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02
'26
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Key Process Equipment for Zinc Smelter Expansion
Metso secures a supply contract for high-capacity cellhouse equipment to optimize zinc refining productivity in South Asia.
www.metso.com
Metso has been awarded a contract to provide core process equipment for the expansion of a major zinc smelter facility in South Asia. The delivery focuses on optimizing the hydrometallurgical circuit, specifically integrating high-capacity cathode stripping machines, an anode washing and flattening machine, and a large-scale electrolyte cooling tower installation. This order, booked in the second quarter of 2026, reinforces the ongoing technical partnership between the two organizations, leveraging Metso’s proprietary designs for calcine leaching, solution purification, and electrolysis operations.
Process Equipment and Operational Efficiency
The scope of supply includes critical infrastructure engineered to maintain precise electrolyte thermal profiles, which is essential for stable electrowinning performance. The delivery features:
- Cathode Stripping Machines: High-capacity units designed for automated zinc harvesting.
- Anode Maintenance: Automated anode washing and flattening systems to ensure consistent contact surfaces and electrical conductivity.
- Electrolyte Cooling Towers: A high-capacity cooling system designed to manage thermal loads within the cellhouse, ensuring optimal electrolysis conditions.
The project implementation also encompasses advisory site services, providing technical support during the installation and commissioning phases of the refinery expansion.
Strategic Context and Technology Integration
This expansion utilizes established process designs for hydrometallurgical zinc refining that the customer has previously implemented across their global production sites. By standardizing the equipment base and process architecture, the operator aims to ensure technical continuity and consistent operational performance. Metso’s role as the technology provider covers the entire refining sequence—from calcine leaching to final cellhouse operations—minimizing integration risks associated with scaling up high-throughput refining circuits.
Additional Context: This section details technical specifications not included in the original announcement
In the hydrometallurgical refining of zinc, the electrowinning process is highly sensitive to electrolyte temperature and impurity levels. The electrolyte, a sulfuric acid solution containing dissolved zinc sulfate, must be kept within a narrow temperature range (typically 35–40°C) to maximize current efficiency and minimize the codeposition of impurities. Excessive heat reduces current efficiency by promoting the "redissolution" of the deposited zinc cathode and increasing power consumption. The large-scale cooling towers mentioned are critical because they dissipate the significant heat generated by the electrochemical reactions and the high ohmic resistance of the cells. Furthermore, cathode stripping machines represent a sophisticated application of mechanical robotics; they must precisely sense the thickness of the deposited zinc layer on the aluminum or lead-alloy cathode plates and apply controlled mechanical force to peel the metal without deforming the underlying substrate, which is essential for maintaining plate flatness and current distribution across the cathode area.
Edited by Lekshman Ramdas, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.
www.metso.com
Strategic Context and Technology Integration
This expansion utilizes established process designs for hydrometallurgical zinc refining that the customer has previously implemented across their global production sites. By standardizing the equipment base and process architecture, the operator aims to ensure technical continuity and consistent operational performance. Metso’s role as the technology provider covers the entire refining sequence—from calcine leaching to final cellhouse operations—minimizing integration risks associated with scaling up high-throughput refining circuits.
Additional Context: This section details technical specifications not included in the original announcement
In the hydrometallurgical refining of zinc, the electrowinning process is highly sensitive to electrolyte temperature and impurity levels. The electrolyte, a sulfuric acid solution containing dissolved zinc sulfate, must be kept within a narrow temperature range (typically 35–40°C) to maximize current efficiency and minimize the codeposition of impurities. Excessive heat reduces current efficiency by promoting the "redissolution" of the deposited zinc cathode and increasing power consumption. The large-scale cooling towers mentioned are critical because they dissipate the significant heat generated by the electrochemical reactions and the high ohmic resistance of the cells. Furthermore, cathode stripping machines represent a sophisticated application of mechanical robotics; they must precisely sense the thickness of the deposited zinc layer on the aluminum or lead-alloy cathode plates and apply controlled mechanical force to peel the metal without deforming the underlying substrate, which is essential for maintaining plate flatness and current distribution across the cathode area.
Edited by Lekshman Ramdas, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.
www.metso.com
