Metso’s €10m Vertimill 4500 order: grinding efficiency lens for DR iron ore engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Metso has secured an order worth over €10 million for multiple Vertimill® 4500 grinding mills for a Direct Reduction (DR) grade iron ore project, targeting finely ground feed suitable for DR pelletising. The vertical stirred mills are designed to cut specific energy consumption and operating costs compared with conventional ball mills, aided by a smaller installation footprint and reduced media usage. For process engineers, the choice of Vertimill 4500 units signals a push towards higher grinding efficiency and tighter particle size control in DR-grade iron ore circuits.
Technical Brief
- Vertical stirred mill geometry enables higher power intensity per footprint than comparable horizontal tumbling mills.
- Reduced grinding media consumption in Vertimill® circuits directly lowers steel make-up and handling requirements.
- Smaller concrete and structural steel quantities are implied by the compact vertical mill foundations.
- Finer grind capability supports narrow PSD control needed ahead of DR pelletising induration and reduction.
- Lower specific energy draw eases electrical infrastructure sizing for greenfield DR pellet feed plants.
Our Take
In our database of 1064 Mining stories, Metso features frequently in higher‑value processing contracts, and this >€10 million Vertimill 4500 order aligns with a pattern of the company securing large, technology‑heavy packages rather than smaller, stand‑alone equipment sales.
Recent coverage of Metso’s acquisition of MRA Automation (2 February 2026) suggests that big mill orders like this DR‑grade iron ore installation are likely to be paired with more integrated automation and control offerings, tightening Metso’s grip on whole‑of‑circuit performance guarantees.
The combination of this Vertimill order with Metso’s “whole‑of‑circuit” push highlighted on 11 February 2026 indicates that iron ore clients are increasingly buying into energy‑efficient grinding as part of broader sustainability and DR‑grade quality strategies, not just as a bolt‑on equipment upgrade.
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.
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