Column: Zinc concentrates squeeze but there’s no shortage of metal
Global zinc mine production continues to slide and the raw materials squeeze is now starting to bite, particularly in China.
Mondo Minerals B.V. has awarded Tenova Bateman Sub-Saharan Africa the front end engineering design (FEED) for the on-site refining of nickel concentrates into a mixed nickel cobalt hydroxide product (MHP) at its existing Vuonos Talc Concentrator Plant at Talkkitie, Finland. Engineering and EPCM services provider, Tenova Bateman Sub-Saharan Africa, is part of the global Tenova Mining & Minerals Group.
The award of the FEED contract follows the successful completion of the prefeasibility and definitive feasibility studies for the plant by Tenova Mining and Minerals in Australia, in conjunction with the South African minerals research organization, Mintek.
Mondo generates the nickel concentrates as a co-product of talc production concentrates, but the long-term economically viable offtake agreement for these has to date been limited, as they contain impurities, which makes treatment through conventional smelting difficult.
Using a bioleaching process developed specifically by Mintek, the plant will treat 12,000 tpa of nickel concentrate from Mondo’s two talc operations in Finland, Sotkamo and Vuonos, to produce approximately 1,000 tpa of nickel in MHP. The MHP is to be sold to nickel refineries or directly to the stainless steel industry.
The plant will be highly automated and designed to withstand the tough winter conditions of Finland.
Tenova Bateman Sub-Saharan Africa is liaising with Finnish civil contractors, and is assisting in the technical aspects to obtain the Finnish construction permit for the contractor to start with the early civil and earthworks on site.
“The Tenova Mining & Minerals Group’s recognized bioleaching processing experience and its well established working relationship with Mintek positioned us well to win this important award,” said Tollie Nel, Managing Director of Tenova Bateman Sub-Saharan Africa. “The project is also a good example of Tenova Mining & Minerals’ capability to draw on the world class technological expertise across its global organization to deliver a solution that fully satisfies the client’s needs.”
Tenova Bateman manages the complete project lifecycle from concept to commissioning, optimizing the flowsheet of a project through state-of-the-art process engineering and successfully delivering completed projects using leading-edge project management systems. Comprehensive services for new process plants and brownfield upgrades, cover a wide range of commodities and are tailored to both large and small projects. With some 500 modular plants installed since the 1960’s, Tenova Bateman Modular Plants offer competitive mineral processing packages for lower tonnages, while reducing risk by precommissioning before site erection. Tenova Bateman’s engineering and EPCM skills and modular solutions have been proven on some of the most exacting mineral resource projects, in the most difficult of terrains.
Tenova Mining & Minerals is a one destination total integrated solutions provider to the global mining, bulk materials handling and minerals beneficiation and processing sectors, offering innovative technological solutions and full process and commodity knowledge across the mining industry value chain.
Technical Enquiries: Contact: Dick Joubert e-mail: [email protected] Office: +27 11 899 9111
Tenova is a worldwide supplier of advanced technologies, products, and engineering services for the metals and mining & minerals industries. More information is available at www.tenova.com.
