TOMRA Mining - the Norway-based multinational company specializing in sensor-based sorting equipment – has been making headlines in the mining world. The first was the involvement of the multinational company in Lucara’s discovery of one of the largest rough-cut diamonds in recorded history. Lucara Diamond used Tomra X-ray transmission technology when it recovered the diamond at its Karowe mine in Botswana.
Albert du Preez, head of Tomra Mining, said, “We at Tomra Mining are proud to be part of Lucara’s incredible journey, with our XRT technology contributing to their historic recoveries. Once again, Lucara’s innovative strategy and approach to diamond recovery, combined with Tomra’s advanced sensor-based technology, has proved to be hugely successful. The long string of exceptional diamonds recovered at the Karowe mine with our XRT sorting solution highlights the effectiveness of our cutting-edge technology and its ability to unlock unparalleled value for kimberlite and diamond mining companies.”
Tomra Mining has been making recent headlines for its critical role in the world’s largest lithium sorting plant. The company’s sorting technology has been instrumental in the designing and installing of large-scale ore sorting plants. Tomra Mining put this technology and experience to good use at the Pilbara Minerals P680 expansion project in Western Australia.
The sorting installation, part of Pilbara’s project, has a capacity of more than 1,000 tons per hour. The facility breaks new ground in hard-rock lithium processing, improving lithium recovery and increasing final product quality, Tomra’s advanced technology was also utilized in improving overall ore recovery and reduced energy consumption through early waste reduction. Pilbara Minerals is a major player in the global lithium supply chain and successfully commissioned the ore sorting plant.
Pilbara Minerals noted Toma installed the large-scale project for the new crushing and ore-sorting plant on schedule.
Gavin Rech, area sales and technical manager for Tomra Mining, commented, “The success of this project is a testament to Tomra Mining’s collaborative approach and capacity to deliver innovative, large-scale, high-capacity sorting solutions tailored to the unique demands of our clients, providing continuous support from the testing and design phases right through to installation, commissioning, and beyond. What’s more, the scale and success of this plant have demonstrated to the mining industry the benefits and capacity of sorting.”
One of the challenges in lithium mining is managing spodumene ore within barren host rock. These non-lithium-bearing materials, some with densities like lithium-rich spodumene, complicate traditional metallurgical methods and can reduce the efficiency of downstream processes.
Tomra Mining tackled this challenge with its high-precision sensor-based sorting technology: 10 sorters — 4 TOMRA XRT COM TER for fines, 3 TOMRA XRT COM2.0 for mid-sized particles, and 3 TOMRA PRO primary color for coarse-sized particles.
The facility’s ability to remove barren material upstream enhances the efficiency of downstream processes, reducing energy consumption by 8–15 GWh annually, and ensuring consistent product quality.
Tomra’s involvement with the lithium producer’s sorting plant began in 2017 with geological assessments and bulk test work at its Sydney test centre. These tests validated the performance of the sorting equipment under operational conditions and formed the basis of the sorting plant design. The Tomra team worked closely with Pilbara Minerals and engineering partner DRA Global on every aspect of the project from equipment testing to plant layout and operational integration.
More information about Tomra and its sensor-based sorting equipment for mining can be found at www.TOMRA.com.
January 8, 2025
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