PUMPS & PIPELINES
Weir- GEHO ® HD pump engineering continues to perform at Paragominas
In 2007, the Mineração Bauxita Paragominas’( now owned by Hydro) pipeline was successfully commissioned, becoming the world’ s first long distance bauxite pipeline. Remarkably, this 245 km pipeline, located in the State of Para, Brazil, is still in operation today.
At the time, transporting bauxite as a slurry over long distances was considered impractical due to concerns about particle breakdown, slurry rheology changes and pipeline wear.
The pipeline from the mine site to the Alunorte aluminium plant terminal facilities on an Amazon estuary near Belem was necessitated by the fact that building roads to truck the ore raised significant political challenges since the route would’ ve passed through culturally sensitive indigenous areas, while constructing a rail line was prohibitively expensive.
The pipeline was designed and commissioned by Pipeline Systems Incorporated( PSI) with an initial capacity of 13.5 Mt / y. The system was engineered for staged expansion.
Early laboratory tests suggested that bauxite particles might degrade during transport, increasing slurry yield stress. PSI therefore developed a specialised shear-simulation test to model particle breakdown over time. However, once operations began, the mined bauxite proved far more stable than expected, eliminating a major design concern.
To meet long-term production goals, the pipeline was built with a 24-inch diameter and a batching system that alternates between water and slurry to prevent sedimentation at lower flow rates. Tony Hendriks, Weir, GEHO Global Product Manager told IM that the first operational phase delivered 4.5 Mt / y using a single pump station equipped with six GEHO ® TZPM 2000 piston diaphragm( PD) pumps. As demand increased, the same pumps were able to support a 9 Mt / y throughput by generating higher discharge pressures.
The strong performance during the first year encouraged the operator to pursue full optimisation of the system. Capacity was increased to 14.85 Mt / y, requiring longer slurry batches, higher pressures and the installation of an intermediate pump station. This second station also uses six GEHO ® TZPM 2000 PD pumps, but with larger water ends to accommodate the increased flow. Existing pumps at the first station were upgraded with larger piston diameters, and a seventh pump was added to support the expanded duty.
GEHO TZPM 2000 PD pumps in operation at the Hydro Paragominas pipeline- reducing CO₂ emissions by around 33,000 t annually compared to rail transport
Hendriks:“ The long term success of the project is, in part, attributable to the robustness of the GEHO ® PD pump design. The power end features a direct-driven forged-steel crankshaft housed in a cast frame, eliminating welds and stress risers. This configuration provides exceptional rod-load capacity and ensures a bearing life exceeding 100,000 hours. With each pump now delivering 461 m ³/ h at 130 bar, these units rank among the highestloaded piston-diaphragm pumps in the world.”
Operational reliability is further enhanced by continuous monitoring of slurry rheology, density and particle size distribution. The pipeline runs at a constant flow rate and is only shut down for emergencies. Even then, restart procedures using water allow safe recovery, provided the pipeline slope remains below 15 %.
At the refinery, hyperbaric filters reduce slurry moisture to around 12 %, producing a product comparable to ROM bauxite. The pipeline prevents around 33,000 t of CO2 emissions each year compared to rail.
Hendriks concludes:“ This seamless integration of transport and processing, combined with the sustainability benefits, has made this pipeline a model for remote-resource development. Today, long distance slurry pipelines are critical assets whose safe, reliable and efficient operation underpins the productivity of entire mining operations – that’ s this project’ s legacy.”
duty slurry pump in the world for 60 years, it continues to be the trusted choice across industries and continents. This milestone is a celebration of enduring innovation, engineering excellence, resilience and trust we’ ve earned with our customers.”
The WARMAN AH horizontal slurry pump has earned its reputation through a combination of durability, versatility, efficiency and environmental responsibility. Its robust construction delivers exceptional wear resistance in the harshest conditions, while flexible configurations support a wide range of operational needs, Weir says. The company added:“ Built with efficiency, safety and sustainability in mind, the WARMAN AH horizontal slurry pump continues to evolve to meet modern operational demands, ensuring reliable
50 performance while helping customers reduce costs and environmental impact.” Its enduring success is driven by continuous innovation, with real-world data and customer feedback guiding ongoing design enhancement to meet industry needs.
John McNulty, Vice President Global Engineering & Technology, Weir, said:“ Over the years, the WARMAN AH horizontal slurry pump has undergone countless iterations, each driven by rigorous testing and direct customer feedback. We’ ve created a configurable solution that can be tailored to meet the evolving demands of mining customers, without compromising on performance or reliability.”
The new GIW LCC Gen2
KSB GIW Inc has launched the GIW ® LCC Gen2 slurry pump series, a redesigned and upgraded version of its GIW LCC line. Designed for class 1-3 slurry applications, the GIW LCC Gen2 incorporates proven hydraulic performance with a modernised design that improves maintenance access, extends service life and lowers total cost of ownership, the company says.
The GIW LCC Gen2 series retains the trusted hydraulic performance of the first-generation GIW LCC but introduces significant upgrades in serviceability, reliability and spare parts compatibility. Key updates include a front pull-out shaft seal design that allows seals to be changed without removing the bearing
International Mining | JUNE 2026