OREANDA-NEWS. December 25, 2014. Preparations for installation of a unique semi-autogenous grinding mill are underway within the framework of the second start-up complex of the Talnakh Concentrator Plant re-fitting and reconstruction project.

The new mill will be used for primary crushing of ore fed to floatation cells. Total weight of the equipment without charge amounts to 1,100 tonnes with dimensions of 17m in width, 15m in length, 11m in height. The feed barrel volume amounts to 408 m3.

A single mill of this type process up to 10 mtpa of ore. Talnakh expansion program is based on one such unit replacing up to ten regular balls mills common in the Polar Division, which will cut energy and repair and maintenance labor costs by approximately an order of magnitude. Their unique benefit lies in combining multiple crushing and milling stages cutting on at least 50% ore treatment operations and the amount of required machinery.

The mill installed at the Talnakh Concentrator is one of the largest in Russia with this type of equipment being widespread in the world at major processing plants. As opposed to the replaced machinery the semi-autogenous mill, produced by Metso Minerals, is equipped to handly rocks with up to 30 cm in dimensions.

The mill foundation is designed under a bespoke project using continuous concerete pouring for 192 hours non-stop. The foundation weighs at 3.560 tonnes which does not include an unnecessary surplus due to a significant load from a gyrating mass (mill weight, including materials amounts to 1,600 tonnes). Making such a geometrically complex foundation requires 1,400 m3 of concrete.

The installations commence in January, 2015. The cost of the mill amounts to USD21 million.

The overarching aim of expanding the Talnakh Concetrator Plant is to increase ore processing capacities of the Talnkah deposit up to 10 mtpa for all ore types with concurrently increased enrichment properties stemming from an all-around new technology. Current capacity of the Talnakh Concentrator Plant stands at 7.5 mtpa of ore.