FLS Chile copper mine order: HPGR–ball mill flowsheet insights for process engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
FLSmidth has secured a major order in Chile to supply core grinding technologies for a new copper grinding line, including high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) and a ball mill. The package follows earlier collaborative engineering work on the mine’s expansion and is positioned as the next phase of a long-term process plant partnership with the unnamed customer. For process engineers, the HPGR–ball mill configuration signals continued confidence in energy-efficient comminution flowsheets for large-scale copper operations in the Andean region.
Technical Brief
- Scope reportedly covers HPGR unit, ball mill, and associated classification and material handling equipment.
- FLSmidth’s package is tied to an expansion project, indicating brownfield integration with existing concentrator circuits.
- Engineering collaboration phase preceded the order, suggesting flowsheet and layout were co-developed with the mine owner.
- Delivery is framed as a “new grinding line”, implying parallel operation with current grinding capacity rather than replacement.
Our Take
FLSmidth’s repeat copper work in Chile, alongside the DKK 360 million long-lead crushing and grinding order in northern Chile dated 2026-10-08, signals that the company is becoming a default supplier for large-scale comminution packages in the country’s expansion projects.
Across our mining coverage, copper is one of the most frequently tagged commodities, and FLSmidth’s presence in both Chilean copper and Argentina’s copper-lithium build-out (21 September 2026 item) suggests operators are standardising on its grinding technology across the Andean belt.
The combination of HPGR and ball mills in Chile aligns with FLSmidth’s broader flowsheet strategy seen in the Vizsla Silver Panuco contract in Mexico (19 June 2026), indicating that mines are increasingly looking for integrated, single-vendor process solutions rather than piecemeal equipment buys.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Mining
Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.
CMRR-io
Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.
HYDROGEO-io
Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.
GEODB-io
Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.