Leading Change in Mining Through Sustainable Solutions

Q: What have been the company’s results in Mexico following the merger of Metso and Outotec in 2020?

A: After the merger, the company implemented an integration strategy focused on synergies, conserving both companies’ businesses and offering them to our clients as one company. This allowed the company to provide a complete solution to its clients. Moreover, it allowed us to commit to optimizing business processes by providing integral solutions. The strength in our combination and the multitude of new options and possibilities we can bring to clients. Thanks to our synergy and integration initiatives, Metso Outotec has had incredibly positive results after the merger, making the move a definite success.

Q: How has the Mexican market received the company’s sustainable products? 

A: Metso Outotec has focused all its technological development on sustainable products, an absolute requirement for our strategy, and the response has been great. The company is also committed to spreading the importance of implementing sustainable technologies. 

Furthermore, in its outreach to clients, Metso Outotec proves that having sustainable equipment contributes to operational efficiency. This is an especially important driver for the sustainable industry. Clients increasingly have more knowledge and a stronger culture regarding sustainability. This is mainly for two reasons: local and global requirements and the lack of resources. 

Q: How fast is the return on investment for clients with Metso Outotec’s Filtration Plant Units?

A: Metso Outotec has been innovating within plant solution offerings. In addition to filtration plant units, we now offer horizontal and stirred plant units, flotation plant units, solvent extraction plant units and crushing stations, to name a few. We are very proud of our filtration plant unit and tailings management system solutions as the scarcity of water has always been and continues to be a problem. Today, maintaining a closed circuit and reusing water is mandatory for most companies. Even in Mexico, some operations are already at risk of stopping or reducing capacity due to water scarcity. 

Most plants do not contemplate this type of investment and many of our mining clients see it as an expense to continue operating rather than an investment. However, they make a great deal of sense to maximize operational reliability in different types of dewatering applications where superior process performance combined with energy and water efficiency is required. Metso Outotec helps clients by preparing a total cost comparison, where we reveal the return on investment, which varies depending on the volumes and equipment they manage. 

Filtration Plant Units are scalable and come as complete, customizable solutions to meet stringent customer requirements. We have also optimized the engineering and delivery process to provide the fastest time-to-volume for our clients. Special attention has also been paid to the units’ maintainability through, for example, advanced digitalization. Their high level of automation enables easy optimization and remote support.

The company understands its client’s needs and is willing to collaborate by offering a full scope of solutions, turning them into simple and economical solutions. We provide testing capacity and an extensive service offering that allows for process guarantees from filter inspection and dewatering optimization to OEM spares and wears, as well as remote support and Life Cycle Services. In these contracts, we offer several financing and payment options. Options include cost-per-ton payment, Metso Outotec inventory on-site or fixed monthly billing, among other options.

Q: What are the main advantages clients gain from integrating this product?

A: Implementing a filtration process is a key challenge, from flowsheet selection to ramp-up and promised capacity. Alongside financial aspects, miners must also evaluate execution and operational factors while selecting the most feasible solution, all while considering how to manage one of the most scarce resources: water. Looking at a fully integrated solution, like one of Metso Outotec’s filtration plant units, grants three key advantages: optimized design with a compact layout and minimized elevation, improved safety, availability and maintainability, especially for cloth changing and logistics in focus, and flexibility. Our process solution is always tailored according to project-specific requirements, providing seamless integration to upstream and downstream processes.

Q: How has digitalization made its way into Metso Outotec’s portfolio and how has it changed the company’s priorities?

A: In the field of digitalization, Metso Outotec’s strengths lie in understanding our customers’ business and data and utilizing that knowledge to analyze, automate and optimize their processes and performance. Digitalization enables assets to become information sources that help reduce unscheduled downtime and maintenance costs. At the same time, they help increase asset utilization and extend equipment life. 

We have a full toolkit of digital and automation solutions whose highlights are Geminex and Metso Outotec Metrics. Geminex is a metallurgical digital twin that combines operational data and expertise, delivering insight-driven performance that provides efficient management of variability in mining and metallurgical operations. Creating an accurate digital simulation allows for better predictions, processes and decision-making.

Metrics is all about remote condition monitoring and optimization. The system connects to customers’ existing DCS or PLC, reads the data in real time and sends it to our cloud platform. In most cases, we use already existing data without retrofitting sensors. On the platform, the data is easily accessible to our customers and Metso Outotec Performance Center remote support engineers who can help to prevent failures and optimize operations.

Q: How has the company expanded its investments in Mexico and what are its priorities here?

A: In addition to its successful merger, Metso Outotec has also enlarged its capacity to offer integrated solutions. We have retained experts from both companies to boost the value we can add to a client’s operation. Our main purpose right now is to provide complete solutions.

Moreover, Latin America and Mexico remain central regions to Metso Outotec’s global operation due to the potential and development of the mining sector here. Mining companies are established for the long term and the company works with strong groups, such as Grupo México, Peñoles and Fresnillo, which will endure and develop for many years. Mexico and Latin America are increasingly becoming interesting investment hubs for Metso Outotec. 

We have made significant investments in our facilities in Mexico, selecting the region as a center of expertise for producing high-quality consumables to better serve our clients across the region. Last year, we began by increasing our capacity and capabilities in our rubber and Poly-Met factory located in Irapuato, Guanajuato. Nearby, we have also recently announced investments in new screening media production capacity that will start operations gradually during the first half of 2023.

Finally, we are investing around US$30 million to establish our first polymer filter plate production unit in Mexico. We expect to begin production this year and expand from there. 

Metso Outotec is a frontrunner in sustainable technologies, end-to-end solutions and services for the aggregates, minerals processing and metals refining industries globally. By improving its customers’ energy and water efficiency, increasing their productivity and reducing environmental risks, the company is a partner for positive change.