Wood Awarded Contract for Europe’s Largest Manganese Processing Facility in Support of Energy Transition

Wood Awarded Contract for Europe’s Largest Manganese Processing Facility in Support of Energy Transition

(IN BRIEF) Wood, a global consulting and engineering company, has secured a significant contract from Euro Manganese to deliver a vital mineral project crucial to the energy transition. The contract, awarded to Wood’s Projects business unit, aligns with the company’s strategy for end market growth. Wood will provide front-end engineering and design (FEED) and engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCm) solutions for the Chvaletice Manganese Project, which aims to establish Europe’s largest high-purity manganese processing facility in the Czech Republic. This innovative project involves extracting manganese deposits from historic mine tailings, repurposing a traditionally discarded waste product. Manganese is a critical mineral used in lithium-ion batteries, and its inclusion on the European Commission’s list of critical minerals highlights its importance. With the Chvaletice site being the primary source of manganese in the European Union, the project’s sustainable mining solutions are essential to meet the projected eight-fold increase in manganese demand over the next decade driven by the rapid adoption of electric vehicles. Wood’s CEO, Ken Gilmartin, emphasized the significance of the project for Wood’s commitment to supporting the energy transition and designing a sustainable future for energy and materials. Dr. Matthew James, President & CEO of Euro Manganese, expressed satisfaction with partnering with Wood, a high-caliber engineering firm, to advance the global energy transition and establish a world-class facility for high-purity manganese production. The contract, lasting approximately four years, will be executed collaboratively by Wood’s project teams in Perth, Australia, and Milan, Italy.

(PRESS RELEASE) ABERDEEN, 6-Jul-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Wood, a global consulting and engineering company, has been awarded a major award by Euro Manganese to deliver a unique mineral project critical to the energy transition.  This cost-reimbursable contract will be delivered by Wood’s Projects business unit and is in line with Wood’s end market growth strategy.

Wood will deliver front end engineering and design (FEED) and EPCm solutions for Europe’s largest proposed high-purity manganese processing facility as part of the Chvaletice Manganese Project, in the Czech Republic.

This unique and innovative project involves the processing of historic mine tailings, traditionally a waste product, to extract manganese deposits from a decommissioned mine.

Manganese is recognised as an essential mineral used in most lithium-ion batteries and the European Commission recently included it on its list of critical minerals. The Chvaletice site is the only significant identified source of manganese in the European Union. Demand for manganese is forecast to increase almost eight-fold over the next ten years in response to the dramatic uptake in electric vehicle adoption making the need for sustainable mining solutions critical.

Ken Gilmartin, CEO at Wood, said: “This project holds real significance for Wood as we continue to lead the development of critical mineral projects to support the energy transition. We have the mineral project capability and specialist expertise in advanced hydrometallurgy to successfully deliver this innovative project. This is a perfect example of the kind of projects we are passionate about as we continue to design a sustainable future for energy and materials.”

Dr. Matthew James, President & CEO of Euro Manganese, said: “Awarding the EPCm contract to Wood is the result of an extensive and robust selection process and I am very pleased to be partnering with such a high calibre engineering firm. We look forward to building a world-class facility to produce high-purity manganese, an essential component in most lithium-ion batteries. Together, we are working to advance the global energy transition.”

The combined FEED and EPCm contract has a duration of approximately four years and will be delivered collaboratively by Wood’s Project teams in Perth, Australia and Milan, Italy.

Media Contact:

press.office@woodgroup.com

SOURCE: Wood Group