ABB has been selected by BHP to deliver a power management system for the Jansen Potash Project in Canada, which will provide nutrient-rich potash fertiliser to enable more sustainable farming globally. The global resource company is progressing the $5.7 billion Jansen Stage 1 Potash Project which is expected to achieve first production in late 2026.
The order includes ABB Ability™ System 800xA Power Control Library, a digital application to monitor industrial electrical systems. It will help BHP on its journey towards an automated, electrified and digitalised site where engineers can monitor and quickly troubleshoot disturbances. The system will cover the electrical substation equipment remotely, reducing the time taken for fault diagnosis and problem solving.
BHP’s 100%-owned Jansen Potash Project in Saskatchewan, Canada, is planned to be the largest potash producing mine in the world with an initial Jansen Stage 1 capacity of 4.5 Mt/y and potential for 16 to 17 Mt/y through future development. Potash, a potassium-rich salt used as a fertiliser to improve the quality and yield of agricultural crops, is an essential plant nutrient and is increasingly vital due to land scarcity and a growing world population. Around 70 Mt/y is currently produced globally with a current market reliance on Canada and emerging potash-producing regions.
ABB says it will ensure high levels of availability and efficiency of the energy supply to the process. BHP will also have access to data for the electrical substation and electrical assets and the bank of information available will build over time, allowing trends to be identified and actions taken.
“ABB will not only ensure high levels of availability, process visibility and energy management but also demonstrate interoperability with a third-party control system on this important project,” said Max Luedtke, Global Head of Mining, Process Industries, ABB. “Our teams have been working in the Canadian potash mining sector for many decades and anticipate growing to even greater levels of domain understanding using new available data and alerts.”
ABB recently expanded its ABB Ability System 800xA Power Control Library software to include more options to communicate with and control electrical devices throughout the power infrastructure for mining and mineral processing operations.