Tag Archives: Trail Ridge South

Chemours cuts ribbon on Trail Ridge South mineral sands mine

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

The Chemours Company has held a ribbon cutting event for key community stakeholders and legislators to officially recognise the startup of its newest mineral sand mine, Trail Ridge South, in Florida, USA.

The new mining operation, which kicked off commissioning in August, represents a $93 million investment that will create approximately 50 new jobs in the three-county area.

The project to expand its mining operations will allow Chemours – the only domestic producer of titanium and zirconium minerals and one of only two domestic producers of rare earth minerals – to have additional access to these high-quality concentrated deposits used to produce Chemours’ Ti-Pure™ brand of titanium dioxide (TiO₂).

“A reliable supply of quality ilmenite and other minerals is critical to our ability to serve customers,” Mark Smith, Vice President of Operations for Chemours Titanium Technologies, said. “Sourcing those resources from a community we’re already so deeply connected to makes it even better – it’s a win-win. We’re incredibly proud to call Clay County home and look forward to many years of safe operations and partnership.”

Chemours’ sand mining approach uses environmentally responsible processes that have minimal impact on the environment and provides for full land reclamation when mining is complete, the company says. Constructed in approximately 13 months, the Trail Ridge South facility was designed using a modularisation concept, where modules were built off-site and then shipped to the site for assembly. Modularisation allows the facility to be more easily moved in a shorter timeframe at the end of the mining life of the site, which is anticipated to be approximately eight years.

The new mining facility took 150,000 man-hours to construct with zero recordable injuries. In addition, the site’s leaders worked closely with regulatory agencies to obtain required permits and ensure there was no adverse impact to the environment.

In addition, Trail Ridge South will incorporate Mobile Mining Units (MMUs) designed by Carrara, Queensland, Australia-headquartered Downer company Mineral Technologies that address environmental concerns with traditional dredge mining. The MMUs allow the site to have much lower emissions, reduced dust levels, and improved safety by removing conventional hauling trucks. In addition, the facility will recycle 98% of the water used in the manufacturing process – providing sustainable solutions while still meeting the Chemours’ commitment to process minerals. Trail Ridge South process water and water treatment ponds are all constructed above ground, with approximately 39 million gallons (177.3 million litres) of storage capacity.

Chemours kicks off commissioning at Trail Ridge South mineral sands mine

Energy minerals, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Chemours Company has begun commissioning its newest mineral sand mine, Trail Ridge South, in Florida, USA.

The new mining operation represents a $93 million investment that will create approximately 50 new jobs in the three-county area, and will incorporate Mobile Mining Units (MMUs) that were previously tested out at the company’s Jesup, Georgia mining site, allowing for reduced dependency on traditional dredge or truck and shovel mining processes.

Commissioning work to test operational aspects of the new mine has begun, with startup anticipated later this year. Expansion of its mining operations will allow Chemours – the only domestic producer of titanium and zirconium minerals and one of only two domestic producers of rare earth minerals – to have additional access to these high-quality concentrated deposits used to produce Chemours’ Ti-Pure™ brand of titanium dioxide (TiO₂).

“The commissioning of our new Trail Ridge South mine is much more than an operational milestone – it represents a huge win for our customers, community, and our country,” Jody Sciance, co-Director of Minerals Operations for Chemours, said. “This secure, domestic mineral supply means more tonnes of TiO₂ for our pigment customers, more jobs for Clay County residents, and access to critical materials identified by the U.S. Department of the Interior as vital to our nation’s security and economic prosperity – all with minimal impact on our local environment. We are extremely proud to expand our footprint in Florida and look forward to partnering with this community for years to come.”

The MMUs to be used at Trail Ridge South, an expansion of its existing Trail Ridge operation, allow the site to have much lower emissions, reduced dust levels and improved safety by removing conventional hauling trucks, Chemours says. In addition, the Trail Ridge South facility will recycle 98% of its water used in the manufacturing process – providing sustainable solutions while still meeting the company’s commitment to process minerals. Trail Ridge South process water and water treatment ponds are all constructed above ground, with approximately 39 million gallons (177 million litres) of storage capacity.

A high-performance solution, the MMUs for both Jesup and Trail Ridge South have been designed by Carrara, Queensland, Australia-headquartered Downer company Mineral Technologies (MT). MT told IM in 2021 that these units are aimed at mining sites where traditional dredging is not an option, or not cost effective. The technology delivers improvements in availability, orebody yields, throughput and overall mineral recovery. Suited to sand environments that include organics such as tree roots, light clay and soft or friable rock, MMUs can reduce operating costs by also eliminating the need for conventional truck and shovel mining. MT said the Chemours MMUs are extracting difficult-to-reach mineral sand deposits where traditional mining methods don’t stack up as the best business case. The MMUs provide a far safer and substantially reduced cost per tonne solution compared with other options.

MT says the MMU has a 750 t/h nominal operation with peak at 900 t/h. It offers complete remote control via a tablet device eliminating the need for on-board personnel. Dozers push run of mine ore to the unit where a hopper is loaded via hydraulic excavator, with the material then crushed to a suitable size for pumping of slurried ore to downstream processes.