João joined Kinross in 2011 and has been recognized by his peers for his innovative approach to his work, and constantly searching for solutions and new technologies to reduce costs. In 2021, João identified a solution to increase the lifespan of the hydrocyclone by separating internal and external pieces to allow for maintenance work to be conducted on the internal coating. This allowed for the pieces to be repaired, instead of fully replaced, and has saved the Company US$350,000 to date, and is expected to save over US$1.6 million over the life of mine.
In addition to improvements made on the hydrocyclone, João was instrumental in the P3 ball scrap sale project that consisted of separating ball scrap stored in the mills waste yards and selling the waste metal. This resulted in US$5.8 million generated for the Company, while also preventing environmental risks to the operation.
João’s LOVA nomination is not the first time his cost-savings and innovative ideas have been recognized. In 2016, he was the recipient of two prestigious awards at Paracatu – the facilitator award and the 5SGI award – which recognize employees at the end of each year for their performance and innovations.
“João has been recognized several times for his innovations, due to the fact that he has always been very dedicated, committed and responsible for his actions at work in pursuit of delivering results that bring longevity to the Company,” said Nitamar Pimenta, Operations Supervisor, Paracatu. “He is an extremely efficient person and I am extremely happy to have his as part of my team, and to work with him each day.”
