Mining

Barrick is aiming to turn Lumwana into one of the world’s major copper mines. (Image source: Barrick)

Barrick Gold Corporation, a mining company that produces gold and copper, has awarded a major contract around its Lumwana project in Zambia to Metso, a provider of solutions and services for the aggregates, minerals processing and metals refining industries

Already a significant contributor to Barrick’s copper portfolio, the expansion of the project in Zambia's North-Western Province aims to transform it into one of the world’s major copper mines, with a projected annual production of 240,000 tons of copper.

To achieve this, Barrick has called upon the services of Metso, presenting a contract of EU €70mn(approx. US$78mn). This will include delivery of key equipment for grinding, flotation, thickening, feeding, and filtration.

Planet Positive

“We are honoured to have been selected by Barrick as the strategic partner for this project. The copper concentrate production process in Lumwana has been designed with sustainability and production efficiency in mind, with most of the equipment selected from our Planet Positive offering,” remarked Markku Teräsvasara, president of the Minerals business area and deputy CEO of Metso.

The Planet Positive offering was made clear earlier this year when Metso announced an expansion to its solvent extraction offering and introduced the VSF X solvent extraction plant with an extended scope. Click here to learn more about these solutions.

Thierry Kakese, WEG’s regional manager – Central Africa, in front of WEG transformers on a mine in the DRC. (Image source: WEG)

For over 20 years, WEG has been a strategic supplier to the mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo with its local South African manufacturing base central to reduced lead times, while a well-established distribution and service network has enhanced support capabilities and, ultimately, customer satisfaction

With a total mineral wealth estimated in the tens of trillions of dollars, the DRC is one of the most strategic mining markets for WEG. Armed with a diverse scope of products including low and high voltage electric motors, low and high voltage drives, power and distribution transformers, gensets and energy solutions, low and medium voltage switchgear, motor control centres (MCCs) and E-houses, WEG has had a longstanding presence in the DRC mining market.

Thierry Kakese, WEG’s regional manager – Central Africa, said the company operates through various links and channels in the DRC. “When it comes to capital projects, we work directly with EPCM and project houses to ensure our products and solutions are specified,” he remarked. “On the operational side, we do establish a direct link with end users, mostly via our in-country partners. Our local representation in the DRC comprises distribution and service channels.”

Premium products manufactured locally

One of WEG’s flagship product lines in the DRC is its premium IE3 and IE4 motors. The energy saving benefits of WEG’s IE3 and IE4 motors have set them apart from competitors, addressing mines’ quests to reduce energy consumption and lower operating costs.

Much of the WEG equipment for the DRC is manufactured in South Africa. The low voltage (LV) and high voltage (HV) MCCs, transformers, gensets, MV soft starters, LV variable speed drives (VSDs) and soft starter panels are all manufactured in Johannesburg, while some of the gensets come from the company’s Cape Town facility. Given the importance of quality control in mining, these facilities are ISO 9001: 2015 certified and adhere to high quality procedures and standards. WEG also complies with the relevant International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards for the various product groups.

The fact that manufacturing now takes place in Johannesburg, which is only 2,000 km away from most of the mining sites in the DRC, significantly shortens lead times compared to previously importing from WEG’s overseas factories in Europe, Asia or the Americas.

Delivering products and solutions in the DRC is not without its challenges, added Kakese. The DRC probably has one of the most challenging transport infrastructure environments in Africa. In addition, most of the mines are located in remote areas, rendering road transportation difficult.

“To address this challenge, we have over the years bolstered our local representation with service and distribution partners who carry sufficient stockholding and are the first line of support for customers in the DRC. In fact, we have recently added IPS Congo to our Value Added Reseller (VAR) network. IPS Congo is strategically located in Kolwezi, where the majority of mines in the DRC are based. On the service side of our network, we have added Lekasi-based AEMI, which services our range of LV motors,” concluded Kakese.

This article was authored by WEG Africa. Learn more about the company and its services at: www.weg.net

Two record breaking diamonds were recovered by Lucara Diamond Corp. just weeks apart. (Image Source: TOMRA) 

TOMRA X-Ray Transmission (XRT) technology at the Karowe Mine in Botswana has played a vital role in the recovery of two record-breaking diamonds

The 2,492-carat stone that was recovered by Lucara Diamond Corp. in late August is one of the largest rough diamonds in recorded history and the largest one ever recovered directly from run-of-mine ore. Then, just a few weeks later, it was followed by a 1,094-carat diamond – representing the sixth rough diamond weighing more than 1,000 carats recovered at the mine. These achievements are, in part, a testament to the transformative capabilities of TOMRA’s technology, which has been present at the mine since 2017.

“TOMRA’s XRT technology has transformed diamond recovery, achieving unprecedented results and breaking records,” remarked Corné de Jager, diamond segment manager TOMRA Mining. “Fifteen of the top 23 largest diamonds, bigger than 400 carats, recovered since TOMRA XRT bulk concentration installations commenced fully in the diamond industry in 2014, were recovered with our technology – thirteen of them at Lucara’s Karowe Mine, which holds record-breaking finds in various categories. In fact, our TOMRA XRT technology has contributed to the recovery of 7 of the top 10 largest diamonds in history at the Karowe Mine.”

Complete diamond recovery

TOMRA’s innovative high-capacity XRT technology is capable of extremely precise detection and ejection of exceptionally large and even smaller particle sizes. Proprietary image processing deliver 100% detection in the specified size range irrespective of luminescence or surface coating, with a guaranteed diamond recovery rate above 98% and remarkably low yields. In addition, the unique TOMRA COM XRT 300 / FR final recovery sorter featuring TOMRA’s proprietary ultra-high resolution sensor technology and precise ejection has revolutionised final recovery processing to efficiently deliver an ultra-high diamond-by-weight concentrate, thereby contributing to improved & focused downstream security and reduced hand sorting.

TOMRA is the only manufacturer to offer a full recovery service from 2 mm to 100 mm with a flowsheet covering the entire process – from high-capacity Concentration (+4-100mm) to Final Recovery and Sort House applications (+2-32mm), which includes a detailed analysis of customers’ requirements and the collaborative development of an XRT technology-based flowsheet.

Earlier this year, African Review spoke to Albert du Preez, head of TOMRA Mining, to understand why the company’s new AI-powered OBTAIN software heralds a new dawn in sensor-based sorting for mining operations.

The expansion unlocks the potential to transform the Lumwana mine into a long-life, high yielding, Top 25 copper producer and a Tier One copper mine, capable of contending with the volatility of the copper demand cycles. (Image source: Barrick)

Barrick’s ambitious expansion of the Lumwana mine in Zambia is moving swiftly, with the feasibility study set to be completed by the end of the year, paving the way for construction to begin in 2025

Speaking during a webinar focused on the Lumwana Super Pit Expansion Project, Barrick president and CEO Mark Bristow said the expansion, "Unlocks the potential to transform the Lumwana mine into a long-life, high yielding, Top 25 copper producer and a Tier One copper mine, capable of contending with the volatility of the copper demand cycles."

This expansion will first double throughput by twinning the existing process circuit and then significantly increasing mining volumes. Throughput will rise from the current 27Mt to 52Mt, effectively doubling the mine’s annual copper output from 120kt to an average of 240kt. Mining volumes will ramp up year-on-year, starting at 150Mt in 2024, reaching approximately 240Mt in 2028, and eventually hitting 290Mt per annum by 2030.

CEO for Africa and Middle East Sebastiaan Bock added, “The phased ramp-up will enable a competitive cost profile over the life of the mine and annual operating cash flow and free cash flow are projected to improve by as much as 85% and 60%, respectively, based on the long-term copper price consensus. These production and cost improvements will contribute to an estimated incremental net present value (NPV8) of US$1.7bn.”

At a long-term average copper price of US$4.13/lb, Barrick forecasts an incremental internal rate of return (IRR) of 20%, with a total mine IRR exceeding 50%. The project is expected to pay back its initial expansion capital within two years of completion. Following the expansion, cost of sales and C1 cash costs are projected to fall to US$2.36/lb and US$1.85/lb, respectively, placing Lumwana in the first quartile of the industry, excluding the benefit of any byproducts.

According to mineral resource management and evaluation executive Simon Bottoms, "The process plant engineering has matured to a point that has allowed Barrick to select major equipment vendors and place orders for long lead equipment, including both mills and crushers. We are starting detailed engineering works this quarter and expanding our onsite accommodation while building partnerships with key suppliers and contractors ahead of the pre-construction ground preparation works, which are scheduled to start next year."

Commissioning of the new process plant is anticipated to begin in the second half of 2027. Once the new circuit is online, the existing one will undergo planned shutdowns for upgrades, ensuring steady copper production throughout the expansion.

The permitting process is well advanced, with the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment already submitted to Zambian authorities. Approval is expected by the end of the year. Barrick’s vision for Lumwana is clear: an even greater copper powerhouse is on the horizon.