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November 04, 2020
SGS and Glencore Technology have extended their existing collaboration and are expanding SGS’s Albion Process Testwork into Africa.
SGS and Glencore Technology have extended their existing collaboration and are expanding SGS’s Albion Process Testwork into Africa.
Albion Process™ is a combination of ultrafine grinding and oxidative leaching at atmospheric pressure. The sulfides in the feed are oxidized and valuable metals liberated, with the economic metals recovered by conventional downstream processing. This process tolerates a more variable feed and lower grade than other processes, enabling it to work where others may not. It can therefore make some projects that cannot be managed by alternative technologies feasible and profitable.
An independent analysis presented at Extraction 2018 suggested it has a much lower capital cost than traditional leaching technologies like pressure oxidation (POx) plants (Clary et al. 2018).
SGS, the leading provider of trusted testwork services to the metals and mining industry, has collaborated with Glencore Technology to increase extractive metallurgical capabilities. This collaboration opens up the potential for providing additional capabilities that significantly increase the feasibility and value of projects.
For Glencore Technology, it further extends the global reach of Albion Process Testwork, which has grown 300% in the last 12 to 24 months and is seen as uniquely viable in terms of capital costs, operational costs and project feasibility.
With six plants operating globally, Albion Process has consistently delivered high recovery rates in refractory gold and base metal concentrates.
SGS’s teams in South Africa and Canada will work jointly to service clients in the African continent, with plans to grow these capabilities globally.
Glencore Technology’s Paul Voigt said, “The extension to Africa has been under discussion for quite some time. We know the importance of local contact and context. It’s also part of a wider focus we have for the African continent.”
SGS’s Niels Verbaan said, “This is a natural and highly relevant extension of our work with Glencore Technology on Albion Process Testwork. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and helping African operations with complex mineralogies, to identify innovative alternative technologies that significantly increase the potential for project success.”
Both Voigt and Verbaan felt it was also significant that Albion Process Testwork has been perfected to require only small sample masses, and that no pilot plant is required.
For more information, please contact:
Niels Verbaan
Technical and Business Development Manager, Metallurgy
SGS Canada
t: +705 652 2138
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 89,000 employees, we operate a network of more than 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.
