FILTRATION & THICKENING
Deconstructing dewatering
Paul Moore talked to a range of the major filter and thickener solution providers to mining globally to see what’ s new in technology and trends
The biggest news in the filtration market this year is Sandvik’ s acquisition of Diemme ® Filtration, a global leader in pressure filters, including those with very large capacity having huge potential in the tailings part of the industry to address water scarcity and wet TSF safety concerns by enabling dry stacked tailings production at a huge scale.
With the acquisition, Sandvik has entered the filtration and dewatering segment, strengthening its offering across the mining value chain. Sandvik estimated that the total addressable market is over SEK 20 billion. The company will be reported as a separate new division, Filtration, within business area Rock Processing.
Sandvik acquired Diemme Filtration from water treatment focused Aqseptence Group, headquarted in Aarbergen, Germany. Diemme is very well known in mining for having successfully delivered what remains the largest filter ever built and put into commercial operation- the GHT5000F Domino- with this landmark first unit deployed by Southern Copper Corporation at the Toquepala copper mine in Peru in late 2022.
The acquisition closed in September 2026. Sandvik said when the deal was first announced:“ Demand in the filtration segment is driven by several strong trends, and the market is expected to grow in the low double-digits. Declining ore grades are
Diemme Filtration’ s GHT5000 Domino at Southern Copper’ s Toquepala copper mine
pushing mines toward higher slurry volumes, materially raising the need for increased filtration capacity. Additionally, stricter water and tailings regulations are driving demand for water preservation solutions and denser tailings.”
“ I am very pleased with this acquisition, which is strongly aligned with our strategy to grow in attractive niches in downstream mining. With Diemme Filtration we add a profitable and fast-growing niche within mineral processing to our core offering, that strengthens our position with key mining customer groups and brings an attractive aftermarket business,” says Stefan Widing, President and CEO of Sandvik.
Richard Harris, Sandvik Rock Processing President told IM:“ The acquisition of Diemme Filtration represents an important step in our strategy to expand selectively into attractive niches of downstream mineral processing. With strong positions in crushing, screening and now filtration, we can support customers across a greater portion of the mineral processing value chain while addressing key industry needs around water recovery, tailings management and resource efficiency. More broadly, our strategy is to complement our existing strengths with selected technologies that expand our relevance across the mining process and create value for customers. Diemme gives us a leading position in filtration and dewatering and strengthens our ability to support customers through equipment, services, aftermarket support and digital solutions.”
IM also spoke to Andrea Pezzi, Marketing and Communication Director and ESG Team Coordinator at Diemme Filtration. He says it will remain as a distinct entity within Sandvik- as already stated, Diemme Filtration forms a new Filtration division within Sandvik Rock Processing and will maintain its headquarters in Lugo, Italy. Building on the growth and development achieved in recent years, the company will continue to strengthen its activities and capabilities in key strategic markets, leveraging its established resources, expertise and presence while pursuing further opportunities for development within Sandvik.
But there are also a lot of synergies globally that bring growth potential. Diemme was already growing its local presence in strategic mining markets such as Australia, India, Latin America and North America. Becoming part of Sandvik Rock Processing, and the wider Sandvik Group, offers a lot of potential when it comes to utilising the existing Sandvik network in areas like customer service, parts supply and storage, plus maintenance and aftermarket. Sandvik has sales in more than 150 countries and has physical operations or employees in around 70 countries. Equally, Diemme has developed partnerships with a number of important mining groups in commodities like iron ore, copper, nickel, alumina and gold which could open up opportunities for the wider Sandvik Rock Processing and Sandvik Mining portfolios.
In commercial terms, Diemme Filtration is developing a renewed visual identity that will retain its own distinctive character as a stand-alone brand, while clearly reflecting its integration within Sandvik Group. The Sandvik endorsement will complement and strengthen the Diemme Filtration brand, adding the reputation and global reach of the Group to its established market identity- all of this is currently being finalised.
Given that Diemme’ s filter models are already widely recognised as world leaders and known in the market, this side of things in terms of nomenclature of machines etc is likely to be retained- such as the GHT2500 and GHT5000F. There may also be the opportunity in the near future to co-exist with a joint presence at conferences and tradeshows. Pezzi said meetings have already taken place between the Diemme and Sandvik teams and are continuing on a regular basis.
Pezzi added:“ The approach of the Sandvik Group has been really flexible and pragmatic, in that they acknowledge that we are very good at what we do in filtration and dewatering in mining and respect where we
60 International Mining | OCTOBER 2026