Overview
The Kudz Ze Kayah processing plant in Yukon, Canada is designed to process 2.0 million tonnes per annum of polymetallic ore to produce separate copper, lead (HPM), and zinc concentrates. The facility features a sequential flotation circuit with crushing, grinding, and advanced thickening/filtration systems to handle the challenging northern climate conditions.
Key Process Stages
- Crushing Circuit: 900mm grizzly scalping, primary crusher operating at 446 t/h capacity with 12-hour coarse ore stockpile (135t ROM bin)
- Grinding: Open circuit 5.79m x 5.49m SAG mill (2.7MW) with 12mm trommel, closed circuit 4.72m x 7.32m ball mill (2.7MW) targeting P80 of 70µm
- Copper Flotation: 6×38m³ rougher cells, regrind to 30µm (SMD 355kW), 3-stage cleaning with scavenger
- Lead (HPM) Flotation: 5×38m³ rougher cells, regrind to 30µm, 2-stage cleaning
- Zinc Flotation: 6×38m³ rougher cells, regrind to 35µm, 3-stage cleaning
- Concentrate Handling: High-rate thickeners (9m for Cu/Pb, 14m for Zn), vertical plate pressure filters (85m²) targeting 9-9.5% moisture
- Tailings Management: 20m thickener with dual 467m² pressure filters producing 13% moisture cake
Critical Data
| Parameter | Design Case | Average Case |
|---|---|---|
| Throughput | 2.0 Mt/a (245.5 t/h) | 2.2 Mt/a (270 t/h) |
| Plant Availability | 93% | |
| Head Grades (Cu/Pb/Zn) | 1.12%/2.33%/6.52% | 0.82%/1.62%/5.52% |
| Concentrate Grades | 25% Cu/52% Pb/52% Zn | 24% Cu/50% Pb/50% Zn |
| Metal Recovery | 84% Cu/76% Pb/90% Zn | 82% Cu/72% Pb/88% Zn |
| Power Consumption | 44 kWh/t (692 GWh LOM) | |
| Process Water Demand | 757 m³/h (with 2-hour dam capacity) | |
Special Features
- Climate-adapted building design with heated parapets and internal downspouts
- Containerized HPM concentrate handling for secure transport
- Dual-filter tailings system with 12-hour emergency pond capacity
- Automated lime slaking (Vertimill™) and reagent distribution systems
- SCADA-controlled operations with online particle size analysis
