Finnish mining technology group Metso has secured an equipment order worth more than €30 million for a copper project in the Asia-Pacific region, with the package covering grinding, flotation, thickening, filtration and material-handling technologies. The customer was not disclosed. The order combines mechanical processing equipment with digital monitoring and optimisation systems. The package includes SAG and ball mills, TankCell flotation technology, high-rate thickeners, Larox filtration equipment and material-handling systems.
Digital Technologies Included in Processing Package
The project will also deploy Metso’s MillSense, RockSense and FrothSense+ technologies for monitoring and process optimisation. Metso recorded approximately €6 million of the contract in its Minerals segment during the third quarter. Most of the remaining contract value had already been recognised during the second quarter. The order comes as copper producers face pressure to improve throughput and recovery amid declining average ore grades across many mature mining regions. Lower grades can require larger volumes of material to be mined and processed to produce the same amount of copper, increasing the importance of energy efficiency, equipment availability and recovery performance.
Processing Efficiency Gains Importance for Copper Miners
Copper demand is linked to expansion in electricity grids, renewable generation, electric transport and data infrastructure. At the same time, new copper supply faces permitting delays, project cost inflation, declining grades and lengthy construction periods, increasing the focus on extracting more value from existing and newly constructed processing facilities.
Automation and tighter control of grinding and flotation circuits can allow operators to adjust processing conditions in real time, with digital monitoring technologies supporting efforts to improve recoveries and manage energy, water and reagent consumption. The Metso order illustrates the increasing role of integrated processing systems in mining investment, with equipment suppliers competing on the integration of complete processing circuits as well as individual machines such as mills, flotation cells and other equipment.
Metso Expands Copper Processing Equipment Base
Integrated plant packages can also create longer-term opportunities for equipment suppliers in spare parts, maintenance, optimisation and digital services after the initial capital purchase. Once equipment is installed within a processing plant, suppliers can retain exposure to replacement parts and service requirements over extended operating periods. For Metso, the €30 million-plus order adds to its installed equipment base in copper processing while incorporating its digital and lifecycle-service technologies into the project.
