AMPO POYAM VALVES has supplied a complete Integrated Smart Solution (ISS) for the Tailings Thickening – Dam No. 8 project at  Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração (CBMM) plant in Araxá, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

CBMM is the world’s leading niobium producer, controlling approximately 80 per cent of the global market for the critical metallic element, which is used in high-performance steel and technology applications across infrastructure, energy and mobility.

The project is part of CBMM’s wider expansion and operational improvement programme and marks the company’s first tailings pumping system, making it a strategically significant development.

AMPO’s ISS, installed at the plant’s tailings pumping station, includes 25 severe-service, metal-seated ball valves ranging from 2 to 18 inches in Class 150 and 600 ratings.

All valves are equipped with hydraulic actuators and supported by 25 local control panels and a central Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU), which controls and operates the complete valve set.

AMPO also carried out the engineering and calculations required to interconnect the system, integrating the valves, control panels and HPU into a single coordinated solution.

Designed for demanding tailings service, the valves feature chromium carbide coating across the flow passage and closing elements to improve resistance to abrasive and corrosive conditions.

AMPO also focused on the development, manufacture and programming of the project-specific HPU.

CBMM witnessed hydrostatic testing at AMPO’s facilities in May 2026, with equipment delivered in June through the Port of Santos. Start-up and commissioning are scheduled for November 2026 at the earliest, with AMPO field engineers providing on-site support and operator training.

The project strengthens AMPO’s position in Brazil’s mining sector and highlights the company’s ability to deliver integrated valve, hydraulic and control solutions from a single source, simplifying project execution for mining customers. -OGN/TradeArabia News Service