Finnish mining equipment maker Metso denied on Monday market rumours suggesting it was in talks with Sweden’s Sandvik to acquire the rival’s mining unit, potentially creating a regional Nordic giant.“Metso has no information related to the speculations and no related insider project exists,” Juha Rouhiainen, vice president of investor relations
Speculation around a potential tie-up comes as Metso announced earlier this year that it would restructure its minerals equipments business, leading it to cut about 240 positions globally. The planned measures, the company explained at the time, will address the changes in the market environment that are driven by an increasing emphasis on strategic minerals that support the energy transition.Metso and Sandvik are both major players in the mining and construction equipment industry. Any potential merger or collaboration would mean a game-changer for the sector.
One of the regrind mills has now been re-purposed as the primary ball mill, allowing ore processing to resume at a reduced rate.