ABB has been selected by BHP Billiton to supply mine hoisting systems for the Jansen Potash Project, located 130 km east of Saskatoon, in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. The contract includes the overall design, manufacturing, supply and installation of four complete mine hoist systems to be delivered over a period between 2015 and 2018. This includes mechanical components as well as the electrical systems including ACS6000 AC drive systems and the high-power, low-speed synchronous motors.

The friction hoists for the production shaft to be supplied are 6 m in diameter and will be the largest mine hoists ever designed and manufactured according to ABB, each with a total connected motor power of close to 14,000 kW. The service shaft hoists will be electrically identical to the production hoists but will carry smaller payloads and due to the scale of the hoisting system, the development of new mine hoist brake system technology will be required. Including Jansen once it is completed, ABB will have installed 11 complete friction hoisting systems in Saskatchewan. In underground mining the company has supplied over 700 mine hoist and automation projects and over 100 stand-alone hoist brake system projects, in more than 30 countries worldwide.