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Metso and Boliden have extended their services contract for Boliden’s Aitik mine in Gällivare, Northern Sweden. The three-year extension includes the supply of mill-lining solutions and the preventive maintenance of the grinding circuit. The value of the order will not be disclosed. It is a performance based cost-per-ton agreement, where Metso is rewarded according to the output of the customer process.
“Signing a cost-per-ton agreement with Boliden gives us a great opportunity to show our expertise and ability to provide complete mill lining solutions. Within the scope of the service partnership we will be responsible for planning the shut-down process related to the replacement of mill-linings to be as efficient as possible and have a direct impact in helping Boliden to maximize the output of their process” says Simon Pelletier, SVP, Life Cycle Services, Services business line, Mining and Construction, Metso.
Metso and Boliden have co-operated since the 1960s. The new contract is yet another step forward in deepening the collaboration even further.
“The challenges Boliden has tested us with have pushed Metso to combine our expertise in both services and capital businesses. This refined approach has resulted in new Life-Cycle Services contracts with Northland Resources and Russian Copper Company as well”, says João Ney Colagrossi, President of Services business line, Mining and Construction, Metso.
The Aitik mine is one of Europe’s largest producers of copper. The most recent expansion project will increase the capacity of the mine 36 million tons of ore per year. Metso delivered two AG (autogenous) mills to Boliden in 2007. The AG mills of 11,58 m by 13,72 m in diameter were the largest ever supplied by Metso at that time.
The order will be included in Mining and Construction third quarter 2012 orders received.
Metso’s new mill liner maximizes mill availability while improving worker safety
The AG mills installed in Aitik will be lined using the new Metso Megaliner(TM) shell liner. This new concept liner helps to maximize the availability of large mills by utilizing an innovative design which offers their speedy replacement. Megaliner(TM) uses larger than average liners, yet these can still be placed with the same liner handlers used with many large AG mills. By using larger liners a smaller quantity of them is needed and Megaliner(TM) also has fewer attachment points compared with conventional liners, improving installation and removal time even further. It also improves worker safety during maintenance, as the liners are bolted into position from the outside of the mill, so workers do not need to stand in the ‘drop-zone’ of the liners.
Metso is opening a services hub to support mining industry in northern Sweden
To ensure both Boliden and other customers nearby continue to receive first-class service, Metso is ramping up its strong local services offering for mining customers in northern Sweden by expanding the services hub in Gällivare. The new hub will also include a distribution center for spare and wear parts.
In addition to Gällivare, Metso has a strong and competent customer service organization in Kiruna and Luleå, and is about to open a service center in Pajala to support the new services contract with Northland Resources AB. The northern Swedish region holds major potential for Metso’s equipment and service business, as mining companies situated in the area are expanding their business and investing in new mining projects.
Boliden is a metals company with a commitment to sustainable development. Boliden’s roots are Nordic, but business is global. The company’s core competence is within the fields of exploration, mining, smelting and metals recycling. Boliden has a total of approximately 4,400 employees and an annual turnover of approximately EUR 4.7 billion in 2011.
