MMD Australia (West) Pty Ltd has been awarded a significant contract to supply an MMD 625 Primary Sizer and MMD 500 Secondary Sizer to Element 25 Ltd for the Butcherbird Expansion (BBX) project in the Pilbara, Western Australia.
The new equipment will support a substantial increase in manganese production at the Butcherbird Manganese Mine, one of Australia’s most important emerging sources of manganese ore. This contract MMD says further strengthens its role as a trusted partner in delivering high-performance mineral sizing solutions for Western Australia’s critical minerals sector.
Under the contract, MMD Australia (West) Pty Ltd. will supply a complete sizing package comprising an MMD 625 Primary Sizer designed for high-capacity primary ore reduction; and MMD 500 Secondary Sizer for providing consistent, controlled product sizing; a critical spare parts package to ensure long-term reliability; plus comprehensive commissioning and ongoing maintenance support.
The Butcherbird Manganese Mine is a long-life operation producing manganese concentrate for both the steel sector and the rapidly expanding electric-vehicle battery industry. Concentrate from the BBX expansion will ultimately support Element 25’s proposed HPMSM facility in Louisiana, USA, which aims to supply high-purity manganese products to global EV manufacturers.
With demand for manganese sulphate surging due to its essential role in lithium-ion battery cathodes, the Butcherbird Expansion represents a strategically important development for Australia’s critical minerals supply chain.
Element 25 selected MMD mineral sizing technology following a detailed technical review of available crushing and sizing solutions. The Butcherbird orebody is particularly challenging due to its very high clay content, conditions where many traditional crushers struggle to maintain performance. MMD says its Sizers were chosen for their proven ability to handle wet, sticky, and high-clay materials while maintaining high throughput and mechanical reliability.
Key cited advantages that set MMD apart included outstanding performance with high-clay ores; low maintenance requirements and high reliability in abrasive, sticky environments; an established Western Australian inventory of critical spare parts; a dedicated, full-time local service and maintenance team; plus full commissioning and post-commissioning support. These strengths ensure reduced downtime, lower operating costs, and greater processing efficiency throughout the expanded BBX circuit.
MMD Australia (West) Pty Ltd says it continues to build its capability to support the Pilbara’s major mining operations. “With strong local stockholding, rapid response times, and extensive field service expertise, MMD provides customers with dependable long-term performance from their mineral sizing equipment. The contract with Element 25 reinforces MMD’s position as a leading supplier of specialised mineral sizers for challenging ore environments across the Australian mining industry.”
Source: im-mining.com
