Metso's Concorde Cell flotation technology has been selected by Barrick Gold for the expansion of the Lumwana copper project in Zambia's North-Western Province.

The deal will see Concorde Cell flotation cells integrated with Metso’s previously selected TankCell technology to enhance the optimisation of the project’s flowsheet.

Metso's Concorde Cell technology is engineered to address the challenges of finely disseminated and complex ore bodies.

It enhances mineral processing by offering improved flotation kinetics and better recovery rates for fine and ultra-fine particles.

This is achieved through the generation of intense shear forces and extremely fine bubbles, which boost the recovery of particles smaller than 20 microns.

This low-risk, high-reward strategy is designed to maintain consistent concentrate-grade quality, making it particularly suitable for the Lumwana copper project site.

The financial details of the Concorde Cell equipment order have been recorded in Metso's minerals segment for the third quarter of 2025 (Q3 2025).

In 2024, Metso secured a contract from Barrick Gold for the supply of key process equipment at the Lumwana copper project.

Metso's delivery package included essential machinery for processes such as grinding, flotation, thickening, feeding and filtration.

The order, valued at around €70m ($78.12m), was recorded in the minerals segment's order intake for Q3 2024.

The Lumwana copper mine operates as a traditional open pit using a truck and shovel method.

It is situated roughly 100km west of Solwezi in Zambia's Copperbelt.

The mine primarily processes sulphide ore, utilising a standard sulphide flotation plant to produce copper concentrate.