Outotec inaugurates dewatering technology centre in Finland

Outotec has established a dewatering technology centre in Lappeenranta, Finland to develop new products, processes and services for solid-liquid separation and raw material reuse for the entire life cycle of processing plants.

Tailings are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the worthless fraction of an ore. The composition of tailings is directly dependent on the composition of the ore and the process of mineral extraction used on the ore.

Dewatering is the process of removing some of the water from the tailings-water slurry following concentration.

Both the procedures are integral to bauxite processing before the ore is sent to the refinery for alumina refining.

With the new dewatering technology centre, Outotec can simulate and optimise customer processes to integrate them with its technology.

“In line with our mission ‘sustainable use of Earth’s natural resources’, we continuously develop new resource-efficient equipment, processes and services for our customers. With the recent acquisition of Kovit Engineering and Outotec’s expansion into tailings management solutions, the new dewatering technology centre brings world-class knowledge in the study of tailings dewatering and treatment. Cooperation with our research partner Lappeenranta University of Technology further supports us in developing more efficient and sustainable total solutions for our customers globally,” said Kalle Härkki, head of Outotec’s Minerals Processing business area.