H.E. Vice-Minister for Mining Affairs Khalid Al-Mudaifer details the country’s mining transformation to an international audience at MINExpo® International 2021, Las Vegas 

In an appearance at MINExpo® International 2021, Las Vegas, Khalid Al-Mudaifer, Vice-Minister of Mining Affairs for the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, outlined the unique opportunities for investors, explorers, miners and service providers to get into a dynamic sector that is at the heart of the Kingdom’s rapidly evolving industrial economy.

“Saudi Arabia is very much open for business. We have a demonstrable track record of success with our international partners, offering a best-in-class experience benchmarked against global standards,” said Al-Mudaifer. “Additionally, the government continues to support the development of mining through major infrastructure transformation, including roads, rail, ports and electricity networks. Now is the time for international organizations to be part of the mining sector’s exponential growth in the Kingdom.”

As well as hearing directly from the Vice-Minister, attendees were given deeper insight into the experiences of operating in the mining sector, with Willem Jacobs, Chief Operating Officer, Africa and Middle East, Barrick, saying: “We enjoy an excellent working relationship with the Saudi government, and we find the country easy to work in. The biggest challenge for a miner is access to infrastructure. Saudi is blessed with good infrastructure; it has excellent roads, airports, railway, and port structures. The country is well positioned for export markets to the east and west. We find it very easy to reach export markets from where we are.”

The Vice-Minister was joined by Musaed Al-Daood, Deputy Minister for Mining Development, as well as Hall Delano Roosevelt, President & CEO U.S.-Saudi Business Council.

In addition to informing MINExpo attendees of Saudi Arabia’s value proposition as a world-class mining destination, the delegation participated in high-level bilateral meetings with companies interested in doing business and investing in the Kingdom’s mining sector.

Finally, Vice-Minister Al-Mudaifer announced details of the inaugural Future Minerals Summit (FMS), the first-ever event to offer a ‘one-stop-shop’ for investors, miners and other industry stakeholders interested in learning more about the mining potential of the Middle East, Central Asia, and North and East Africa.

Planned for January 11 to 13, 2022, in Riyadh, FMS will welcome attendees from around the world, including governments, investors, and mining majors and corporates. The Summit program is being built around four pillars:

• Defining a New Mining Hub – Showcasing opportunities across the Middle East, Central Asia, and North and East Africa
• Lands of Opportunity – Outlining partnership opportunities across integrated value chains
• Reimagining Mining – Shining a spotlight on innovations that will support mining in the future
• Mining’s Contribution to Society – Highlighting the industry’s vital role in producing the inputs needed to create a circular carbon future, as well as attracting the workforce of the future

In addition to the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, FMS has been endorsed by the Ministry of Investment, Public Investment Fund and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

            For more information, visit www.futuremineralssummit.com.

Mining Ecosystem and Infrastructure

Saudi Vision 2030 singled out mining to grow to become the third pillar of the country’s industrial growth, which led to the development of a comprehensive Mining and Mining Industries Development Strategy, which has identified nearly 40 initiatives, most of which already are up and running.

Saudi Arabia’s legal and regulatory framework for mining is being transformed and is now designed to ensure efficient and transparent licensing; simplify doing business; and support a dynamic, sustainable mining industry.

• Based on global best practice, a completely revised Mining Investment Law was issued late last year, and now supports a clear and transparent process for license applications and approvals
• The new “Ta-adin” web-based platform offers a single point of access for mining license applications, issuance and information
• New incentives have been implemented, including the provision of co-funding up to 75 percent of investment, a five-year royalty holiday for miners, discounts on royalties for local downstream production and support for Saudization costs

The Kingdom already has attracted significant amounts of domestic and international investment in mining commodities like gold, phosphate and aluminum. 

To a degree, this prior success has been based on a variety of ‘baked in’ advantages for prospective investors, such as:

• High domestic demand for mineral outputs
• Geographic placement in a key part of the world and proximity to end-user markets in major geographies, including MENA, Asia and Europe
• Safety and security, as ranked by the World Economic Forum’s security index
• Continuous progress in ‘ease of doing business’, with the World Bank placing Saudi Arabia in the top 10 in terms of an improving business climate
• Strong infrastructure, including roads, rail, ports and electricity networks, and significant investments in water utilization and infrastructure.

Geology

The Arabian Shield is estimated to contain $1.3 trillion worth of potential mineral value, across numerous commodities, many of which are critical to the technologies that will drive a sustainable future, and which are in high demand.

The recently launched National Geological Database provides online access to 80 years’ worth of national records of geological, geophysical and geochemical information, including thousands of detailed reports on mining targets and prospects.

Also recently announced, a major Regional Geological Survey Program (supported with government investment of more than half a trillion dollars) is now under way and will conduct geophysical and geochemical surveys and create detailed mapping of nearly 700,000 square kilometers of the Arabian Shield.

Sustainability

The Kingdom has launched the Mining Sector Sustainability Assurance Initiative, which aims to create a sector that is focused on balancing economic value and environmental protection.

The country’s new mining law ensures that sustainable practices are a foremost priority for new mining operators as they apply for licenses.

Alfa Laval is extending its global collaboration with Schneider Electric to digitize and analyze data to improve operational efficiency. The two companies will use near real-time energy consumption data across sites, countries and regions to identify and define energy efficiency projects. The collaboration is part of Alfa Laval’s efforts to become carbon neutral across the entire value chain by 2030.

The collaboration with Schneider Electric began in 2019 and was designed to digitize the company’s energy infrastructure. Capturing energy consumption data across the business resulted in the identification of energy efficiency projects and initiatives to reduce energy usage and cost across sites, countries, and regions. In this next step, the two companies will develop Alfa Laval’s roadmap towards extended use of renewable energy, switching from natural gas to other more sustainable alternatives. Alfa Laval has set a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 across the entire value chain, and this collaboration is an important step towards realizing this ambition.

“Accomplishing our carbon neutrality target will require efforts in our entire supply chain and enhanced collaboration with our customers, suppliers and the societies in which we operate,” says Mikael Tydén, Executive Vice President, Head of Operations at Alfa Laval. “We have joined the Exponential Roadmap Initiative to support the implementation of energy efficient solutions. Our extended partnership agreement with Schneider Electric is another concrete activity of reaching the 1.5°C scenario set in the Paris Agreement.”

Did you know… Energy efficiency is one of the main factors in reaching the Paris Agreement’s goals as it could deliver more than a 40 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions over the next 20 years according to International Energy Agency.

This is Alfa Laval

Alfa Laval is a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling, and is active in the areas of Energy, Marine, and Food & Water, offering its expertise, products, and service to a wide range of industries in some 100 countries. The company is committed to optimizing processes, creating responsible growth, and driving progress to support customers in achieving their business goals and sustainability targets.

Alfa Laval’s innovative technologies are dedicated to purifying, refining, and reusing materials, promoting more responsible use of natural resources. They contribute to improved energy efficiency and heat recovery, better water treatment, and reduced emissions. Thereby, Alfa Laval is not only accelerating success for its customers, but also for people and the planet. Making the world better, every day.

Alfa Laval has 16,700 employees. Annual sales in 2020 were SEK 41.5 billion (approx. EUR 4 billion). The company is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

www.alfalaval.com

Södra is now launching its complete offering for the assembly of cross-laminated timber (CLT) framing in Denmark. This is due to the high interest in Södra’s products, and it represents the first step towards an establishment of the building systems in Europe. Kenny Holm will be Marketing Manager for the business in Denmark.

Södra’s sustainable timber construction business is expanding – all the way to Denmark. Södra already operates in Denmark but is now establishing a new position in CLT across the country and expanding the existing business. This is the first step of Södra’s establishment of the business in Europe and Södra’s complete offering of CLT panels for frame assembly with complementary products and services will now be available in the Danish market.

Large interest in the Danish market
The business will be part of the Södra Building Systems business segment, with Kenny Holm as new Marketing Manager for Denmark.

“We are seeing a large interest in Södra’s CLT outside Sweden, and Denmark is the first step in our international establishment. They have come a long way in sustainable construction and are phasing out traditional materials, mainly in favour of CLT. Moreover, Södra’s geographic location in south-west Sweden is ideal for this market. With Kenny as Marketing Manager, we will gain valuable momentum in establishing a strong market position and launching our offering,” said Urban Blomster, Head of Market and Business Development for Södra Building Systems. 

The establishment in Denmark means that Danish projects can now take advantage of Södra’s CLT building systems to create a secure, easy and efficient assembly process for large-scale construction. In addition to structural elements in CLT and glulam, Södra will now be able to offer engineered timbers for projects. All production will be carried out at Södra’s combined facilities in Varberg Municipality and other work will remain based in Sweden.

Offering available from September
Kenny Holm, Södra Building Systems’ new Marketing Manager in Denmark, believes the new establishment has a great deal of potential and a wide range of projects are approaching.

“I’ve been working in the construction industry for many years, but developments in Denmark have moved rapidly over the past few years. While demand for CLT construction is huge, there is also a need for knowledge development. Södra is meeting this need with a complete offering for its customers. We have good dialogue with a range of stakeholders at various levels and already see a number of promising projects ahead,” he said and explained how Södra will provide assistance for Danish projects:

“In a construction project, Södra’s know-how is valuable before, during and after the process. We are more than willing to engage in discussion with property developers and architects to share our knowledge about building with timber – about the pros and cons of the material. We can also identify areas where money can be saved by making minor changes. Our support ensures that the project idea is feasible,” said Kenny Holm.

Södra will establish its complete offering for assembly of CLT framing in Denmark as of September.

Normet Mining Innovation Days 2021 were held virtually on September 13th – 14th. The event was targeted for mining customers and journalists. During the event Normet introduced new technologies and equipment, and updates to existing offering in services and ground control for mining customers. The introductions were made through live and video sessions broadcasted from various locations in Finland: from Pyhäsalmi Mine, Normet main factory in Iisalmi and from studio in Helsinki. Additionally, guest speakers joined the event remotely from Australia, India, United Kingdom, South Africa and Finland. The event was hosted by Normet’s President and CEO Ed Santamaria and Finnish Moderator André Noël Chaker.

“Safety, sustainability and productivity are foundation for whole Normet offering and offering development. We wanted to have Normet Mining Innovation Days 2021 -event to inspire people and show that the future brings positive developments and improvements for the mining industry in the form of new innovations, technologies, services and collaboration.” Says Marjo Koivisto, Design and Marketing Manager of Normet’s Equipment Business line.

In the event, Normet revealed completely new, upcoming XL equipment offering, which is based on Normet’s biggest platforms so far and it will be launched publicly later on. The XL offering consists of two different platforms: HD is a diesel-powered platform with hydrodynamic transmission, and ED platform is equipped with a Stage V diesel engine and electrodynamic powerline. ED is a brand-new technology in the industry. “We wanted to give the audience a glace of what we are working on in our R&D center in Iisalmi, where we are constantly developing new equipment and technologies to improve the safety and productivity of our customers’ underground operations.” Says Kari Hämäläinen, Senior Vice President of Normet’s Equipment Business Line.

Normet also showcased other recently introduced platforms during the Mining Innovation Days; an agile and compact Variomec XS platform and new L-series platform which was developed based on our customers’ feedback. In addition, Normet gave an update on Normet SmartDrive® field references, offering and future plans, followed by a customer testimonial from Barminco, Australia about their trial with Normet SmartDrive® battery electric explosives charger Charmec MC 605 VE SD in 2021.

On the 2^nd day of Normet Innovation Days, Normet presented their Service Center in Iisalmi and service offering including remanufacturing and upgrades & modifications. We also heard a customer statement from Hindustan Zinc regarding our long-term collaboration with them.

Demonstrations new technologies held in the studio included SmartScan system, which is an advanced measuring system to measure and monitor the applied sprayed concrete thickness, and new EFNARC approved concrete spraying simulator utilizing VR technology. These new technologies for concrete spraying improve the safety and efficiency of the process, at the same time decreasing the rebound.

“Process optimization ensures optimal use of raw materials and improved quality. Reduction of raw materials and ingredients provides our customers not only savings but also significant benefits on environment, as use of material in minimized. Ensure safety and productivity for our customers throughout the lifecycle is the leading principle in all our service offering and work” Says Riku Helander, Senior Vice President, of Normet’s Services Business Line.

The Normet Mining Innovation Days were held at the same time with MinExpo 2021 in Las Vegas. The program from Normet Mining Innovation Days were also shown at the Normet booth in MinExpo, where the Normet SmartDrive® battery electric explosives charger Charmec MC 605 V SD, Normet SmartScan system and concrete spraying simulator were also on display.

“We wanted to have this event at the same time as MinExpo 2021, as we know that many people were unable to go there this year. Therefore, despite the travel restrictions preventing us from meeting in person, we wanted to connect with our customers globally through this virtual event and provide a platform to discuss with all our process and product experts. In addition, we wanted to bring a bit of Vegas to their offices and homes safely, that is why we had incorporated a good variety of other interesting program to this event, such as entertaining opening show, interesting panel discussion, insightful keynote speech from Alan Knight and a beautiful ending for the event with a traditional Finnish music performance.“, Koivisto concludes.

About Normet Group Oy

Normet is a fast growing and innovative technology company offering continuous improvement to underground construction and mining processes for increased safety, productivity, and profitability. Our complete technical solutions create value through saving costs and shortening process cycle times and are developed based on the welfare of people and on the care of the environment. Normet has a broad offering for underground mining and tunneling: equipment, construction chemicals, rock reinforcement products and services. Normet currently employs over 1400 business professionals and the net sales in 2020 was over 300 million euro. Normet is a Finnish company operating globally with over 50 locations in 30 countries. For more information, visit https://www.normet.com

Envirogen Group (Envirogen) announces the appointment of Joe Higgins as Group Chief Executive. Joe’s appointment is one of several management changes within the group’s leadership team signalling the next stage of Envirogen’s growth strategy and value creation.

According to Joe, Envirogen is ideally positioned to benefit from the global water and wastewater market: “The global water and wastewater treatment industry is forecast to grow by 7.1% year on year to reach US$456.68bn by 2026¹. Our people, leading experts in their field who underpin Envirogen’s broad and deep capabilities across our centres of excellence in the Americas and Europe, will enable us to grow well ahead of the market trend.

Joe Higgins“The last two years have seen the company both develop new and market leading technologies and improve our core solution range. These include the innovative modular design EcoRange water treatment products and improvements to our existing EndoTherm range, that have supported healthcare providers such as the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) during the pandemic. We also have a niche proposition providing unique and bespoke water treatment solutions for emerging contaminants and contaminated waters.

“Envirogen has delivered many complex water and wastewater engineering solutions to clients and global brands such as Rolls Royce, GSK, the US Army, NASA, Molson Coors, Coca Cola, Solensis, Vital Energi and Bouygues Group,” he adds.

Joe, who joins Envirogen following a 23-year career culminating as Regional and Technical Director at Veolia in Ireland, brings his significant leadership and technical skills to the role. With an MBA, MEng and BSc, he is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers (IEI), a chartered manager, engineer, environmentalist and scientist (Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management CIWEM).

Former Group Chief Executive Scott Malvenan, who has moved into the role of Non-Executive Chairman, highlights: “Envirogen’s board is delighted that a leader with such an extensive business building and technical track record has joined the team to lead Envirogen through the next phase of growth and value creation.”  

In his Group Chief Executive role, Joe will also take on the direct responsibilities of retiring North American CEO Ron Riley.

“To ensure our clients meet their business challenges with integrated water and wastewater treatment solutions delivered by our expert team, our immediate focus will be to build on the existing strengths and regional brands and identify synergies,” concludes Joe. “This will result in a single global solution that truly offers total water solutions.”

¹ Fortune Business Insights Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Size

About Envirogen Group

Envirogen Group is a leading international provider of industrial water treatment and process filtration solutions. We solve complex challenges relating to water availability and quality and help our customers to increase productivity, reduce costs and meet environmental and sustainability targets.

We do this by offering:

• Best-in-class water treatment and process filtration technology
• Expertise in design, project management and engineering
• World-class manufacturing capability

We are headquartered in the UK with technical manufacturing centres and sales offices throughout Europe and North America.

For more information on Envirogen Group please visit:

• UK & Europe: envirogengroup.com
• North America: envirogen.com

Ampelmann, the Dutch offshore access provider, has signed its first contract offshore China. The company will provide the A-type gangway, one of its flagship systems, to Guangdong Safety New Energy for the offshore wind works off Guangdong province. It was able to secure this project with the support of its local partner in the region Leading Marine (HK) CO. Limited.

In line with the need for a global energy transition, many governments have set ambitious targets for generating green energy, and so has China. In the Guangdong area, where the project with Ampelmann is located, China plans to install 10GW by 2030, which is part of the plan to achieve 40GW nationwide by that same year.

By the end of October 2021, Ampelmann will provide the A-type on the client’s new 60m Service Operation Vessel (SOV) named “MV Guang An Yun Wei 88”. It will be first the SOV equipped with a motion compensated gangway in China. The system will enable the safe and efficient transfer of personnel at Guangdong Yangjiang offshore Wind Farm, which is the largest wind farm in Guangdong and is located 40 nautical miles offshore where turbines will be installed at a depth of around 40m.

The A-type gangway system features an advanced motion compensation control system with precision controls to enable fast landing and comfortable people transfers

Guangdong Safety New Energy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Guangdong Yuean Shipping. Their venture with Ampelmann will be for a minimum period of six months and could possibly be extended for another half a year. The project will mark Yuean’s first step in the offshore wind operations and maintenance sector. In addition, it will be the first time a proven full motion compensated gangway is used in a Chinese offshore access operation.

“We are very excited about this opportunity,” said Vincent Chua, Business Developer at Ampelmann. “With it we can show the value of our systems and raise the standard of both safety and efficiency of offshore access operations in the area.”

To further improve the efficiency of offshore operations, the company provides multiple services to maintain technical reliability and increase workability. Services include 24/7 operations support and digital tools that give their clients insight into the workability of their operations.

According to Chua, Ampelmann’s greatest value is provided by our experienced and competent operators. “They are the ones who ensure the efficiency and safety of our operations,” he says. Because of their important role, Ampelmann invests to ensure that operators are well trained to operate the systems. Following the first project in China, Ampelmann is looking into the possibility of training local operators to support upcoming projects in the country, too.

Ampelmann designs and delivers innovative, safe, reliable and efficient transfer solutions to the offshore energy industries globally. With a track record of more than 7 million safe people transfers, over 18.5 million kg cargo transfers and 400 projects worldwide, Ampelmann operates in Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific, the Americas and the Middle East.

Ampelmann currently maintains a fleet of 65 operational systems used for transferring crews and cargo to offshore structures. Its solutions are tailored to the needs of different market segments, sea states, cargo and crew loads, and are used by the key players in the global industry.

Hexagon AB, a global leader in digital reality solutions, have just announced the launch of HxGN MineMeasure, a tailored solution combining blast design software, high-precision drilling, blast movement monitoring, fragmentation analysis and enterprise analytics. Backed by a consultative team of dedicated technical experts, MineMeasure brings accuracy and precision to every step of the drill and blast (D&B) process with the potential to save companies millions of dollars.

MineMeasure drives excellence and focuses on the incremental improvements that ultimately lead to elite performance, putting data to work in the delivery of high-value ore. It empowers customers with a data-driven feedback loop, calibrated to increase profit from every blast while minimising ore loss.

“Improving ore recovery by even just one per cent can mean millions of dollars for a mine,” said Hexagon President and CEO, Ola Rollén. “Not only does MineMeasure address the small, compounding errors that lead to costly consequences throughout the notoriously complex D&B cycle, but also it addresses sustainability of precious resources — as ore grades decline everywhere, mines are digging more earth for less ore.”

Pit Mine Tech

MineMeasure’s proven mine planning software allows creation of blast designs by incorporating geology properties from the block model, the simplified representation of an ore body. Machine-guided, high-precision drills execute the blast plan while integrated blast movement sensor and software technology accurately tracks the blast to minimize loss (unintentionally sending ore to a waste dump) and dilution (unintentionally sending waste to the mill). Advanced image-analysis techniques ensure that fragmentation is managed and optimised.

MineMeasure’s holistic approach delivers scrutiny and transparency in every step of the ore extraction journey. It incorporates a vibration monitoring system and slope stability analysis, supporting the safety of employees as well as the planned value of the pit. Greater collaboration between teams and insight into costs and opportunities to increase ore recovery means that each blast is smarter than the last.

Hexagon is a global leader in digital reality solutions, combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies. We are putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, quality and safety across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, public sector, and mobility applications.  

Our technologies are shaping production and people related ecosystems to become increasingly connected and autonomous – ensuring a scalable, sustainable future. 

Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B) has approximately 21,000 employees in 50 countries and net sales of approximately 3.8bn EUR. Learn more at hexagon.com

Finnish dairy and food company Valio and DKSH have signed an agreement on the distribution of special milk powders to Valio’s industrial customers in the Asian market. With the new partnership, Valio is pursuing growth for its dairy-based ingredients, which are ideal for special nutrition such as nutrition for the elderly people or athletes. Valio and DKSH see a lot of collaboration potential in the market for various gut-friendly, value-added, and wellness products.

The global health and wellness trend is driving the growing demand for milk-based products in Asia. Consumers are interested in healthy and natural products that support wellbeing and have high nutritional value. Milk protein is scientifically proven to be the most nutritious of natural protein sources. Valio has conducted scientific research on the properties of milk for more than 100 years.

The majority of the population in South-East Asia is not able to enjoy dairy products because of the lactose in milk. Valio has always been interested in people’s health and wellbeing and has strived to develop science- and research-based products that promote wellness.

“Industry-tailored, lactose-free Valio Eila® products are an example of our pioneering and research-based product development. Thanks to our unique technology, they are gut-friendly and can be enjoyed also by people who typically can’t consume milk products. We help local food industry companies to develop products for their own customers, products like protein-rich yoghurts and low-sugar chocolate, that meet local nutritional needs and are gut friendly,” says Timo Pajari, Senior Vice President heading Valio’s international sales of special milk powders.

Lifelong wellbeing from dairy-based products

Proper nutrition is the foundation of wellbeing at all stages of life. In the first stages, we need food that is wholesome and safe for babies and children. As adults, we might need protein-rich food to support an active lifestyle or food that is low in calories to help with weigh management; and as we age, we need food that is tasty and nutritious.

“Valio’s special milk powders can be used to add protein to snacks for athletes, for example, or to lower the sugar content in chocolate without compromising taste and quality. With our diverse range of products and our leading expertise, we can help food industry companies to introduce completely new products that meet people’s changing needs,” Timo Pajari explains.

Valio, a Finnish dairy and food company owned by 4,300 dairy farmers, has operated in the South-East Asian market for years. Valio is especially known for its high-quality, safe, and pure dairy products. Thanks to the clean Arctic environment, meticulous quality control, extremely high level of hygiene, animal welfare, and responsible milk production, Valio’s milk is among the purest in the world.

“It was natural for us to partner with DKSH because they have a strong foothold in Asia and long-term expertise in the food and beverage segment. With our products, they also have the ability to help their customers to develop new kinds of products for new target groups and thus to grow their market share in new segments. As a result of this collaboration, Valio’s special milk powders are now available in Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Singapore,” Timo Pajari says.

“We are very pleased to enter a distribution agreement with Valio in several key markets across South-East Asia and Taiwan. Valio is a brand leader in Finland and major player in the international dairy ingredients market with over 115 years of experience and Nobel prize-winning innovation. The company’s high-quality milk powders, from fresh Finnish milk that is pure and clean combined with modern technology, are an excellent fit for our product portfolio in several applications such as Confectionery & Bakery, Dairy and Ready meals. The products will be advantageous to our large customer base in Asia due to their protein content, taste and other benefits. We look forward to increasing our market coverage with Valio in the region,” says Cesar Saez, Vice President Global Food & Beverage Ingredients, DKSH.

Valio - The world’s most innovative dairy and food company

Valio’s mission is to create wellbeing and taste sensations in a responsible way. We make tasty products from milk and many other ingredients; we bring delightful tastes, variety and joy to the food table. We also carry out important roles in society: ensuring food security, enhancing public health and improving animal welfare are some examples of our impacts. In line with our mission, we are making life better. This is also the conclusion of the Finns who have chosen Valio as Finland’s most sustainable brand for seven consecutive years.

4,300 Finnish dairy farmers own Valio through cooperatives. We pay out all the profits to our milk producers through the milk price. We employ a total of 25,000 people at dairy farms. Valio has 4,000 professionals at work from different sectors and we listen to consumers with our more than 100 years of experience.Nobel Laureate A.I. Virtanen’s legacy continues to live on with us. When he headed Valio’s laboratories, the concept of improving the wellbeing of people took root as our guiding principle. We turn science into products that make life better. Consumers in more than 60 countries enjoy Valio products, and we have 350 patents for our innovations around the world. We are Finland’s biggest food exporter and a trailblazer for the whole food industry. Valio’s sales in 2020 were EUR 1,808 million.

Valio – Together we make life better.

Global Research & Development Centre opened in Markt Indersdorf, Germany

After a year in construction Sumitomo (SHI) Cyclo Drive Germany has moved into its new Global Research & Development (R&D) Centre at its headquarters in Markt Indersdorf. With this move the drive specialist took a further strategic step in the direction of becoming a system provider. The company, which operates under the brand name “Sumitomo Drive Technologies”, has invested a total of around €5.5M in this ambitious project for good reason as Sumitomo are specifically seeking geographical proximity to innovative European industrial customers. Application specific customer requirements can now be fully evaluated on site, in Markt Indersdorf, which makes the entire development process faster, more flexible and more efficient. The Global R&D centre and the previous local development departments will work with synergy and departmental collaboration.

The design and development team of currently 16 people, who are headed by Mike Wandersee, moved into the ground floor of the building and take care of quotation and order processing of the individual product together with an outlook on local series development.

Mike Wandersee, who was also the building project manager, states "The increasing customer demand for customised solutions pushed us to the limits in our previous premises. With the new building, we now have enough space and all the possibilities to be able to meet the most diverse customer requirements in even greater detail. We are glad that the parent company keeps a close eye on global market developments, appreciates our expertise, understands the European perspective and supports our investment in ambitious research and development." Viel Platz für Technologie und Innovation.

Plenty of space for technology and innovation

The new building houses the laboratory and test areas which, at 900sqm, has tripled the capacity. The office space has also increased in capacity doubling in size to 800sqm. The new space allows products to be prepared, assembled, disassembled and analysed in the high rise factory hall. There is also a new test area where the service life of individual gearboxes/gear components/motors can be examined and subject to various tests, e.g. stress Testes & verifying gearbox technical properties.

There have also been four new rooms created for one of Sumitomo’s core businesses: Centrifugal gearboxes. These are equipped with the latest technological equipment together with carnage and air conditioning allowing full test and evaluation to be carried out. They meet all the requirements for test quality, test safety and above all occupational safety; after all, the high energy systems rotate at high speed and any noise emissions or vibrations are kept well away from other work areas.

Europe's industrial customers want system solutions

The R&D department, which is located on the first floor, reflects the company’s decision to act as a ‘System Solution’ provider from Europe for Europe and globally. Sebastian market, Department Manager Global R&D Servo Drive Systems states “In Europe there is a greater willingness to innovate and where it is increasingly necessary to think ahead and set trends. European industrial customers are interested in innovation and are increasingly looking for system suppliers. In addition to the classic component business, which remains the core for us, the demand for more convenience is growing. Companies, especially machine builders, are looking to purchase complete systems that in turn can be integrated quickly and flexibly into their overall solution.”

Sumitomo are also seeing new customers in new industries emerging from the field of Robotics, Sumitomo already offer a wide variety of precision gearboxes and motor-gearbox combinations for this booming market. Innovative solutions, such as Actuators that can be configured for any application are being developed in the new R&D centre. Sebastian Market says “True innovation also means having the courage to take risks in development. We do not just want to do what everyone else does, just differently, we want to research and develop unconventional and unique solutions. Our core theme in the Global R&D Centre is consistent innovation.”

In the future Sumitomo will further expand the possibilities of customisation through customer oriented modular solutions. As a result it will no longer be necessary to adapt individual components to suit. Instead the complete modular system can be configured in line with the application requirements, with the major gains being a significant increase in efficiency throughout production.

In order to establish itself as a (global) system solution provider Sumitomo has, in recent years, successively sought strategic partners in Europe, these include:- The industrial gearbox specialists Hansen Transmissions; The controls experts Invertec Drives; The motor manufacturer Lafert Group; and the Spanish SIT (Sociedad Industrial de Transmissions SA) a renowned service and drive component specialist. The result is the ability to act in an interdisciplinary manner, use synergies and develop excellent products from them. Although the focus is on Europe, global communication is being strengthened, which is what the Global R&D Centre in Markt Indersdorf stands for. Sebastian Markert's team is currently expanding, but the working conditions will certainly make the drive specialist even more attractive, thus, securing jobs in the long term.

Metso Outotec has signed an agreement with Florence Copper Inc., a subsidiary of Taseko Mines Limited, to supply copper solvent extraction and electrowinning technology for a plant to be built in Arizona. The order exceeding EUR 20 million has been booked in the Metals’ segment Q3/2021 orders received.

The Metso Outotec delivery includes the modular VSF®X solvent extraction plant and the main process equipment for the electrowinning plant.

Metso Outotec VSF X solvent extraction lines

“We are very excited to have purchased the key SX/EW process equipment from Metso Outotec, a world leader in mineral processing and hydrometallurgical technologies. The VSF®X technology is ideally suited for our Florence Copper Project, which is set to become one of the most energy-efficient and low-carbon copper producers in the world. The modular nature of the equipment will reduce construction time and allow Florence to commence copper production quicker than with other technologies available,” says Stuart McDonald, President and CEO of Taseko Mines.

“We are looking forward to working with Taseko Mines on the Florence Copper Project. The energy-efficient VSF^®X solvent extraction plant, which is part of our Planet Positive product range, reduces emissions and is safe to operate. The Florence Copper Project will become an important new reference for Metso Outotec in the US copper market as a supplier of a complete production plant that uses solvent extraction and electrowinning technology for copper recovery,” says Jari Ålgars, President of the Metals business area at Metso Outotec.

Read more about solvent extraction and electrowinning technologies on our website.

Metso Outotec is a global frontrunner in sustainable technologies, and end-to-end solutions and services for aggregates processing, as well as minerals and metals refining. By improving our customers’ energy and water efficiency, increasing their productivity, and reducing environmental risks with our product and process expertise, we are the partner for positive change.

Metso Outotec is committed to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees centigrade through climate targets certified by Science Based Targets. In 2021, we ranked eighth in the Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable companies.

Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, the company has more than 15,000 employees in over 50 countries and had net sales of approximately EUR 3.9 billion in 2020. The company’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. mogroup.com