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ACE: Fast. Safe. Unstoppable. Australia’s most trusted bulk spring water supplier 20 years of excellence VMS Engineering | Precision. Power. Performance. Your Workforce. Skilled, Certified and Site-Ready Varnish removal made easy Johnson Screens: Screening solutions for Australian mining Vytas makes green hydrogen a reality Geotab and Google Cloud partner for data-driven success MATO Australia’s new generation conveyor belt cleaners MLT New Generation Super-Screw® FRAS/Oil Resistant Mineplast Pro: The superior belt solution Power Control Products: Delivering Safe-T-Products’ conveyor safety innovations to the mining industry Conveyor Idler Failure got you (Shut)down? Dredge pumps in Australia’s mining industry TOMRA’s transformative ore sorting technology Broons’ Graderoll just keeps rolling out the door Weir’s new backfill technology From fabrication to full-scale construction, Murchison Mining Services delivers exceptional results Exactly what you need when you need it Bringing you our world of expertise Quest Maritime Services delivering confidence at sea Dy-Mark mine marking toluene free Oli Group: Driving innovation and reliability in mining & quarrying Transmission repairs and replacements made easy Industrial and marine solutions hire fleet with purpose-built winches and power units How DTN APAC’s inversion and blast dispersion forecasting help the mining industry Steuler expands your horizons Gold, gold, gold Donaldson powers up mining filtration with new dust extraction and air solutions For the next generation of mining The industry leader in OTR and LME tyre management ISUZU FX range squares-up for heavy-duty battle Aerial solutions for mining and exploration The value of experience Driving drilling innovation for more than 40 years Leading Australia’s seismic future with eVibe innovation Supporting smarter mining decisions New technology for near surface exploration Precision drilling Australia’s latest rig rebuild PDR05 Driving excellence in exploration and mine site geoscience Innovators in geophysical exploration Innovative high-tech modular plants Bringing home the medal Titanium prospects Building an empire The titanium titan How can investment grow amidst supply chain woes? TechConnect Coal Comfort Turning waste into wealth ASPEC Engineering and the Amrun Project Australia’s specialised electrical experts The creative construction company World-class material handling solutions Cape-ital gains Australasia’s premier geoscience event AusIMM’s parallel conference debut Digitalisation in mining explored Uranium miner looks to produce with ‘invisible mining’ method For the next generation of mining The Australian Mining Review September 2025 Edition

TOMRA’s transformative ore sorting technology

TOMRA's transformative ore sorting technology

TOMRA Mining technology’s advanced sensor-based ore sorting technology has delivered measurable value to Pilbara Minerals’ (ASX: PLS) Pilgangoora lithium operation.

The technology, commissioned at PLS’ lithium project a year ago, has achieved impressive results, boosting production, reducing costs and unlocking value from previously uneconomical ore.

In Q4 FY25, PLS reported a 77% increase in production volume and a 10% reduction in unit operating costs (FOB) compared to Q3 FY25, attributed to the ramp-up of the P1000 expansion and the integration of TOMRA Mining’s cutting-edge sorting technology.

Commissioned in August 2024, the crushing and sorting plant is the largest lithium ore sorting facility in the world, with a capacity of more than 1000t/hr.

TOMRA Mining’s sensor-based technology enables early waste rejection, significantly improving lithium recovery and final product quality while reducing energy consumption and environmental impact.

TOMRA Mining Australia area sales and technical manager Gavin Rech says Q4 FY25 marked the strongest performance of the year, clearly demonstrating the impact that TOMRA’s technology can deliver at scale.

“By unlocking value from lower-grade contact ore previously considered uneconomical, the operation now accesses more lithia units from the pit, enhancing resource utilisation and mine flexibility,” he said.

The sorting plant successfully addresses managing spodumene ore within barren host rock — a key challenge in lithium mining.

It includes 10 high-precision TOMRA sorters, four TOMRA COM Tertiary XRT for fines, three TOMRA COM XRT 2.0 for mid-sized particles and three TOMRA PRO Primary Color for coarse-sized particles.

By removing barren material upstream, the plant enhances the efficiency of downstream processes, reduces energy use by 8–15 GWh annually and ensures consistent product quality.

This success is the result of several years of collaboration between TOMRA Mining, PLS and engineering partner DRA Global.

The project was delivered on time and on budget, following extensive testwork at TOMRA’s Sydney test center that demonstrated the technology’s capability to deliver high lithium recovery and effective waste separation across varied ore domains.

The ore sorting facility boosts Pilgangoora’s production capacity and lays the foundation for future expansions under the P2000 project. As the lithium market evolves, the company is well-positioned to lead through innovation and resilience.

With the P1000 expansion now complete and the P2000 feasibility study underway, TOMRA Mining’s proven technology and industry-leading expertise continue to support PLS’ long-term strategy for scalable, cost-efficient and responsible lithium production.