Rio Tinto has awarded Metso an order for an additional 10 HP series cone crushers to be installed at the Tom Price iron ore mine in Western Australia.
The order follows the initial award of six HP series cone crushers in late 2022 that are currently being delivered to Rio’s Paraburdoo iron ore mine and the Tom Price mine.
“The HP500 cone crushers will replace the long-serving Symons cone crushers,” Metso mid-size and mobile crushers vice president Julius Mäkelä said.
“The compact and versatile HP series crushers are a step change in the crushing process, enabling maximum operator safety and easy maintenance as the key components can be accessed from the top of the crushers.
“They provide a more sustainable solution, delivering high output with decreased energy consumption despite their smaller size.”
The HP500 is utilised in aggregates production, quarrying applications and mining operations worldwide.
Metso said the compact size of the HP500 cone crusher is well suited as a replacement for Symons crushers.
The HP500 features a unique combination of crusher speed, throw, crushing forces and cavity design. This combination is renowned for providing higher capacity and superior end-product quality.
The order follows a detailed design and engineering contract awarded to Metso by Rio Tinto earlier in August.
The contract is in service of Rio’s continuous pilot plant on behalf of the BioIron process.
The BioIron process uses raw biomass instead of metallurgical coal as a reductant and microwave energy to convert Pilbara iron ore to metallic iron in the steelmaking process.
Rio said it has the potential to be carbon neutral and can result in net negative emissions when linked with carbon capture and storage.