FLSmidth has received a EUR 5.4 million grant from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, for a joint project related to flotation process technology to reduce energy and resource use in the mining industry.
For FLSmidth, this is part of the MissionZero journey that will enable the mining industry to move toward zero water and energy waste by 2030. The new flotation process is called RFC, Reflux Flotation Cell. The RFC-Upscaling project will run from June 1, 2021, until June 1, 2024. A total of EUR 5.4 million was awarded, with EUR 2.8 million to FLSmidth, by EIT RawMaterials, which is funded by EIT through a competitive application process.
“The RFC technology has potential across various commodities and flotation applications,” FLSmidth President of Mining Manfred Schaffer said. “The opportunity presented by the EUR5.4 million grant will accelerate the commercialization of the technology. It will also allow for further development and optimization of the RFC, hopefully expanding the energy and water saving potential of flotation solutions.”
The consortium behind the project, led by FLSmidth, includes two mine sites, KGHM Polska Miedz Spólka Akcyjna in Poland and Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB) in Sweden; two universities, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Helmholtz Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf University; the Swedish Environmental Research Institute; and several external advisors. The University of Newcastle in Australia and professor Kevin Galvin will act as external advisors.
“We each have our strength, experiences and competences working within mining,” Schaffer said. “A project like this shows the benefit of us all joining forces and combining competences to break new ground in mining technology.
“I firmly believe that the solutions to the environmental challenges we are all facing must come from technology. I am delighted that we, together with our partners, can deliver a solution that helps in achieving this goal.”
More information about the project can be found at https://eitrawmaterials.eu/project/rfc-upscaling/
