Tag Archives: Planet Positive

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commissioning is expected in the December quarter of 2024.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Metso Outotec accelerates return on investment with Flotation Plant Unit introduction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Metso Outotec launches carbon-neutral and autonomous pelletising concept

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Metso Outotec re-introduces Planet Positive TankCell flotation cells

Comminution of minerals, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it is re-introducing its TankCell® offering – the largest of its kind on the market – in an effort to further provide efficient and economical plant design with high availability and reduced plant footprint for any application.

Since the 1990s, Metso Outotec has delivered nearly 8,000 TankCell flotation cells to mining customers around the world, with a size range that goes from 5 cu.m to 630 cu.m.

“The energy-efficient TankCell flotation cells are part of our Planet Positive offering and are designed to provide optimal metallurgical performance sustainably,” Antti Rinne, Vice President, Flotation at Metso Outotec. “All components, as well as electrical equipment, have been selected for maximum availability and operating life.

“When combined with the Concorde Cell™, customers can unlock the potential for even further improved performance. Higher recovery, selectivity and final concentrate grade are just a few of the benefits. On top of this, we have a comprehensive automation, services and modernisation offering to support our customers’ flotation process improvement and optimisation needs.”

TankCell units are equipped with the FloatForce® mixing mechanism, which provides improved flotation hydrodynamics and pumping performance at high air dispersion rates. Thanks to this innovative mixing mechanism, particle recovery in the flotation cell is very efficient while power consumption and the risk of sanding is reduced, according to the company.

Metso Outotec says it is working on exciting new developments in the innovative FloatForcetechnology and expects to introduce the next-generation mixing mechanisms soon.

The TankCell flotation cells come with a wide selection of froth management tools, including different types of launders, optimised level control as well as various intelligent instruments, it added.

Metso Outotec also provides a range of services for the flotation units, including, for example, flotation process assessment, flotation inspections and various types of upgrades and life-cycle services packages for the optimisation of flotation cell performance.

TNG enlists Metso Outotec’s H2-based Circored process for Mount Peake concentrate plans

Energy minerals, Metallurgy, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

TNG Limited, an Australia-based resources company, has awarded Metso Outotec a study looking at reducing Mount Peake Ti-V magnetite concentrate using Circored™ technology, which uses hydrogen as its only reductant source.

As part of the study, Metso Outotec will perform a techno-economic assessment to integrate Circored technology into TNG’s TIVAN® process that provides for the extraction of high-quality products from Ti-V magnetite orebodies.

Metso Outotec has been granted this assignment following positive test work performed for TNG, which confirmed the applicability of hydrogen-based reduction for Mount Peake Ti-V magnetite concentrate.

The test work program, which was a precursor to a more detailed commercial and technical evaluation, was a success, TNG says, delivering the following results:

  • Achieved iron metallisation targets across a range of testwork parameters;
  • Demonstrated the viability of processing Mount Peake titanomagnetite concentrate with Metso Outotec’s Circored technology; and
  • Generated samples for downstream validation testwork.

Now, Metso Outotec will further define the process flowsheet for the Mount Peake project and prepare a preliminary capital cost and operating cost (+/-30%) for a Circored Plant.

The use of hydrogen is a key part of the TNG’s medium-to-longer-term strategy to reduce its net carbon footprint from processing operations at the Mount Peake project.

TNG Managing Director & CEO, Paul Burton, said the Metso Outotec study also complements its existing partnership with SMS group, which TNG has a strategic partnership with, to investigate green hydrogen production at Mount Peake.

Located 235 km north of Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory of Australia, Mount Peake will be a long-life project producing a suite of high-quality, high-purity strategic products for global markets including vanadium pentoxide, titanium dioxide pigment and iron ore fines, accordiing to TNG. The project has received Major Project Status from the Australian Federal Government and the Northern Territory Government.

Circored, part of Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive portfolio, is a process that uses hydrogen as the sole reducing agent in the reduction of fine ores, enabling carbon neutrality for metal processing plants.

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.

Metso Outotec to supply Planet Positive Vertimills to iron ore project in South America

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it has been awarded a contract to deliver sustainable grinding technology to an iron ore project producing premium pellet feed in South America.

The total value of the order exceeds €10 million ($10.2 million), the company says.

The OEM’s scope of delivery consists of the engineering, manufacturing and supply of four Vertimill® vertical grinding mills. In addition, Metso Outotec will provide installation and commissioning advisory services. The Planet Positive Vertimill grinding mills are expected to save more than 30% of the installed power compared with a conventional ball mill circuit, the company says.

“We are pleased that our customer has chosen the industry-leading Vertimill technology,” Christoph Hoetzel, Head of the Grinding business line at Metso Outotec, says. “The regrinding circuit will enable energy-efficient grinding combined with low operating and life-cycle costs.”

Metso Outotec to deliver Planet Positive milling, concentration and filtration tech to Kamoa

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Water management, , , , , , , , , ,

Kamoa Copper SA has selected Metso Outotec to supply key concentrator plant equipment to the company’s copper mining complex expansion in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the OEM reports.

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery consists of Planet Positive processing equipment, including energy efficient HIGmill™ regrind mills (pictured) with polyurethane wear linings. The delivery also includes Larox® PF 60 Series concentrate filters and TankCell® flotation cells for the efficient recovery of valuables.

“One of the key missions for Kamoa Copper SA is to implement low-carbon technology to advance sustainable production of copper,” Charles Ntsele, Vice President, Minerals Sales for Metso Outotec in Africa, says. “Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive offering supports our customer’s ambition, allowing us to be a true partner for positive change.”

Early in July, Ivanhoe Mines, which owns 39.6% of Kamoa-Kakula, reported record producion in the June quarter of 87,314 t of copper in concentrate produced.

Metso Outotec also announced this week that it had signed an agreement with Larsen & Toubro Limited to supply four Symons™ cone crushers for an iron ore crushing and screening plant to National Mineral Development Corporation’s (NMDC) Kirandul complex in Chhattisgarh, Central India.

The new Symons cone crushers have advanced features that will make the customer’s operations more efficient and reduce maintenance efforts compared with earlier versions and to other equivalent crushers on the market, Metso Outotec says.