Metso has been awarded a significant order by Freeport-McMoRan to deliver a tankhouse material handling solution to their El Paso electrorefinery in Texas, US. The order value exceeding €10 million will be booked in the Minerals segment’s 4Q23 orders received. The scope of delivery includes Outotec Anode Preparation and Cathode Stripping Machines, both based on proven designs that ensure high safety and long-term reliability.

The machines utilize modern robotic electrode handling to optimize layout and material handling efficiency in the existing refinery. Metso’s technology will improve the efficiency and quality of copper production in the El Paso copper electrorefinery after modernization. The collaboration is a significant project that demonstrates Freeport-McMoRan’s confidence in Metso’s technology to modernize their electrorefinery.

Mikko Rantaharju, Vice President, Hydrometallurgy business line at Metso, stated, “We are pleased to continue our collaboration with Freeport-McMoRan with this important project. We are confident that our technology will ensure high efficiency and quality of copper production in the El Paso copper electrorefinery after modernization. The solution will combine our long-term experience of similar equipment with modern robot technology to fulfill the material handling requirement of the existing tankhouse.”

The project is expected to have a positive impact on the overall copper production process in the El Paso electrorefinery.