Milpan workforce is already underway to begin furnace assembly activities on site at Araguaia, with the contract award taking the level of committed spend to over $400 million as part of the project’s development.

Jeremy Martin, CEO of Horizonte Minerals, said: “MIP/Milplan have a proven track record of successfully delivering large projects in Brazil and across the mining sector, in particular a wealth of experience at a similar ferronickel project, having worked on Vale’s Onça Puma ferronickel mine.

“This is another important step forward in the construction of Araguaia, further de-risking the project’s timeline, which remains on schedule for first nickel in Q1 (March quarter) 2024. With the award of every new contract, we take a step closer to our objective of becoming a global leader in primary nickel production.”

The Araguaia project comprises an open-pit nickel laterite mining operation that delivers ore from a number of pits to a central RKEF metallurgical processing facility. The metallurgical process comprises a single line RKEF to extract FeNi from the ore. After an initial ramp-up period, the plant will reach a full capacity of approximately 900,000 t/y of dry ore feed to produce 52,000 t of ferronickel, in turn containing 14,500 t/y of nickel. The FeNi product will be transported by road to the port of Vila do Conde in the north of the State for sale to overseas customers.

Ring of Fire Metals exploring wind power and ‘carbon removal’ options for Eagle’s Nest

Base metals, Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , ,

Ring of Fire Metals (RoF Metals) says it has commenced two studies exploring the use of wind power and atmospheric carbon removal as part of planning for a net zero emissions mine in northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire.

Stephen Crozier, RoF Metals VP Sustainability, said the findings from a study of the wind energy resource conducted by global renewable energy company Windlab earlier this year were promising.

“Our primary focus in the development of Eagle’s Nest is to implement low emissions technologies throughout the operation, wherever possible,” he said. “We are encouraged by the results of the initial wind study and believe there is good potential to generate clean energy using wind turbines in the area, which we will further define with additional study in the near term.

“Other options for complementary low- and no-emission generation, including biomass, pumped hydro and solar, are also being investigated to supplement clean wind energy production if needed.”

Following completion of the Windlab study, RoF Metals installed a Vaisala WindCube® LiDAR (pictured) for the collection of more detailed data.

Crozier added: “Unlike traditional tower installations, LiDAR devices obtain measurements throughout the air column from the base to the top of the turbine blades rather than just at the hub. We have already started collecting detailed data using WindCube and will continue throughout the seasons to track natural weather variability.

“Data from both studies will then be matched with projected power demand to guide modelling of power generation and storage options for the proposed Eagle’s Nest mine.

“Ultimately we would like to be able to draw upon and potentially supply to Ontario’s power grid when it is expanded to northern communities.”

RoF Metals is also participating in the DETAILS project with Dr Liam Bullock at Geosciences Barcelona, an institute of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (GEO3BCN-CSIC), to investigate the potential to use mine tailings to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Crozier said the tailings from ultramafic nickel deposits have been shown to have the potential to absorb significant quantities of carbon dioxide, and there may be ways the company can speed up the rate that this happens.

“We have provided Geosciences Barcelona with samples of tailings from the Eagle’s Nest project and they are evaluating their potential for carbon dioxide absorption,” he explained. “We hope to be able to use our tailings to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and safely and permanently store it underground.”

Eagle’s Nest is, according to Ring of Fire Metals, one of the largest undeveloped, high-grade nickel-copper-platinum-palladium deposits in the world, located in the Ring of Fire. Based on existing exploration work, Eagle’s Nest will have an initial mine life of 11 years, with the potential for a nine-year extension. It will produce modest volumes of high value product via selective underground mining methods that minimise surface disruption, according to the company. The mined ore will be processed into 150,000 t/y of nickel-copper and platinum group element bearing concentrate.

Phoenix Tailings receives US DoE funding for ‘carbon-negative’ tech development

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Phoenix Tailings, a US-based critical materials extraction and refining startup, is to receive $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to extract nickel and magnesium from mining waste using what it says is “carbon negative technology”.

These metals are crucial to the production of the batteries that fuel cars, computers and phones using a zero-emissions process, it said.

Phoenix Tailings was one of 16 projects across the country to receive the funding as part of the Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Mining Innovations for Negative Emissions Resource Recovery program, which aims to develop market-ready technologies that will increase domestic supplies of critical elements required for the clean energy transition.

The funding will support Phoenix Tailings’ work to extract nickel and magnesium from mining tailings through a process that uses carbonisation and recycled carbon dioxide. The process, which is carbon negative, generates high-purity nickel oxide and magnesium carbonate.

Phoenix Tailings, Co-Founder Anthony Balladon (pictured), said: “Think about all the products we use that rely on batteries – from computers to EVs to tactical weapons systems. We depend on the metals that make up these batteries, but rarely think about the environmental impacts of producing them. At Phoenix Tailings we have found a carbon negative way to recover nickel from mining waste, or tailings. We are grateful for the ARPA-E funding to help propel this project forward and ensure there’s a sustainable way to create these metals without producing harmful by-products.”

U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer M Granholm, said: “A reliable, sustainable domestic supply chain of critical materials that power longer-lasting batteries and other next-generation energy technologies is crucial to reaching our clean energy future. With these investments, DOE is helping to reinvigorate American manufacturing to reduce our overreliance on adversarial nations and position the nation as a global leader of research and innovation.”

Clariant opens new competence centre in Dubai focused on decarbonisation minerals

Base metals, Energy minerals, Mineral processing, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

Clariant Mining Solutions has opened a dedicated global Competence Center for Decarbonization Minerals (CCDM) at the Dubai Science Park in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This laboratory is designed to meet the increasing global demand for solutions to process decarbonisation minerals more efficiently, it said.

The decarbonisation of the production and transportation of goods and services is a growing megatrend. Mining is one of the key foundational industries enabling decarbonisation by delivering the minerals required for these technologies, such as nickel, cobalt and lithium for batteries for electric vehicles, rare earths for magnets in wind turbines and alumina for lighter-weight vehicles and solar panels.

Research activities will include improving metallurgical performance by maximising recovery and grade, optimising cost performance, and creating more sustainable solutions for the processing of decarbonisation minerals, it said.

“Our new Competence Center is another important milestone in our purpose-led strategy to become a sustainability leader in mining chemicals,” George Nunes, Global Head of Clariant Mining Solutions, said.

The Copper Mark launches pilot assurance frameworks for molybdenum, nickel and zinc

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The Copper Mark says it is launching the pilot implementation of the Molybdenum, Nickel and Zinc Marks, in an effort to bring the assurance framework to more markets.

Producers of these metals are able to use the Copper Mark assurance framework to achieve their respective “Mark”, thereby signaling their leadership in sustainability and responsible production practices, the Copper Mark explained.

The main objective of the pilot is to test the implementation of the Copper Mark assurance framework for nickel, zinc and molybdenum producers. In particular, it aims to better understand the application of the multi-metal approach for single and multi-metal producers and the extent to which the multi-metal approach supports participants’ ability to meet upcoming regulatory requirements and market expectations.

The pilot is the result of a deepening collaboration between the Copper Mark, the International Molybdenum Association (IMOA), the Nickel Institute (NI), and the International Zinc Association (IZA) to promote sustainable and responsible production and sourcing practices within the copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc value chains.

The pilot will run from November 2022 to July 2023 and will include the independent third-party site assessment of the participating sites against the Copper Mark Responsible Production Criteria, the Risk Readiness Assessment. The site may receive the Molybdenum Mark, Nickel Mark and/or Zinc Mark if the independent assessment confirms all criteria are fully or partially met. A full launch for producers of molybdenum, nickel, and zinc is planned for 2023, the Copper Mark says.

The collaboration makes use of existing standards and systems. The four organisations are not establishing any new standards. Participation in the pilot is voluntary and is open to any site involved in the extraction, processing, treatment, mixing, recycling, handling, or otherwise manipulating of products containing molybdenum, nickel, or zinc mined ore, metals, chemicals, alloys or other materials.

Michèle Brülhart, Executive Director of the Copper Mark, said: “I am excited to welcome molybdenum, nickel and zinc producers to the Copper Mark assurance framework. It is widely acknowledged that the world will require more metals and minerals in the coming decades to drive the energy transition and other sustainable applications, but it is critical that those metals and minerals be produced and sourced responsibly. This collaboration further increases the percentage of responsibly produced copper, nickel, molybdenum, and zinc available to society.”

Eva Model, Secretary-General of IMOA said: “Demonstrating responsible sourcing across the supply chain is now a necessity in our modern world. IMOA is delighted to be participating in this important pilot. It offers our molybdenum-producing members the opportunity to access a credible assurance framework with an already globally established set of criteria that can be readily adapted to the molybdenum supply chain. We look forward to working with Copper Mark, and our members to ensure the smooth delivery of the pilot.”

Hudson Bates, President of NI said: “The pilot is an important step towards our goal of providing multi-metal producers with a common framework to efficiently assess and report their sustainable production and sourcing performance across their various value chains.”

Andrew Green, Executive Director of IZA said: “The pilot implementation of this assurance framework represents our commitment to enable transparent reporting and best practices for responsible sourcing across the zinc value chain. The close collaboration between partners ensures that our members can expect harmonised.”

Wood gets second bite at Vermelho nickel-cobalt project development

Base metals, Energy minerals, Mineral project development, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Horizonte Minerals Plc has awarded Wood Plc the principal engineering contract to undertake the feasibility study for its 100%-owned Vermelho nickel-cobalt project, in Brazil.

Vermelho is a large high-grade, long mine life, scalable resource, designed to be a low-cost producer of nickel and cobalt for the battery industry, Horizonte says. The Vermelho FS contract award is another key milestone for Horizonte as it advances towards its long-term objective of becoming a 60,000 t/y nickel producer, following the start of construction at Araguaia, its ferronickel project, early this year, which is on schedule to produce first nickel in the March quarter of 2024.

Vermelho is designed to produce 25,000 t/y of nickel and 1,250 t/y of cobalt over a 38-year mine life. The prefeasibility study (dated October 2019) estimated a post-tax internal rate of return of 38.6% using a nickel price of $23,000/t.

Wood, Horizonte says, is a global leader in project delivery, engineering and technical services with experience across a number of the major high pressure leach nickel operations globally.

Jeremy Martin, CEO of Horizonte Minerals, said: “The commencement of the feasibility study is an important step forward in unlocking Vermelho’s significant value. There are very few nickel resources of this scale and quality at an advanced stage of development, leaving Vermelho well positioned to capitalise on the growing demand for sustainable critical metals.

“Vermelho is located in the Carajás mining district, an area that features well-developed infrastructure and hydroelectric power. The project is designed to produce nickel in intermediate or refined form and will be a globally significant, non-conflict, ethical source of cobalt.

“Araguaia and Vermelho have a combined inventory of over 4 Mt of nickel. By leveraging the synergies of these two world-class projects, located within trucking distance of each other in a stable and pro mining jurisdiction, Horizonte is well positioned to deliver its growth target of producing 60,000 t of nickel per year, placing the company amongst the global leaders in primary nickel production outside Indonesia.”

Wood (formerly GRD Minproc) undertook a successful Vermelho feasibility study for Vale between 2003 and 2006. In this regard, it already has a detailed understanding of the project, enabling it to leverage this existing knowledge during the process of producing this updated study for Horizonte, the company said.

Shell Consortium previews Charge On haul truck electrification solution

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Shell has become the latest Charge On Innovation Challenge winner to unveil details about its electric haul truck charging solution, outlining how its consortium of partners intend to combine an end-to-end and interoperable electrification system that reduces emissions without compromising on efficiency or safety, while aiming to be cost competitive versus diesel-powered operation.

The Charge On Innovation Challenge was launched in 2021 and invited vendors and technology innovators from around the world and across industries to collaborate with the mining industry to present novel electric truck charging solutions. The challenge received interest from over 350 companies across 19 industries, with more than 80 companies submitting expressions of interest. Twenty-one companies were then invited to present a detailed pitch of their solution, with the final eight – which included the Shell Consortium – chosen to progress from these 21.

The global challenge, launched by BHP, Rio Tinto and Vale, sought to accelerate commercialisation of effective solutions for charging large electric haul trucks while simultaneously demonstrating there is an emerging market for these solutions in mining.

The Charge On Innovation Challenge requested international solution providers to put forward charging concepts that are:

  • Designed with safety as the number one priority, using inherent defensive design and future-proof principles;
  • Able to supply a battery for 220-t payload electric haul trucks;
  • Capable of supplying 400 kW hours of electricity to a truck during each haul cycle;
  • Able to provide battery charging, or both propulsion and battery charging;
  • Cost effective, minimising complexity without reducing productivity; and
  • Interoperable, allowing different haul truck manufacturers to utilise the same charging infrastructure.

On a media call this week, Shell highlighted how its consortium of nine partners was working on a solution that could not only meet this brief, but also provide a commercial offering to electrify mining and other industries.

Skeleton, Microvast, Stäubli, Carnegie Robotics, Heliox, Spirae, Alliance Automation, Worley and Shell have come together to introduce Shell’s mining electrification solutions for off-road vehicles. This consists of:

  • Power provisioning and microgrids, with the aim to provide a consistent and reliable supply of renewable power in a safe and stable manner;
  • Ultra-fast charging whereby an approximate 90-second charge via flexible, hardwearing and resilient, on-site, ultrafast charge-points can provide assets with continuous operation of some 20-30 minutes depending on the haulage profile; and
  • In-vehicle energy storage: through a combination of advanced battery and capacitor technologies that aim to deliver long lifetimes, ultra-fast charging and high performance.

Some of the key components of the power provision and energy management solution come from Alliance Automation, a multi-disciplined industrial automation and electrical engineering company; Spirae, a technology company that develops solutions for integrating renewable and distributed energy resources within microgrids and power systems for economic optimisation, resiliency enhancement and decarbonisation; Worley, an engineering company that provides project delivery and consulting services to the resources and energy sectors, and complex process industries; and Shell Energy, which provides innovative, reliable and cleaner energy solutions through a portfolio of gas, power, environmental products and energy efficiency offers to businesses and residential customers.

The ultra-fast charging element involves solutions from Carnegie Robotics, a provider of rugged sensors, autonomy software and platforms for defence, agriculture, mining, marine, warehouse and energy applications; Heliox, a leader in fast charging systems within public transport, e-trucks, marine, mining and port equipment; and Stäubli, a global industrial and mechatronic solution provider with four dedicated divisions: electrical connectors, fluid connectors, robotics and textile.

Finally, Skeleton, a global technology leader in fast energy storage for automotive, transportation, grid and industrial applications, and Microvast, a leader in the design, development and manufacture of battery solutions for mobile and stationary applications, are in charge of the in-vehicle energy storage side of things.

As a result of this collaboration, mining operators, Shell says, are set to benefit from an integrated electrification solution that:

  • Is end-to-end, covering the full journey of the electron from generation to delivery in the drivetrain;
  • Is interoperable between different original equipment manufacturer make and models, giving mining operators greater flexibility;
  • Is modular in design to allow mining customers the opportunity to tailor solutions to their specific needs; and
  • Reduces emissions without compromising on operational efficiency or safety.

Sebastian Pohlmann, Skeleton Technologies’ Vice President Automotive & Business Development, revealed more details about the plans for the in-vehicle energy storage part of the equation, confirming that the fast energy storage solution set to be fitted on these 220-t payload haul trucks would leverage its SuperBattery.

The SuperBattery, Pohlmann said, offers a 100 times faster charging option compared with standard lithium-ion batteries, while also being free of cobalt, nickel, graphite and copper materials. He also mentioned that a SuperBattery-equipped haul truck could, in the right situation, offer higher utilisation than its diesel-powered equivalent.

The SuperBattery is due to start production in 2024, with Pohlmann saying the battery lined up for a prototype system as part of the Shell Consortium would weigh in at just over 12 tonnes. He also highlighted the potential for other applications in mining outside of 220 t haul trucks with this platform.

The ultra-fast charging solution that the consortium partners were working on assumed a peak power delivery of 24 MW, Pohlmann said, explaining that the charge points would be positioned around areas where haul trucks normally come to a stop – during dumping or loading, for instance – meaning charging would not interrupt the haul cycle and ensure high utilisation of the truck at all times.

With such a high power draw envisaged by the partners, Grischa Sauerberg, Vice President, Sectoral Decarbonisation & Innovation at Shell, explained that a stationary power element – renewable energy and battery storage – may also be provided if the grid power available cannot support such a peak draw.

The commercial offering from the partners is expected in 2025, however Sauerberg confirmed a pilot solution was set to be tested at a Shell facility in Hamburg, Germany, next year, followed by final field trials at selected mine sites in 2024.

OZ Minerals’ West Musgrave copper-nickel plan receives board approval

Automation, Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , ,

The OZ Minerals Board has greenlit the build of the West Musgrave copper-nickel project in Western Australia, paving the way for the development of a remote asset using dry grinding technology, autonomous haulage and a significant volume of renewable power.

West Musgrave is set to become OZ Minerals’ fourth operating asset when it starts producing concentrate in the second half of 2025, in the process becoming the company’s cleanest and greenest mine with plans to reach net zero Scope 1 emissions by 2038.

The feasibility study the board signed off on details a 13.5 Mt/y operation with average production of circa-28,000 t/y of nickel and circa-35,000 t/y of copper over a 24-year operating life. Coming with a A$1.7 billion ($1.1 billion) direct initial capital expenditure bill, West Musgrave could provide cash flow generation of circa-A$1.9 billion during the first five years of production based on OZ Minerals’ projections.

One of the interesting additions to the process flowsheet – which has been mentioned in previous economic studies – is the use of LOESCHE’s Vertical Roller Mill (VRM) technology.

Two VRMs will operate in parallel after the primary and secondary crushing circuit at West Musgrave, with OZ Minerals noting benefits in reducing power consumption by around 20%, supporting higher flotation recovery and the operational flexibility to be ramped up and down. The latter is particularly important given OZ Minerals plans to make West Musgrave one of the largest fully off-grid, hybrid renewable powered mines in the world with an initial circa-80% renewable penetration rate, powered off wind and solar energy with a battery energy storage system in tow.

Dr Thomas Loesche, Managing Shareholder and owner of LOESCHE, said: “As a mining engineer with a degree in mineral processing, it has always been a vision of mine to develop dry-comminution technologies that enable better sorting efficiencies, reduced power and consumables. We are very pleased to be involved in such an important project. OZ Minerals is breaking new ground and proving that sustainability does not stand in the way of project development, but rather makes such projects possible.”

The application of the VRM technology has been peer reviewed for the project by independent experts and has been de-risked through pilot test work campaigns, OZ Minerals added.

Further upstream of the VRMs, OZ Minerals has stated plans to operate the mining fleet remotely from day one at West Musgrave, with the acquisition of an autonomous haulage system-enabled fleet on a leasing basis in the feasibility study outline.

OZ Minerals did not include details of the size of truck involved in the latest study, but the prefeasibility study originally released in 2020 highlighted the use of up to 25 220-t payload haul trucks.

There is also potential for these haul trucks to be electric in the future, with OZ Minerals saying its pathway is aligned with the potential transition to an electric haulage fleet at the first engine change out.

While OZ Minerals says it has the capacity to fully fund West Musgrave with a new A$1.2 billion syndicated facility supported by key relationship banks awaiting final binding agreements, it said potential strategic partnership in the project via a minority interest was being explored.

The next steps for the project involves award of contracts with major partners – it has already signed up GR Engineering to build the process plant; increasing the capacity of its camp to around 250 beds by early 2023; mobilisation of equipment to commence earthworks; finalise the power purchasing agreement and Living Hub – the latter of which has 350 permanent ensuite rooms; and increasing its owner team resources in line with the plan, including operational-readiness personnel.

Metso Outotec aims for higher capacities as ore sorting offering develops

Base metals, Bulk handling, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The entry of Metso Outotec into the bulk ore sorting space arguably heralds the beginning of a new stage of market adoption – one that is focused on significant throughputs across multiple commodities.

In May, the mining OEM announced a collaboration agreement with Malvern Panalytical, a company that has been using Pulsed Fast Thermal Neutron Activation (PFTNA) technology onboard its cross-belt analysers to analyse and help divert ore and waste streams with improved accuracy.

Up until that announcement, Metso Outotec had mooted the benefits of bulk ore sorting in several industry articles. On the smaller scale, it had also renewed its ongoing agreement with particle ore sorting major player, TOMRA.

The company said its agreement with Malvern Panalytical, which has previously worked on bulk sorting projects with Anglo American among others, brought together its expertise in crushing and bulk material handling solutions with Malvern Panalytical’s ore analysis nous to offer an industry-leading portfolio of solutions for bulk ore sorting.

Rashmi Kasat, Vice President, Digital technologies at Metso Outotec, said in the press release that the pact with Malvern Panalytical would allow the company to meet the industry’s increasing sustainability and resource efficiency needs in an enhanced way in the early comminution stage.

“Sensor-based bulk ore sorting and data-driven analysis upgrades low grade or waste stockpiles, making them economical and far less energy-intensive to treat,” she said.

There are obvious positive benefits up- and down-stream of sensor-based sorting too, with the ability to carry out a low-cost mining method (upstream), as well as reduced capital investments in downstream equipment already shown with early-adopter projects.

That is before considering the relative energy and water reduction requirements that come with applying the technology.

Kasat later told IM that the company’s existing portfolio of material handling modules, crushing stations or mobile crushing equipment, as well as bulk material handling solutions, already “complement” the concept of bulk sorting.

“The addition of the bulk sensor is easily achieved,” she clarified. “The diversion mechanism will be included as well to be able to offer the whole plant out of one hand.”

With crushing stations – at least in the in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) space – that can go up to 15,000 t/h (see the company’s Foresight™ semi-mobile primary gyratory station), the prospect of Metso Outotec making a concerted effort to get into the bulk ore sorting space bodes well for the rising throughputs of projects.

NextOre recently claimed it had commissioned the world’s largest bulk ore sorting system at First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi copper mine in Zambia. This installation, which uses the company’s magnetic resonance technology, comes in at a 2,800 t/h-rated capacity.

Scantech, meanwhile, recently confirmed it has a GEOSCAN GOLD installation using prompt gamma neutron activation analysis technology for bulk sensing/sorting up and running that uses a diversion system at conveyed flow rates of more than 6,000 t/h.

Kasat, without naming a range, confirmed Metso Outotec was targeting “higher capacities” in line with the sensors available on the market. She also clarified that the agreement with Malvern Panalytical was “non-exclusive”.

“We will choose all our sensor/analyser partners strategically,” she explained. “Malvern Panalytical has a leading position and history in this field with proven technology for ore sensing. We will leverage our and their Tier 1 position in the industry for our bulk ore sorting offering.”

Malvern Panalytical uses Pulsed Fast Thermal Neutron Activation technology onboard its cross-belt analysers to analyse and help divert ore and waste streams with improved accuracy

As the type of sensor to be employed varies based on several factors including mineralogy, plant capacity, application of bulk ore sorting, etc, Metso Outotec will identify the right partners for the right need, she explained.

The major constraints for these sensors are often measurement times and sensor penetration, according to Kasat.

“There are very few sensors out there that can do sensing of a 500-mm-deep bed of rock on a conveyor belt, moving at 5-6 m/s,” she said. “But our current and future prospective partners are working on developing the technologies to reduce measurement times without compromising the accuracy of measurement.”

The mining OEM is looking to, in most cases, provide ‘plug and play’ flowsheets for bulk ore sorting and then carry out the required customisation per sensor.

This plan reinforces Kasat’s assertion that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ concept in bulk ore sorting applications.

For new projects, the process could see the company start with metallurgical testing, progress to mobile/fixed pilot plants in the “backyard” to test the accuracy of the sensors for the given application, and then find the right solution for the customer’s use case.

Renato Verdejo, Business Development Lead for Bulk Ore Sorting at Metso Outotec, added: “For existing plants, we will install the sensor over the belt conveyor and analyse the results after selecting the right sensor for this sorting application.”

Metso Outotec intends to focus on major commodities like copper, iron, nickel and gold, among others, with applications such as waste/ore sorting, low grade re-crushing and beneficiation process optimisation.

Within this wide remit – and in line with its non-exclusive agreements with Malvern Panalytical and TOMRA – the company is also considering the combination of both bulk and particle sorting in flowsheet designs.

Metso Outotec, in 2021, renewed its ongoing agreement with particle ore sorting major player, TOMRA

“The combination of the superior throughput of a bulk application with the selectivity of particle sorting in a rougher-scavenger setup is something that can bring sorting to high volume mines in the future,” Kasat said.

“Plant concepts and flowsheets have already been conceptualised and we expect the first deliveries to be in pilot stations to test the sensors on site,” she added, saying that the tonnage requirements for bulk ore sorting sensor validation meant a bulk sensor would have to be piloted in the field to get statistically meaningful data about the properties of the deposit.

Metso Outotec’s crushing system offering will form the “base” for these solutions, with ore sorting optionality available to all customers, she said.

This sensor-based optionality also overlaps with another in-demand part of Metso Outotec’s business: IPCC.

The company’s dedicated team in Germany are responsible for this area, developing projects backed by comprehensive studies.

They – like most of the industry – are aware of the potential application for sensor-based ore sorting in IPCC projects.

Markus Dammers, Senior Engineer of Mine Planning for Metso Outotec and one of the team members in Germany, said there were applications for both bulk and particle sorting in IPCC applications, with the former likely integrated after primary crushing and the latter after secondary/tertiary crushing.

“Bulk ore sorting in an IPCC application should be integrated after primary crushing in order to recover marginal material determined as waste in the block model, or reject waste from the ore stream,” he said.

Bulk ore sorting in an IPCC application should be integrated after primary crushing in order to recover marginal material determined as waste in the block model, or reject waste from the ore stream, according to Markus Dammers

If integrated after secondary or tertiary crushing, it becomes less effective, with the ore’s heterogeneity decreasing every time the ore is rehandled, transferred, crushed, blended, etc.

“In this manner one can take advantage of the natural variability in the deposit, rather than blending it out, with bulk ore sorting,” he said.

After secondary and tertiary crushing, particle sorting may be applied as a “standalone or subsequent ‘cleaner’ process step”, he added.

With Metso Outotec open to the inclusion of ore sorting in fully-mobile, semi-mobile and stationary crushing stations within an IPCC context, the company has many potential customers – existing and new – out there.

And that is just in IPCC applications.

The company also has hundreds of crushing stations on fixed plant installations that could represent potential sorting opportunities.

Metso Outotec, on top of this massive install base, has a few advantages over traditional ore sorting vendors in that it understands the plant that goes around the analysis and diversion process associated with ore sorting; knows how important uptime is to its customers; and, through sophisticated modelling, realises what impact changes in the flowsheet will have up- and down-stream of such equipment.

“The key point here is to have all the equipment to handle and process the ore to feed the sorter and, later, having the technology to divert the material and retain the availability of the plant without changes,” Kasat said.

Energised by its Planet Positive aims of responding to the sustainability requirements of its customers in the fields of energy or water efficiency, emissions, circularity and safety, the company is now ready to flex its processing plant muscles to increase the industry’s adoption of bulk and particle sorting technology.

Martin Engineering air cannon tech keeps the fines flowing at Lundin’s Eagle mine

Base metals, Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Martin Engineering, a leader in industrial bulk handling, has helped Lundin Mining’s Eagle Mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with clogging and downtime issues, resolving these problems and improving material flow with powerful and compact air cannon technology.

Martin Engineering installed the cannons in a chute carrying damp fines through the refining process at Eagle, with the cannons mitigating blockages and facilitating the movement of material. The result was improved safety, reduced labour costs, greater production, less downtime and a calculated circa-1,000% saving to the cost of operation over existing solutions.

“Safety is a top priority for us,” Ted Lakomowski, Lead Reliability Technician at Eagle Mine, said. “When we experienced clogging and downtime at the processing mill, our crew naturally swung into action to resolve it, but we immediately sought a safer long-term solution.”

Eagle Mine is the only primary nickel mine in the USA, producing 1.5% of the world’s total nickel production. The company extracts approximately 2,000 t/d from the underground nickel-copper mine using a bench-and-fill stoping process. Ore from the mine is stored in a covered coarse stockpile facility prior to transport to the Humboldt Mill. A former iron ore processing plant, the Humboldt facility’s three-stage crushing circuit reduces the material to 3/8 in-minus (9.5 mm-minus), then a single stage ball mill grinds it further and it is mixed into a slurry.

To liberate the nickel and other minerals from the waste materials, a refining process of selective flotation is used. During the crushing process, a mesh screen separates the fines from the remaining aggregate, which are fed back through the process. Fines that pass through a screen fall into a wide-mouthed hopper, leading to a chute that narrows to approximately 2.5-m wide by 0.6-m high and – after a dead drop of several feet – slopes in a circa-45º of decline. This slope slowed the descent of the fine material for a low impact and centred discharge onto a conveyor belt leading to the ore bins. Material buildup began at the hopper and at the discharge slope, but could also occur at virtually any point, blocking the chute, according to Martin Engineering.

Such accumulation would stop the entire crushing process approximately three-to-four times per shift for as long as an hour, blocking input of material all the way back to the ore storage area. Workers attacked the clog with 4.5-m long air lances from the top of the hopper and bottom of the chute. The method used a tremendous amount of compressed air and diverted manpower from other essential duties. Moreover, air lances caused excessive splash-back of wet material, which was extremely messy and potentially hazardous.

Eagle first installed a polymer lining in the chute. Offering a low coefficient of friction, the lining was bolted to the chute wall and acted like a smooth slide for the material to ride down. Less effective against the adherent qualities of the material than hoped, Eagle next installed pneumatic vibrators onto the vessel wall, intended to agitate the adhered material and promote its descent down the chute slope. But the fact that the polymer lining was bolted to the vessel caused it to dampen the vibration of the units, limiting the force to only the impact zone and not much farther.

“We were forced to default back to air lances, but kept on looking for a better solution,” Lakomowski explained. “Having worked with Martin Engineering in the past, we asked them to come in, examine the issue and offer a safe, effective and affordable solution.”

Lakomowski advocated for the initial installation of five 35 litre Martin® Hurricane Air Cannons, followed by two more placed in essential spots in the chute. One unit was placed at the area where material discharged into the hopper, two others were positioned at the hopper slope where the most accumulation was observed and two more were placed along the drop chute. All of the tanks were accompanied by a 101 mm pipe assembly ending in fan jet nozzles.

Offering more force output than designs double their size with considerably less air consumption, the compact air cannon tanks measure only 406 mm in diameter 633-mm long, weighing 35 kg each, Martin Engineering says. The units fire a shot of air at up to 120 psi (8.27 bar) through the pipe assembly to a fan jet nozzle. The nozzle spreads the air stream 304 mm at the exit point, distributing the blast pattern across the surface of the wall.

Operating on a regular firing schedule of every 1-10 minutes – readjusted for production volume, time of year and moisture level – revealed the seven-cannon configuration reduced clogging issues and downtime, according to the company. This significantly lowered the risk to operators and reduced the cost of operation.

“When I did the cost assessment, I was surprised to discover that there was a 1,000% compressed air savings in using the air cannons over the air lances,” Lakomowski said. “It’s a significantly lower effect on our system than initially predicted, and managers are very happy about that.”

The project also improved safety, as workers spent less time diverted from other assignments to use air lances or create vibration by beating on the vessel walls, Martin Engineering said. By being able to perform maintenance on wear parts like valves from the outside of the cannon without tank removal, upkeep can be safely performed by a single technician with no heavy lifting involved, it added.

“Just from a safety aspect, this solution has paid for itself,” Lakomowski concluded. “The Martin Engineering team was easy to work with, and they were cognisant of our budget restrictions. Overall, this was a successful project.”