Jinnan Iron & Steel Group and Vale have ordered key process equipment for their US$627 million Oman greenfield iron ore concentrator.
Finland’s Metso said it had won an order to supply Vertimills and ball mills with 25MW of total installed power, as well as five high-rate thickeners and six pressure filters for concentrate dewatering. The manufacturer will also supply slurry pumps.
Jinnan and Vale announced a joint venture last year to build a 12.6 million tonnes per annum concentrator at Sohar, a port city about 200km north of Muscat. Start-up is planned for 2027, positioning Oman as a key player in the growing global direct reduction iron (DRI) market.
Metso Minerals president Piia Karhu said the company valued its strategic partnership with Jinnan in Oman, “a country rich in a variety of mineral resources and with a strategic vision to develop its mining sector as part of its economic diversification efforts”.
Vale said in October last year Sohar DRI was a key ingredient for iron pellet and briquette production in the region. The plant would process 18Mtpa of low-grade iron ore to create 12.6Mtpa of high-grade concentrate.
Vale is aiming to establish iron concentration and briquetting “Mega Hubs” in Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates and wants to replicate the model in Brazil and the USA.
