CIMIC Group buys Minsol Engineering

CIMIC Group subsidiary Sedgman has expanded its service offering in the critical minerals sector by purchasing Minsol Engineering just four years after the West Perth business was established.

MinSol Engineering, which will operate as Sedgman MinSol, specialises in hard rock lithium processing.

The business was established in 2020 by a group from MSP Engineering, led by principals Rob Simmons and Iain McBride.

MSP was an early mover in the lithium sector, winning big contracts with Talison Lithium and Tianqi Lithium before becoming mired in legal disputes in recent years.

Minsol currently operates from MSP’s former premises in West Perth.

Its web site says it played an “integral role” in the design, implementation, commissioning and optimisation of two processing plants at Talison Lithium’s giant Greenbushes mine.

MinSol said it has also worked on Latin Resources’ Salinas lithium project in Brazil and Global Lithium’s proposed Manna project.

In addition, the company said it was responsible for two major design packages at Lynas Rare Earths’ Kalgoorlie refinery and the design of Iluka Resources’ proposed Eneabba rare earths refinery.

The business has a team of about 20 people.

The MinSol acquisition was Sedgeman’s third in the critical minerals processing sector.

CIMIC said MonSol’s expertise would complement Sedgman’s brine lithium processing capabilities acquired with Sedgman Novopro.

CIMIC executive chairman Juan Santamaria said the acquisitions would enable Sedgman to provide its clients with complete solutions in mineral processing for the global energy transition.

“With the acquisition of MinSol Engineering, Sedgman has finalised the strategic journey it embarked on two years ago to diversify its commodities and extend its global capability into hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, chemicals and energy,” Mr Santamaria said.

“The acquisitions of Sedgman Onyx, Sedgman Novopro, Sedgman Prudentia and now Sedgman MinSol, are a sign of Sedgman’s boosted capabilities and extended geographical reach, consolidating its position as a leader in minerals processing on a global scale.”

Sedgman managing director Grant Fraser said the company now covers the complete process flowsheet in the critical minerals industries from comminution and beneficiation to hydrometallurgical refining through leaching, purification and metal recovery.

He added that Sedgman aimed to service the rising demand for brine lithium in the Americas and Europe, and hard rock lithium in Western Australia and North America.