IPCC
A Metso FIT™ station at Vale Carajas
The IPCC shift
As the whole mining industry looks to achieving decarbonisation, it isn’ t all about lower emissions trucks – IPCC is also back in business, reports Paul Moore
This year’ s in-pit crushing and conveying( IPCC) article starts a bit differently, with some thoughts on trends in IPCC from Worley Principal Mechanical & Mining Engineer, Nicholas Russell.
He told IM:“ Having worked on several IPCC studies and early-stage decarbonisation strategies across different mining operations, we’ re seeing a clear shift- not just in how IPCC is being talked about, but how it’ s being designed, specified, and delivered. It’ s not theoretical anymore. These systems are moving from concept into practical, staged implementation, with lessons being applied directly from real projects.”
Russell said one of the most noticeable changes is the consistent pairing of IPCC with truck flexibility.“ In nearly every project we’ ve supported in the last 12-18 months, customers are choosing hybrid haulage strategies. Previously, fully-mobile IPCC solutions were sometimes‘ made to work’ for a project in order to realise the environmental benefits from removing trucks and the significant health and safety benefits from removing their operators.”
But with Battery Electric Vehicle( BEV) and Autonomous Haulage Systems( AHS) now delivering those benefits, Russell says fully-mobile IPCC solutions need to standup more on their economic benefits alone.“ Trucks for flexibility with semi-mobile IPCC systems as the backbone gives a smoother, more resilient path to decarbonisation. It’ s
10 a balanced solution we’ ve actively helped design and model in both greenfield and brownfield contexts.”
On crushing, Russell says that semimobile crushers- especially modular steelframed units- are emerging as the go-to configuration.“ These have been central to a few of our recent designs. They offer faster construction schedules and more straightforward relocation compared to traditional fixed installations. The ability to fabricate, install, and move without large civil installations makes a big difference- especially where mine plans are still evolving or topography is challenging. These systems are also helping customers phase capital investment and reduce early exposure.”
He says there is also a shift in thinking around truck sizing- driven in part by AHS- where bigger is no longer automatically better. Instead, optimising the balance between shovel, fleet, crusher, and conveyor combinations is unlocking more efficient and flexible configurations.
Russell also cites ore sorting as becoming a key enabler in smarter material movement strategies- especially when integrated with IPCC and haulage systems.“ Technologies like NextOre, which now offers both on-conveyor and on-truck sensing capabilities, are expanding the scope of in-pit decision-making. Using truckbased sensing for macro-level ore-waste separation, paired with on-conveyor systems for finer, more targeted sorting, allows for a more efficient use of haulage capacity and processing infrastructure. The shift to smaller, more agile trucks- particularly in AHS fleets- enhances compatibility with NextOre’ s sensors, improving accuracy and broadening deployment options. This kind of integrated ore sorting approach helps reduce unnecessary material movement and supports better energy and processing efficiency across the system.”
On wider IPCC adoption, he adds:“ Critically, most of the mining customers we’ re working with are bringing IPCC into their medium-term decarbonisation roadmaps- not just long-term ideas. Batteryelectric trucks get the headlines, but they don’ t address haulage intensity the same way. What we’ re hearing more often now is, what’ s the best combination of IPCC and BEV over a 5 – 15 year timeline? That’ s a welcome shift, and it shows up in the funding priorities and the types of engineering packages being commissioned.”
From the Worley side, it has helped customers identify ramp-up bottlenecks, model throughput scenarios, evaluate tradeoffs in relocation strategies, and critically assess lifecycle energy performance.“ While IPCC has always required customisation, what’ s changing now is the broader range of viable configurations- especially when paired with different fleet strategies. We’ re seeing greater flexibility in how systems are tailored to the orebody and mining method, with modular components and hybrid fleet models( including AHS and BEV trucks) enabling more nuanced trade-offs across capital, performance, and decarbonisation outcomes.”
He concludes:“ The bottom line is that IPCC isn’ t just back, it’ s being rebuilt smarter. The narrative has moved beyond IPCC vs trucks to a more sophisticated, multi-speed model. That shift, anchored by modular thinking, better system integration, and phased execution, is one we’ re directly contributing to, and one that aligns well with how the mining industry is evolving its decarbonisation strategies.”
Metso builds momentum
IM also spoke to Leif Berndt, Metso’ s Director, IPCC. He states:“ What we can say is that our business with productised IPCC stations is growing nicely. As an example, ever since the launch of the FIT TM and Foresight TM range mid 2020 we have now sold 36 stations in locations including Indonesia, Chile, Canada and Brazil.”
This includes an early win with a Foresight™ semi-mobile primary gyratory
International Mining | MAY 2025