Metso Outotec Wins Order From Zijin

Metso Outotec signed a $29.4 million contract with Zijin Mining Co. Ltd. for the delivery of processing equipment to the Qulong copper mine project in Tibet. The scope of delivery includes a 58-MW grinding circuit equipped with horizontal and vertical grinding mills, process automation, and installation and commissioning services.

Metso Outotec said the solutions will help Zijin Mining in their quest to create a sustainable world-class operation with high productivity and cost effectiveness. “The merger of Metso and Outotec has strengthened our local business presence, which will be of great benefit to the implementation of the project,” said Stephan Kirsch, president, minerals business, Metso Outotec.

With copper reserves that exceed 10 million metric tons (mt), the Qulong copper mine is a high-altitude operation. The mine’s concentrator sits on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, often referred to as the Roof of the World. After the completion of the project, the ore handling capacity of the concentrator will reach 150,000 mt per day.

Metso Outotec also reported it will deliver two Vertimill VTM-4500 stirred mills to a gold mine in Australia in 2021. The mills will be the largest of their kind installed in that country.

The company reported a two-year extension of the Life-Cycle Services agreement with Boliden’s Aitik copper mine in Gällivare, Northern Sweden. The agreement covers the supply of mill lining, chute lining solutions, preventive maintenance of the grinding circuit, and recycling of used wear parts.

The contract is a performance-based cost-per-ton agreement, and seeks to maximize availability of the grinding circuit and production. In 2019, the mine produced close to 41,000 metric tons of copper, employing nearly 800 people.

Separately, Metso Outotec reported its new manufacturing site in Šiauliai län, northern Lithuania, started operations. “The new plant further strengthens the company’s capability to produce high-quality rubber and poly-met wear parts.”