Clogau Plant Upgrade: iCON Integration and Commissioning

Installation and commissioning of Alba’s new iCON centrifugal gravity concentrator at Clogau has advanced as part of a significant upgrade to the site’s pilot processing plant. The integration has taken place over the course of the past week and has involved mechanical, water-management and electrical work across the wider plant, including support from an electrician to complete and test the power side of the installation. Further work and testing are continuing before the upgraded circuit is fully ready for operation.

The new concentrator has been integrated into the existing processing circuit. Work on site has included configuring a staged feed system using the existing catcher as a hopper (a holding point for incoming material); pumping slurry (a mixture of crushed rock and water) through a sump (a collection point below the circuit) into the new unit; establishing a dedicated internal water supply for the concentrator; routing discharge (the material leaving the unit after separation) over a small sluice box to help retain heavier mineral particles; and connecting the system to upgraded external slurry tanks for managed waste handling. Electrical integration, load testing and flow testing have also formed part of the commissioning process.

This work is important because gravity recovery depends on the stability of the full circuit. Feed consistency, water balance, flow rate and discharge control all influence how effectively heavier mineral particles can be separated from lower-density waste. The week-long integration of the iCON therefore represents a substantial plant-level improvement at Clogau, strengthening the overall processing setup and supporting more effective operation of the pilot plant.

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