Ausenco has mobilised its technical team to implement the Jervois project in São Paulo. A total of 50 professionals from the areas of civil engineering consulting, electromechanical assembly, health and safety, quality, management and control, and project management will be dedicated to the venture. Part of the team already works at Ausenco’s office in Belo Horizonte, and another part will be mobilised to work directly on the project.
The mobilisation comes after Ausenco and Jervois Brasil signed an engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract on 30 December. Ausenco will be responsible for the engineering, up to pre-commissioning, of the nickel and cobalt refinery, located in the São Miguel Paulista (SMP) neighbourhood, in the eastern zone of São Paulo. Ausenco is currently working on the development of detailed engineering and supplies.
With a 30-year history of operation, the SMP refinery is a national icon in the production of high-purity nickel and cobalt. According to Ausenco’s Project Director, Wilker Silva, the revitalisation of this refinery puts Brazil back on the map for the production of these strategic minerals:
“Ausenco is starting this new phase of the project with great motivation to meet the challenge of updating the processes in terms of technology, [aligning it] with safety and global management standards.
“In the engineering phase, we are working on optimising the process, modernising equipment and reviewing and updating the plant’s control systems in general.
“We are developing action plans to reduce the impact of the project during the renovation phase.”
The plant’s location in the municipality of São Paulo, which is strategic for the operation, presents challenges during construction. During the implementation phase, Jervois will have about 500 workers.
To be processed at the unit, the concentrated ore will arrive by road. The forecast is to produce 12 000 tpy of nickel and 2000 tpy of cobalt.