Metalloinvest, the leading global producer and supplier of iron ore products and hot briquetted iron and a regional producer of high-quality steel, has begun using advanced in-pit crushing and conveying technology at the Lebedinsky GOK iron ore mine in western Russia’s Belgorod Oblast – it is located in the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly as is the company’s other main iron ore mine, Mikhailovsky GOK, which operates a high angle conveyor.
Metalloinvest invested about RUB15 billion in the project, creating 125 new jobs. The new technology will enable the plant to transport from the pit at least 55 Mt of ore per year. Dust emissions will be reduced by 33%, and overburden production and disposal will be reduced by 20%–40%. The Governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, and the CEO of Metalloinvest, Nazim Efendiev, took part in an official ceremony marking the launch of the new crushing and conveying system.
Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, addressed the ceremony participants through a video message: “First of all, I would like to send my best wishes to all of Russia’s miners and metallurgists on their professional holiday, Metallurgists Day, and to the personnel at Lebedinsky GOK on the plant’s 55th anniversary. We value and are proud of the achievements of our domestic metals industry. In-pit crushing and conveying technology is a landmark project for the industry and for Russia’s economy. This is further confirmation of the advanced technological level of Russia’s mining industry. I sincerely thank the work team of the plant for the tremendous work they’ve done.”
“In 2020, we began operating a unique steep-incline conveyor at Mikhailovsky GOK,” said Efendiev. “The introduction of in-pit crushing and conveying technology continues the implementation of Metalloinvest’s strategy to make production more efficient and more environmentally friendly. This technology will greatly reduce dust emissions and the extent of overburden operations, reduce the production cost of iron ore concentrate and enable the plant to engage in mining more than 400 million tonnes of high-quality ore reserves.”
“Today’s event is very important from the point of view of the development of production,” said Gladkov. “It is becoming more environmentally friendly and more efficient. The ambitious plans being executed at the production site as well as our joint social projects are not only strengthening the Belgorod region’s industrial potential and economy but are also helping it develop in a dynamic way.”
The crushing and conveying system includes two crushers, two main conveyors, three junction houses, four transfer conveyors, an ore buffer warehouse with a stacker reclaimer and a loading and unloading conveyor, as well as a control centre. The main conveyors are more than 3 km long, including an inclined section more than 1 km in length; the lift height is over 250 m, with an angle of incline of 15 degrees. The ore is transported by vehicle to the in-pit crushers. Then the crushed ore, without the use of rail transport and excavator transshipment points, is lifted by high-performance conveyors to the surface and sent to the beneficiation plant.