Weir's Enduron HPGR technology. Pictures courtesy of Ferrexpo

The Weir Group plc, which is headquartered in Glasgow, has been awarded a £36 million contract to provide industry leading energy saving solutions to Switzerland based Ferrexpo, one of the world’s largest exporters of iron ore pellets to the global steel industry.

The initial order, which includes a range of Weir comminution products including Enduron high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGRs) and screens, will reduce energy consumption by more than 40% compared with traditional mining technologies, bringing substantial reductions in carbon emissions.

The Group plans to increase output from its operations in Ukraine from 32 million tonnes per annum to more than 80 million and detailed tests with Weir’s Enduron HPGR technology showed it can deliver significant capacity and environmental benefits.

Weir Group CEO Jon Stanton said: “This is a great endorsement from one of the world’s leading miners of the key role Weir’s technology has in making mining operations more efficient and sustainable. It is also an excellent example of the benefits of working in partnership and using innovative engineering to increase productivity and reduce emissions.”

Growth programme
Jim North, Interim CEO of Ferrexpo, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Weir for the next phase of our growth programme, with high pressure grinding rolls being a great example of using modern technology to help us grow our business.”

Ferrexpo is developing production of direct-reduction (DR) pellets (pictured left), which are higher grade (67% Fe) and lower impurity than alternative forms of iron ore pellets. DR pellets are expected to represent the future of global steel production, as steelmakers transition to the production of carbon-free Green Steel, with DR pellets the primary source of virgin iron utilised in this process.

Ricardo Garib, Weir Minerals divisional president, said: “As part of their Green Steel Initiative, Ferrexpo challenged us to help create the most energy and cost-efficient flow sheet. Our process engineers have worked tirelessly to provide a solution that uses our large-format high volume equipment to increase capacity while also delivering significant carbon savings. This is a real win-win.”

Weir’s Enduron HPGRs are increasingly replacing conventional mills in comminution (crushing, screening and grinding) circuits because of their substantially lower energy consumption and potential for significant total cost of ownership reductions.

Stuart Hayton, managing director of Weir Minerals Netherlands, where the Enduron HPGRs are designed and manufactured, said: “Not only do Enduron HPGRs require as much as 40% less energy than traditional alternatives, their wearable components last much longer and the maintenance time required to replace worn out parts is significantly lower.

“The estimated carbon saving of each Enduron HPGR in operation is equivalent to taking more than 3,600 petrol cars off the road each year.”