Eight 230,000L FRP leach tanks for a nickel concentrator

Background

GR Engineering designed, built and commissioned the Cosmic Boy concentrator for Western Areas in 2009, and upgraded its capacity in 2011. The Mill Recovery Enhancement Project (MREP) nickel bio-leach added process units to extract nickel from partially oxidised ore that responds poorly to flotation in the main plant.

The challenge

In tank and vat leaching, ore is placed in large tanks or vats and flooded with a leaching solution so the valuable material leaches out. The solution is drained and either recycled or pumped to the next recovery step. The vessels are very large and must resist the leaching media.

The solution

GRP Tank Solutions supplied eight 230,000L FRP leach tanks and seven chemical tanks. The leach tanks were built in two sections in WA and assembled on site at Forrestania.

Every tank’s materials were selected for the specific chemical it holds, for long-term protection.

Products and scope

Products: eight 230,000L FRP leach tanks and seven FRP chemical tanks.

Our scope: material selection for each chemical, manufacture in two sections in WA, and assembly on site.