Metso reinforces its leading role in circular economy initiatives by highlighting the Crushing as a Service model and its characteristics – which are related to the main objective of the forum – as well as the main customer benefits of the Life Cycle Services contracts. The model was presented at the World Economic Forum (WCEF).
The 2025 edition of the global event took place in Brazil on May 13-16, preceding the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and was organized by the Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra) while in line with the global ESG initiatives of the United Nations (UN). The real case of LHG Mineração was presented on May 15th.
Life Cycle Services is a comprehensive service offering that involves high-tech equipment, specialized labor and operations management. In the Crushing as a Service LCS model, Metso provides the equipment and labor for operation, parts and maintenance, and is charged per ton produced – a solution that integrates operation and performance with environmental responsibility. This model is already established in Brazil, especially in the comminution process – crushing and screening.
Sustainable results aligned with the ESG agenda are achieved as the LCS model extends the useful lifetime of equipment, allowing it to be reused across multiple contracts. In addition, the model allows for the reuse of parts and components too, thus reducing the consumption of natural resources and generating waste. Some of the waste is also circulated and reprocessed in Metso's own foundry in Sorocaba, Brazil, to manufacture new products.
Today, the operation of this business model – which began in north Brazil in 2008 with an operation of 200,000 tons per year – directly employs 300 people and is projected to produce 24 million tons in 2025.
The contract with LHG Mineração stands out amongst the Crushing as a Service projects in Brazil because of a robust plant with an average capacity of 700 tons per hour. Thanks to the experienced team, ready to start operations quickly, and the extensive fleet of 116 pieces of available equipment, the project was planned and mobilized in just 120 days, making it an industry landmark of agility and scale.
In addition to crushing, as is the case at LHG Mineração, the LCS model can be applied to all stages of ore processing in which Metso has the technology.
“Today, no new project is approved if it doesn’t have a sustainable footprint,” says Henrique Araújo – Legal and Compliance Manager, Metso Brazil. “This includes equipment with lower energy consumption, greater efficiency and durability, directly contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions.”
Araújo emphasizes that sustainability is not just a company guideline, but the basis of the group's business model.
“The circular economy is one of the pillars of our work. The LCS model allows us to transform products into services, cutting down the use of natural resources, maximizing the useful lifetime of equipment and reducing the need to extract new materials,” he adds.
The Brazilian subsidiary has already executed 24 LCS contracts with demand continuing to grow, as customers themselves have increasingly realized the benefits of an “as a service” contract, increasing the profitability of their projects. In 2023 alone, 21 new pieces of equipment were added to Metso's fleet. There is equipment that has already been used in more than five projects, demonstrating the model’s circularity benefits.
Tiago Batalha, LCS contract manager with LHG Mining at Metso, highlights that the business model goes beyond crushing: "The LCS concept applies to any part of the mining process. Today, we have most of our contracts in Brazil in crushing, but there are already studies for other areas such as filtration for ore recovery. The biggest advantage for the customer is the OPEX investment, eliminating the need for workforce training, plant assembly, engineering, commissioning and operation. We deliver the ore exactly how the client wants and meeting all production metrics.”
To conclude on the topic of positioning in circularity, Gustavo Greco, Vice President of Circular Business, Consumables, comments that Metso has always developed technologies that can help mining and aggregate producers reduce environmental impact. Today, there are many projects focusing on parts and components circularity.
"Sustainability is no longer a differentiator; it has become a prerequisite for any significant project in the mining sector. Our commitment is to offer solutions that combine performance, efficiency and durability, and to seek ways to reuse our products at the end of their useful lifetime, contributing to reducing emissions and strengthening the circular economy.”
Other initiatives within Metso's ESG agenda include:
- Carbon-neutral plants: both the foundry and the rubber factory at the Sorocaba unit are certified as carbon neutral
- Recycling program in Chile: development of equipment for reusing materials from Mill Lining
- Metso Plus: solutions with a total focus on sustainability, formerly known as "Planet Positive"
To learn more about the LCS business model in Brazil, visit here.
To learn more about Metso Life Cycle Services, visit here.
