PROK has opened a new idler manufacturing facility in Johannesburg to supply conveyor components for African mining and bulk materials handling operations. The plant will produce PROK’s conveyor idlers and rollers locally, reducing lead times compared with imports and supporting large overland and in-plant conveyor installations. The investment signals a push for regionalised supply of wear-critical components, which could improve availability and lifecycle support for high-capacity conveyor systems in South African and neighbouring mines.

Viridis Mining and Minerals has placed its first major equipment order for the Colossus Rare Earth Project in Brazil, selecting a residue pressure filtration package from specialist clay filter press manufacturer Dewater Filter Press Srl of Cagli, Italy. The large pressure filter will handle clay-rich rare earth residues, a critical step for achieving low-moisture filter cakes suitable for dry stacking or controlled storage. The order signals Viridis’ move from project development towards an engineered flowsheet and defined tailings and residue management strategy.

Metso has signed an agreement with Gruvaktiebolaget Viscaria to supply key copper and iron ore process equipment for the restart of the Viscaria mine in Kiruna, Sweden, enabling the project to move into its execution phase. The plant is designed for 120,000 t/y of copper concentrate, positioning Viscaria to become Sweden’s second-largest copper producer. For process and plant engineers, the deal signals imminent demand for detailed flowsheet integration, brownfield tie-ins and Nordic-standard power, water and tailings interfaces.