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Project objective and scope

The project goal is to demonstrate the superior performance of the Reflux Flotation Cell (RFC™) for copper and iron ore. This is an important intermediate step to the full commercialisation of the technology via consortium partners and FLSmidth.

The project is designed that the first full-scale RFC shall be in commercial operation in 2024. During the project, we will create and validate a profound Go-To-Market strategy including financial planning and business model developments.

Global mining and raw material competition requires much more effective technologies along the value chain for the transformation of minerals into materials and final products. Such technologies will help mining companies from around the world to manufacture raw materials at a reasonable price and to fuel the societal changes towards being greener and using more sustainable technologies. 

Flotation is a key technology for the concentration of minerals. In the past few years, existing technologies have been optimised but without any breakthrough performance enhancement. The entirely new design of the Reflux Flotation Cell will create a breakthrough with a four fold throughput increase. At the same time being operated at a broader particle range from fine to coarse particles compared to existing flotation machines. This is translated into a drastic reduction of the plant size and will reduce the water consumption and amount of ore that remains in tailings. The overall goal of the project is to demonstrate the superior benefits of the RFC technology and to pave the way to commercialisation, which will be achieved through first sales during the project.

Work plan

The first year of the project is dedicated to the upscaling of the RFC technology. Task performed in the first year are:

  1. Preliminary Go-To-Market strategy
  2. Developing project governance
  3. Feasibility studies with the RFC-100 pilot plant to narrow down design options
  4. Engineering and assembly of the RFC-850 demo plant
  5. Experimental and modelling work as part of the Education
  6. Work dedicated to Life-Cycle-Analysis
  7. Communication and dissemination of the results

 

The subsequent years are focused on the demonstration of performance and benefits of the RFC technology. Tasks performed in the subsequent years include:

 

  1. Detailed Go-To-Market strategy
  2. Demonstration of the RFC-850 demo plant at KGHM
  3. Demonstration of the RFC-850 demo plant at LKAB
  4. Continuation of experimental and modelling work for further scale-up
  5. Continuation on the Life-Cycle-Analysis
  6. Continuation of communication and dissemination of the results
  7. Commercialisation of the RFC technology
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