BHP, Eriez HydroFloat achieves significant mineral recovery improvements

BHP, a global resources company focused on sustainable mining and innovation, and Eriez, a leader in advanced mineral processing solutions, today announced they successfully commissioned a HydroFloat coarse particle flotation (CPF) plant at BHP’s Carrapateena mine. This milestone represents a significant advance in sustainable, high-efficiency mineral recovery for the worldwide mining industry.

BHP, Eriez, VOLPRO Pty Ltd, and Paradocs Metallurgy closely collaborated to complete the project. The teams integrated HydroFloat technology into the existing processing circuit and worked together from installation through commissioning and optimization, meeting performance targets on an accelerated schedule and within budget.

HydroFloat CPF recovers coarse, high-value particles that conventional flotation often loses to tailings, increasing metal recovery and plant throughput while supporting more sustainable operations and better tailings management.

Anna Wiley, asset president for BHP Copper South Australia, said, “We are making great progress in building our South Australian copper province. This is a massive achievement for our team and a significant step forward for our Copper SA operations.”

She added: “The HydroFloat is a compelling example of the smart technology, innovative thinking and investment in productivity that will carry our business forward in South Australia. As a first-of-its-kind for BHP, this breakthrough will substantially increase Carrapateena’s processing capacity while maintaining recovery.”

“BHP’s focus on innovation and operational excellence was critical to the success of this project,” said Jose Concha, global director of mining products at Eriez. “The trust, transparency, and teamwork with the Carrapateena operations team, VOLPRO Pty Ltd and Paradocs Metallurgy have raised the bar for future HydroFloat deployments.”

The plant now operates fully and produces results in line with expectations, paving the way for broader adoption of HydroFloat CPF in base and precious metals processing. Eriez, BHP, and their partners will continue to refine the technology and CPF flowsheets, share insights, and evaluate opportunities to expand HydroFloat applications across other operations.

Learn more at www.Bhp.com and www.Eriez.com.