Weir Group Reports 8% Order Growth as HPGR Demand Accelerates
Weir‘s Half-Year Numbers Point to Stronger Mining Activity
Weir Group reported first-half 2026 orders of £1,426 million, an 8% increase on a constant-currency basis compared with the same period in 2025. Original equipment orders rose 10% , and aftermarket orders grew 8% , with the company citing positive activity levels and strong demand across copper, gold, iron ore, and oil sands markets. The Minerals division, which covers comminution, pumps, and tailings equipment, delivered 7% order growth with a book-to-bill ratio of 1.15. Second-quarter original equipment orders for Minerals were up 19% , the highest rate in two years. Revenue reached £1,269 million, up 5% at constant currency, and adjusted operating profit margin came in at 18.8%. The full-year guidance was reiterated, with the company expecting growth in constant-currency revenue, operating profit, and operating margins.
For anyone watching the mining equipment market, these numbers are worth reading as more than a single company‘s results. They are a signal about where mining capital is being directed and what kind of equipment is being ordered.
HPGR Orders Show Where Miners Are Spending
Two HPGR contracts announced during 2026 illustrate the demand pattern behind Weir‘s order growth. In March, Weir secured an order to supply ENDURON® HPGR to Ivanhoe Mines‘ Platreef Mine in South Africa as part of the Phase 2 expansion. Platreef is one of the world‘s largest precious metals deposits under development, and the HPGR circuit is planned for the tertiary crushing stage. Ivanhoe‘s decision was influenced by the performance of three HPGRs already operating at the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the DRC, which the company operates in joint venture with Zijin Mining.
In September, Weir announced a second order to supply two ENDURON® HPGRs to Zijin‘s Golden Ridge operation at the Akyem Mine in Ghana. Akyem is an open-pit gold mine with a throughput capacity of 8.6 million tonnes of ore per year, and the expected mine life extends beyond 2040. The existing circuit uses a conventional SAG/ball mill configuration, which has been experiencing operational limitations because of increased ore competency. The HPGRs will process pebbles, debottleneck the comminution circuit, improve grinding efficiency, and boost throughput and recovery.
What These Two Projects Have in Common
Both projects share a theme that is becoming more common across the mining industry. The ore being processed is harder and more competent than the original circuit design anticipated. At Akyem, Weir‘s Director of HPGR and Process Engineering, Bjorn Dierx, noted that as surface deposits deplete, miners encounter a higher proportion of competent ores and are increasingly installing HPGRs to overcome the processing challenge. At Platreef, the HPGR circuit is being added as part of a phased expansion, with the technology already proven at Kamoa-Kakula.
The equipment itself delivers a measurable operating benefit. Weir states that ENDURON HPGRs consume up to 40% less energy than traditional tumbling mills, generating a substantial amount of fines that reduce the energy required for downstream milling. For a mine with a life extending into the 2040s, that energy differential compounds over decades of operation.
Service Networks Are Part of the Sales Pitch
One detail in both announcements is worth noting. Weir emphasised the proximity of its service centres to each project. For Platreef, the service centre is less than 10 km from the site. For Akyem, Weir maintains a service centre in Ghana to support integration and operation. That level of local support is not incidental. An HPGR is a high-capital, long-lead-time asset, and a mine making that investment needs to know that wear parts and technical support will be available without a three-week wait.
What This Means for the Broader Crushing and Screening Market
The HPGR orders tell you where the largest mining companies are investing. They do not tell you what every quarry or mid-tier mine needs. An HPGR is a substantial capital commitment, and the business case depends on throughput scale and ore competency. For operations below that threshold — a quarry processing 200 TPH of limestone, a gold mine running 100 TPH through a jaw and cone circuit, a construction waste processor producing recycled aggregate — the comminution challenge is different, and the equipment that addresses it is different.
The same demand fundamentals that are driving Weir‘s order growth — positive activity in copper, gold, iron ore, and oil sands — are also driving demand for the crushing equipment that feeds the mill circuit. A mine that installs an HPGR still needs a primary crusher to reduce run-of-mine ore to a size the HPGR can accept. It still needs screens to classify the HPGR discharge. It still needs conveyors to move material between stages. And it still needs wear parts that are matched to the abrasiveness of the ore.
A Direct Supply Alternative for the Crushing Circuit
OCP Mechanical Company has manufactured crushing and screening equipment for over 40 years. We supply jaw crushers, cone crushers, impact crushers, VSI sand making machines, vibrating screens, feeders, sand washers, and complete crushing plants, along with wear parts in Mn18Cr2, Mn22Cr2, and high-chrome grades. Every machine is new. Because we sell direct from our factory, there is no distributor margin layered into the price, and our technical team works with you on the configuration — primary crusher selection, screen decks, cavity profiles, and wear part metallurgy — rather than handing over a catalogue.
For mining operations that are expanding or upgrading their comminution circuit, the equipment that feeds the mill is where the cost per tonne is set. A jaw crusher that accepts the mine‘s run-of-mine size without bridging, a cone crusher that delivers consistent product to the next stage, and a screen that classifies without blinding — those are the components that determine whether the mill circuit operates at design capacity or below it.
Our online customer service team is available 24 hours a day to discuss specifications, provide updated pricing, and help you work out which configuration suits your ore and your site. If you are evaluating a crushing circuit and want a direct quote, click the chat button and start the conversation.
All price information provided is for reference only; final quotes depend on equipment configuration, shipping terms, optional features, and current exchange rates. Product specifications are continuously updated; please consult our online customer service for the latest parameters tailored to your application.
