Metso complete agrement with Canadian iron ore producer

Metso have agreed to a five-year life-cycle services contract with The Kami Mine Limited Partnership, an affiliate of Alderon, with respect to the development of their Kami iron ore project located in the Western Labrador region of Canada. 

The contract encompasses the on-going maintenance services with respect to all the equipment in the processing area. Within this agreement Metso will also be providing spare and wear parts including Metso's Megaliner mill linings.

‘We have chosen Metso to improve overall equipment reliability, to enable a rapid ramp-up to nameplate capacity and to secure the aggressive maintenance cost targets from our feasibility study,’ said Tayfun Eldem, Alderon president and CEO. ‘This agreement presents a platform for achieving this goal and at the same time reduces capital outlay.’

Metso are also suppliers of the Kami Project's most significant equipment including the AG mill, ball mill, car dumper and the primary gyratory crusher. The delivery of the production equipment is scheduled for the last quarter of 2014.

Juha Silvennoinen, president, Services business line, Mining and Construction, Metso, commented: ‘This important order with The Kami Mine Limited Partnership demonstrates our ability to make a real and sustainable difference to our customers' businesses. Metso is today a complete service provider and long-term service partnerships create value for both our customers and Metso. As is customary with life cycle service contracts, Metso will be fully aligned with our customer's production targets and will therefore be remunerated on a cost-per-ton of ore processed basis.’

The mine's estimated start-up is autumn 2016. The order will be gradually booked in Metso's order intake during the contract period.

The agreement applies to all mechanical maintenance in the processing area and not just the equipment supplied by Metso.  Metso will also provide planning, supervision, labour, hand tools and consumables to perform the preventative maintenance, normal course and peak mechanical maintenance, wear part replacements, parts management and other identified maintenance services for the equipment. 

To ensure both Alderon and other customers nearby continue to receive first-class service, Metso have decided to open a local services centre for mining customers in Labrador City in Canada.

Alderon are an iron ore development company based in Canada, with offices in Montreal, Vancouver, St. John's and Labrador City. The Kami Project, owned 75% by Alderon and 25% by HBIS, is located within Canada's premier iron ore district and is surrounded by three producing iron ore mines.