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Nuclear, Mining & Metals

Over the years, Technip has acquired recognized expertise and developed dedicated capabilities in the mining and metals sector with numerous successfully completed or ongoing projects in the treatment of nickel, uranium, phosphate, alumina and iron ore.

Technip also provides engineering services from basic to detailed design, project management and control for the nuclear market.

Mining & Metals

A worldwide actor involved in onshore mega mining projects…

Technip is implementing several major projects in the mining & metals sector, with major references concern the two world’s largest and high grade greenfield nickel deposits, Koniambo in New Caledonia and Weda bay in Indonesia. Koniambo project, currently in EPCM phase, will produce 60,000 tpy of ferronickel using a pyrometallurgical process and Weda Bay project 2x35,000 tpy of nickel from a hydrometallurgical route.

In 2008, Technip entered into a partnership with Areva to develop major mining projects through a joint venture called TSU Projects. The objective is to double Areva's uranium production capacity in the next five years, mostly by developing brownfield and implementing greenfield projects in Africa. TSU Projects develops especially the largest open-pit uranium mine in Western Africa at Imouraren in Niger. 

 

Providing a Complete Range of Expertise and Service Offerings...

In the framework of its proactive commitment for technology and know-how, in 2009 Technip acquired Sofremines, now Technip Mines, a major actor in consulting and engineering services for the technical and economic assessment of mines and ore beneficiation plants so as for scoping studies, expertise and technology assistance.
Technip's service offerings cover the entire project lifecycle, from conceptual studies to EPC or EPCM services. Its expertise covers a wide range of technologies developed and applied in the following main areas:

  • Mine design,
  • Process simulation,
  • Comminution,
  • Ore beneficiation,
  • Hydrometallurgy,
  • Roasting & calcining,
  • Solid / Liquid separation,
  • Minerals handling.


And developing technologies and know-how for subsea mining exploitation and offshore beneficiation...

The resource potential of seafloor deposits is massive: oceans and seas cover 71% of Earth, with the surface area of the Pacific Ocean twice that of all the continents. Most of the oceans are poorly explored, relative to dry land and contains numerous deepwater ores as seafloor massive sulphides, cobalt-rich crusts, manganese nodules… Technip is active in and monitors closely the challenging technical and environmental requirements and opportunities within the future subsea mining projects. Since 2005, Technip is devoting important efforts to research and development in this new domain of intervention and offers services related to this market sector.

Proprietary technologies

Technip is the owner of the Krebs Mixer-Settler technology applied for solvent extraction. Since 1976, this technology has been successfully operating in 44 plants of 17 countries, totalling more than 500 mixer-settlers for the solvent extraction of metals as nickel, cobalt, copper, zinc, gold, rare earths and uranium.

The Dorr-Oliver FluoSolids® technology makes Technip a leading provider of fluid bed systems, with nearly 1,000 reference projects. The technology was developed over a 60-year period with a wide range of applications in the metallurgical, chemical, and waste disposal industries and consists of modern fluidized bed systems for roasting, calcining, incineration applications.

Nuclear

Technip develops its know-how and intends to extrapolate its capabilities in major-scale project management and high value engineering offerings to the non-hydrocarbons energy market, being involved in some nuclear industry projects.

Technip provides for projects in the nuclear market engineering services from basic to detailed design, project management and control assistance and construction services.