:: Metso Minerals to Supply Process Equipment to Inco’s Goro Nickel Project in New Caledonia

Metso Minerals will supply an inclined plate settler for plant water processing, as well as effluent thickeners and clarifiers to Goro Nickel’s process plant in the southern province of New Caledonia, an island belonging to France in Melanesia. The value of the order is approximately EUR 7.7 million. The order was booked for the last quarter order backlog of 2005.

The delivery comprises of two clarifiers, process water thickener and effluent thickener, as well as installation and commissioning field services. The delivered solution is designed to treat the plant effluent and meet stringent EPA requirement of water clarity before being discharged to the Ocean. The estimated start-up of the operation is in the end of August 2007. Once fully operational, the mine is expected to process 60,000 metric tonnes of nickel into nickel oxide and between 4,300 and 5,100 metric tonnes of cobalt into cobalt carbonate per year.

Goro Nickel S.A. is developing a mine and integrated hydrometallurgical facility with associated infrastructure on the Goro Plateau, which is located on the southern tip of the main island of Grande Terre, New Caledonia. Inco Ltd of Canada is with a current 85% holding the major shareholder of Goro Nickel. Inco Australia Management Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Inco Ltd and has been appointed by Goro Nickel S.A. to manage the project, which comprises the engineering, procurement and construction of a nickel and cobalt ore processing plant, port, associated utilities and mine.

Metso is a global engineering and technology corporation with 2005 net sales of approximately EUR 4.2 billion. Its 22 000 employees in more than 50 countries serve customers in the pulp and paper industry, rock and minerals processing, the energy industry and selected other industries.