Nickel developer Horizonte Minerals has awarded all major and long-lead-time process plant equipment contracts for its flagship Araguaia project, in Brazil.
Following completion of the competitive tender processes, and detailed negotiations, the dual-listed company has now secured equipment supply and technical support services for the balance of the Araguaia process flow sheet from leading global suppliers. This is in line with the strategy employed for the award of the furnace contract to Hatch earlier this year.
Horizonte will be working with FLSmidth, Metso Outotec, Uvån Hagfors Teknologi Inteco Melting and Casting Technologies and other leading suppliers to the ferronickel industry.
"Completing the award of these key process-related contracts is a major milestone for the development of Araguaia as, together with the previously announced award of the furnace contract, this represents around $135-million of capital expenditure on the project and provides increased confidence in our planned development timelines,” said CEO Jeremy Martin.
The first pieces of equipment are expected on site during the fourth quarter of this year, in line with the overall project schedule.
To date, Horizonte has awarded contracts totalling $293-million on budget and on time.