Under the scope of the alliance Weir's comminution products, which include Enduron high pressure grinding rolls and Enduron screens, will be integrated with STM's vertical stirred grinding technology.

STM has 80 mills in operation across the global hard rock processing sector.

The mill forms part of a mineral processing circuit's comminution segment.

Comminution is one of the most energy intensive parts of the mine, according to Weir, with traditional high energy consuming tumbling mills accounting for 25% of the final energy consumption of an average mine site.

Weir and STM will offer energy efficient grinding test work through HPGR, with minerals to then go through the vertical stirred mill.

Weir Minerals divisional president Ricardo Garib said the alliance with STM took things to the next level by combining and integrating energy efficient technologies into a single, optimised flow sheet.

"Weir and STM share the same vision of enabling primary resource providers to produce resources in the most sustainable manner," he said.

"This alliance will deliver significant reductions in energy use, driving down costs and carbon emissions."

STM chairman Fritz Moser said the alliance was a real win-win.

"Both the HPGR and the STM vertical stirred mills provide significant energy savings compared to conventional grinding technologies," he said.

"Our new supply agreement with Weir will enable us to fast track the roll out of an innovative flow sheet using STM mills in conjunction with Weir's HPGR."

STM has shipped two vertical test mills to Weir's test facility in the Netherlands for initial testwork.