Weir Minerals Netherlands has been
awarded an order to supply two Geho piston diaphragm pumps at Moa
Nickel S.A. in Cuba over its competitor which has an installed base
of 10 pumps since many years at this particular plant. This project
award reconfirms that a thorough understanding of the application,
resulting in an optimum pump selection and project approach is key
to success of the Geho PD (positive displacement) product
line.
Pressure Acid Leach of
nickel
The use of a hydrometallurgical technology for
the extraction of metals from laterite ores, such as the Pressure
Acid Leach (PAL) technology is not a new technology. It has, as
example, been applied successfully at Moa Nickel, Cuba, to extract
nickel and cobalt for more than 35 years. This concept is largely
unchanged in the later PAL plants in Western Australia like Bulong
and Cawse. The High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) technology applied
at other nickel plants operates at a higher temperature and
pressure like the Australian Murrin Murrin (Minara), Rio Tuba
(Sumitomo) at the Philippines and soon to be commissioned
Ravensthorpe (BHP Ravensthorpe) in Australia.
This joint venture of Moa Nickel is based on
three companies; Moa Nickel S.A. (Moa, Cuba), Corefco (Fort
Saskatchewan, Canada), ICCI nickel sales (Bahamas) and cobalt sales
via Sherritt (Toronto, Canada). Average yearly production volume is
30.000 tonnes, with a processing period of 3 months between ore and
customer.
Moa Nickel S.A. produces by means of pressure
leaching a precipitation of mixed sulphides which are shipped to
Corefco, Canada for refining and sintering. This ends up in the
following nickel based end products:
- Nickel powders (C,S and F grade).
- Nickel briquettes (compacted and sintered).
- Steel grade nickel briquettes (compacted, not sintered).
Due to the currently high nickel and cobalt
prices, a plant expansion for another 16.000 tons is underway,
based on the following considerations:
- Lower net cash costs.
- Low capital costs due to infrastructure in place.
- Significant reserves with known ore characteristics.
- Rapid start-up and ramp-up.
- Limited technology and equipment risk.
Estimated costs for this expansion are USD 450
million with a 33 month project schedule and production start
expected in late 2008.
Geho pumps: more economical and
technically preferred
Hatch Canada was appointed as engineering
contractor and in that capacity responsible for pump selection and
autoclave technology for this expansion. The first specification
via Hatch for this project was based on the specifics of the
existing 10 duplex double acting pumps that had been operating at
Moa Nickel for years (200 m3/h, 64 bar, 85°C) to feed the
autoclave. Consequently, Weir Minerals Netherlands had to start
from arrears in the promotion of the Geho PD product.
A detailed review of the current competitor
installation and pump specification for the expansion project
(164,3 m3/h, 59 bar, 90°C design) resulted in a two-fold approach;
a specification conform pump selection (duplex double-acting
design) and a more economical and technically preferred alternative
(triplex single-acting design). Weir Minerals Netherlands main
focus was to convince Moa Nickel about the technical and commercial
benefits of its alternative pump design.
Technical presentation made at Hatch, Canada,
together with Weir Services Canada for several Hatch engineers and
representatives from Moa Nickel S.A. in September 2005 formed the
basis for the order of two triplex Geho piston diaphragm pumps,
model TZPM 500.
Geho triplex PD pumps will be applied
for nickel slurry transport.
In-depth discussions were held at Hatch Canada
and resulted in an award for these Geho pumps in May 2006.
This once again proves that the Weir Minerals
Netherlands’ global project and thorough application engineering
approach, combined with highly-dedicated and well-trained local
support for the Geho PD product line is the key to success.
Marjo Cox
Public Relations Officer Weir
Minerals Netherlands
m.cox@weirminerals.com
