Victorian mining solutions provider Gekko Systems has secured a $70m contract to build a mineral processing plant for a Canadian gold mine, and will build the system in Ballarat.
Gekko, which was launched in 1996 by husband and wife duo Sandy Gray and Elizabeth Lewis-Gray in Avoca, Victoria, and started out produceing inline pressure jigs for continuous gravity separation. Growing demand for energy-efficient devices led the company to design and produce innovative modular designs and mining solutions, specialising in gold processing.
Victoria’s Andrews Labor Government commended Gekko for securing the contract, which is to build a mineral processing plant for TMAC Resources’ Hope Bay project in Canada.
The plant will be primarily designed, manufactured, assembled and shipped from Ballarat and, where possible, parts will be sourced locally and nationally.
The modular processing plant will include all of Gekko Systems’ patented equipment.
Visiting the Gekko Systems’ headquarters in Ballarat, state energy and resources minister Lily D’Ambrosio congratulated the company on its achievement.
“Resources businesses support the economic development of Victoria and are critical to the breakthroughs and implementation of innovative technologies,” D’Ambrosio said.
“This is great news for Ballarat and is a sign of the confidence multinational companies have when it comes to investing in Victoria.”
The resources sector was worth an estimated $17 billion to the Victorian economy in 2012, featuring over 1,900 firms in the supply chain, D’Ambrosio noted.
Local Labor members Sharon Knight (member for Wendouree) and Geoff Howard (member for Buninyong) also praised the Ballarat business.
“Gekko Systems is a great local company capitalising on its global connections to grow their business in the resources sector,” Knight said.
While Howard added: “This project will create 40 new jobs which is great news for the local economy, and it’s also a glowing endorsement of the skillset that we have right here in Victoria.”
Gekko has employed over 120 people and provided more than 600 installations in 43 countries.