Metso will deliver high-performance crushing and material handling equipment to the De Beers’ Venetia mine, located in Limpopo province, South Africa. The Venetia mine produces about 4 million carats per year, making it one of South Africa’s mineral resource flagships.
Initially, the Venetia mine was designed as an open-pit operation. In 2013, an underground extension project commenced with plans to start producing carats in 2022, climbing to full production in 2025 and extending the mine life to 2046. To achieve this, the project team needed a dedicated commitment and optimized, high-performance technologies to deliver on their plans.
The customer approached Metso to deliver two primary jaw crushers and several feeders. All the equipment will be installed underground, which is a very challenging installation, especially given the shaft constraints (dimensions) and weigh limitations for transportation underground.
The customer said it decided on the Nordberg C Series jaw crusher range because the pinned and bolted design of the crusher allows for extensive disassembly. This enhances ease of transportation and installation, especially where there are critical space constraints such as an underground installation — as is the case with this project. The Metso apron feeders are used for extracting or feeding ores that are wet, sticky, dry or even frozen.
