Tag Archives: Ampcontrol

Ampcontrol expands Western Australia presence on mine site electrification demand

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , ,

Ampcontrol says it has significantly expanded its presence and skilled workforce in Western Australia, relocating to larger facilities in Kewdale to meet industry demand for mine site electrification.

In addition to moving to a new 9,500 sq.m manufacturing site, Ampcontrol has expanded its services to include a cable workshop, bringing more than 20 years of cable service and management experience to customers in Western Australia.

The expansion of Ampcontrol services in Western Australia follows the company announcement on September 27 of a new company vision to lead the global energy revolution with strategic plans for growth and expansion into new markets, geographic locations, and innovative energy transition solutions for the resources sector.

Ampcontrol is focused on diversifying and growing the business with a key focus on renewable energy manufacturing and how it can support customers in decarbonisation and mine site electrification.

Rod Henderson, Ampcontrol Managing Director & CEO, said: “We want to collaborate with our customers to help them solve their most complex problems in energy. With an industry-wide push towards decarbonisation, it is a natural progression in the growth of our business to extend our service offerings to support mine sites in Western Australia to meet both customer and industry needs.”

Local access to cable products and services from Ampcontrol will support surface applications and underground applications with decarbonisation efforts, with a fully stocked store of spare parts and consumables for cables, the company says. With the industry-wide push in Western Australia seeing machines becoming electrified, additional engineering designs and functions need to be used.

Customers in Western Australia will have local access to Cable Track, an Ampcontrol product that provides a full lifecycle of cables from new to grave, which will assist mine sites with forward planning their assets and future-proofing their business.

From the sale and repair of power cables to the development of transportation solutions and predictive and preventative maintenance programs, Ampcontrol says it can devise a custom cable systems management approach to suit any site, including mining, tunnelling, defence and industrial applications.

Henderson added: “Ampcontrol has been working with cables for more than 20 years; we bring an abundance of domain expertise on cable management systems which will be applied locally in Western Australia. We have the people, the equipment, the cable management expertise using the latest repair techniques and philosophies as we collaborate with customers to aid their decarbonisation efforts.”

Ampcontrol to provide iMAC conveyor control systems to BHP at Jansen potash project

Bulk handling, Energy minerals, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Ampcontrol says it has been named the supplier for conveyor control systems for Stage 1 at the BHP Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan, Canada.

The Ampcontrol iMAC monitoring and control system has achieved Canadian Standards Approval and will be used for conveyor controls on site, the company said, adding that this marks the first time an Ampcontrol product has been used in Canada.

Ampcontrol Managing Director & CEO, Rod Henderson, said: “We have a solid history of working with BHP in Australia for over 50 years. We are looking forward to furthering our relationship by participating in the Jansen potash project and are eager to share our world-class electrical solutions with the broader Canadian market.”

Designed to maximise productivity while maintaining the highest level of safety, the Ampcontrol iMAC system is customised to the unique requirements of sites and provides features such as high integrity emergency stop, broadcast messaging, and belt hazard identification functionality, with remote interface capabilities.

Jamie Scheffer, Integrated Project Team Manager Underground BHP, said: “Ampcontrol was selected from a number of different vendors to supply conveyor control signal line equipment for the underground conveyor systems, consisting of upwards of 35 km of conveyor belts.

“The Ampcontrol iMAC was the successful solution because it provided a remote interface which gave us the ability to link in remotely and help fault find should issues occur. This is particularly important for this site due to our remote location.”

BHP has announced an investment of $5.7 billion in the Jansen Stage 1 project, which is 140 km east of Saskatoon.

Work will start on the conveyor system in late 2022 with the current project expected to be completed by 2025.

Ampcontrol highlights latest DC Electrical Vehicle Charger at IMARC

Environmental, Mining events, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Ampcontrol used the backdrop of this week’s International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney, New South Wales, to showcase its electrification solutions, including the launch of a mine specification DC Electric Vehicle Charger.

Recognising there is a growing demand for low emissions technology, Ampcontrol says it is collaborating with industry leaders to develop and deliver innovative solutions to mining customers that support a net-zero carbon environment.

The various DC chargers and DRIFTEX, Ampcontrol’s mine site personnel carrier Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), are evidence of the company’s future and vision for the industry, it says. These solutions work together to support emission reductions and increase personnel safety by removing diesel particulate matter and reducing noise underground.

With a focus on decarbonisation and enabling net zero emissions, Ampcontrol recently joined the Electric Mine Consortium (EMC), established to drive real-world solutions of decarbonisation in the mining industry.

On top of this charger, Ampcontrol’s off-grid and stand-alone power systems (SPS) provide a self-sufficient, continuous and reliable power supply to isolated consumption sources, using an array of technology including solar PV panels, inverters and battery storage, the company explained.

Taking the next step with its SPS technology, Ampcontrol is adapting the award-winning Solar Qube SPS into a Green Hydrogen SPS system, a first of its kind in Australia.

These electrification and energy solutions, along with H3RO Ampcontrol’s harsh environment reticulated optics solution, developed in collaboration with HUBER+SUHNER, were showcased by Ampcontrol at IMARC.

Ampcontrol strengthens decarbonisation drive by joining the Electric Mine Consortium

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Ampcontrol says it has joined the Australia-based Electric Mine Consortium (EMC) to drive efforts towards electrifying and decarbonising the mining industry.

The EMC is a growing group of highly regarded mining and service companies, driven by the imperative to produce zero-emission products for their customers and meet mounting investor expectations and industry challenges.

Ampcontrol is strengthening its strategic focus on decarbonisation through the innovation and development of electrical solutions, adapting to the changing times.

“Joining the Electric Mine Consortium is a natural progression of our commitment to supporting our customers and industry through the national energy transition,” Rod Henderson, Ampcontrol Managing Director and CEO, said. “Ampcontrol is at the forefront of renewable energy manufacturing. We engineer and supply advanced technology, products, and services to enable a competitive advantage in a net-zero carbon environment.”

EMC Founder and Director Graeme Stanway, said: “The way we generate, store and harness energy around the globe is undergoing a period of major change.

“A global ecosystem has begun to emerge to underpin the innovation and scaling of electrification technologies.”

As well as pioneering products in the renewable energy space, Ampcontrol has been using its engineering expertise to already assist with the transitioning mining industry.

Alongside Tritium, Ampcontrol was a winner in the global ‘Charge On Innovation Challenge’ in May 2022. The joint submission was an end-to-end mining haul truck battery swap solution that is fully automated, relocatable, scalable and cell agnostic. In a drive-in/drive-out recharging station, an autonomous transfer robot swaps batteries in 90 seconds, significantly reducing safety risks and increasing productivity by excluding personnel from the swaps process.

Henderson said: “One of the areas Ampcontrol identified as a need of the industry was assisting businesses with the next steps to get to the future state of electrified mining operations. When businesses think ‘I need energy’ to perform certain functions, the first instinct is often to acquire more energy. Our expertise at Ampcontrol is to help businesses use the materials they already have available, in a different way.”

Ampcontrol says it recognises the importance of partnerships and collaboration in developing technology solutions to enable a competitive advantage in a net-zero carbon environment.

“It is important to demonstrate we work alongside other businesses to contribute to the low carbon economy transition and to the responsible sourcing of prime materials to enable a competitive advantage in a net-zero carbon environment,” Henderson said.

The EMC has launched a call out to companies in the tech, renewable and manufacturing industries that can provide ground-breaking solutions to long haul EV trucks and associated charging infrastructure for mine sites and global supply chains.

Driven by collective demand for electric equipment across the EMC’s operating sites, spread over six continents, the consortium is looking to form synergies between mining and non-mining industries to accelerate decarbonisation solutions across the industry – the mining industry currently contributes 8% of the globe’s emissions.

Ampcontrol joins over 20 miners and suppliers to the sector that includes Newcrest, South32, Barminco and Epiroc to create the EMC with the ambition to accelerate progress towards the fully electrified zero CO2 and zero particulates mine.

WHSP completes acquisition of ‘net zero’ focused electrical engineering firm Ampcontrol

Environmental, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Power supply for mines, , , , , , ,

Washington H Soul Pattinson and Company Limited says it has completed the acquisition of 100% of Ampcontrol in a deal that should help accelerate the privately owned electrical engineering company’s ambitions to help facilitate a net-zero carbon environment.

WHSP has held a major shareholding in Ampcontrol since investing in the company in 2005 and has now acquired the remaining shareholdings.

The acquisition comes as Ampcontrol accelerates its strategy to be at the forefront of developing and supplying advanced technology for the net-zero age. This was evidenced recently when Ampcontrol and its technology partner Tritium were announced as a winner in the Global “Charge on Innovation Challenge” launched by BHP, Rio Tinto and Vale to accelerate the commercialisation of effective solutions for charging large electric haul trucks.

The Ampcontrol and Tritium solution selected by the challenge was an end-to-end ultra-fast modular recharging station that is fully automated, relocatable, scalable and cell agnostic for mining haul truck battery swapping. Drive-in/drive-out, an autonomous transfer robot swap batteries in 90 seconds, significantly reducing safety risks and increasing productivity by excluding personnel from the swap process, according to the partners.

Todd Barlow, Managing Director of WHSP, said: “Ampcontrol is uniquely positioned to capitalise on the significant investment in resources, infrastructure and energy solutions, as the world transitions to a lower carbon economy. Ampcontrol is a high-quality platform upon which we can continue to invest and grow a world-class business, taking advantage of strong industry tailwinds and their talented people, technology and engineering excellence.”

Ampcontrol Managing Director & CEO, Rod Henderson, said: “The acquisition marks a remarkable new era for the Australian manufacturing business and the next chapter in its growth story. The increased ownership of WHSP will provide us with the stability and resources to take advantage of the organic and inorganic growth opportunities that the decarbonisation thematic presents.”

XEMC, ABB, 3ME, BluVein, Hitachi and more make Charge On Innovation shortlist

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Charge On Innovation Challenge, formally launched on May 13 as a push for industry, OEMs and other stakeholders to come up with workable solutions for faster charging of large surface electric mining trucks and spearheaded by Austmine, has shortlisted 21 vendors to progress to the next phase of the challenge.

These 21 vendors are matched by 21 mining companies who have joined as patrons. This includes founding patrons BHP, Rio Tinto and Vale, alongside Roy Hill, Teck, Boliden, Thiess, Antofagasta Minerals, Codelco, Freeport McMoRan, Gold Fields, Yancoal, Barrick Gold, CITIC Pacific Mining, Evolution Mining, Harmony Gold, Mineral Resources Ltd, Newcrest Mining, OZ Minerals, South32 and Syncrude.

The 21 vendors to have made the cut were selected from more than 80 organisations that submitted expressions of interest.

The list of companies to make it to the next stage (one of which who declined to be named) includes:

  • 3ME Technology;
  • ABB;
  • Altreonic-Kurt.energy;
  • Ampcontrol/Tritium;
  • Australian Turntables;
  • BluVein;
  • DB Engineering & Consulting with Echion Technologies;
  • Farmboro Consulting;
  • Hitachi Group;
  • Infosys;
  • InvertedPower Pty Ltd;
  • IT & ES Industries (OZ) Pty Ltd;
  • L&T Technology Services;
  • Midwest Energy Pvt. Ltd;
  • Mitsui & Co. with Forsee Power and AVL;
  • Saft;
  • Shell Consortium;
  • Siemens;
  • Solar System Resources Corporation Sp. z o. o.; and
  • Xiangtan Electric Manufacturing Group Heavy-Duty Equipment Co. Ltd;

The next phase of the challenge will comprise of a pitch session followed by a deep dive into the innovative solutions proposed to charge haul trucks powered by battery instead of diesel, Austmine says.

LAVO, Ampcontrol and Boundary Power to investigate hydrogen storage solutions

Environmental, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

A new strategic partnership and collaboration agreement between LAVO, Ampcontrol and Boundary Power is expected to deliver a range of solutions to regional and remote power users such as mine sites, along with data centres and other energy intensive industries.

The agreement between emerging hydrogen company LAVO, electrical, electronic and control system specialists Ampcontrol and standalone power system company Boundary Power will see the parties work together over the next two years to identify the use of LAVO’s hydrogen storage solutions and other zero-carbon products in different demonstration sites, they said.

Potential applications include:

  • Standalone hybrid power supplies;
  • Containerised solutions for small and utility scale wind and solar projects; and
  • Packaged power and battery solutions for data centres, industrial and mining applications.

Alan Yu, LAVO’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “LAVO’s hydrogen storage technology is ideally suited for integration with remote standalone power systems and for other containerised and mobile power solutions. We’re thrilled to be working with Ampcontrol and Boundary Power to explore the options for wider use of our products.”

Ampcontrol CEO and Boundary Power Director, Rod Henderson, said: “Ampcontrol has a long history in the development of innovative products and Boundary Power possesses industry leading experience in utility-grade stand-alone power solutions. Our partnership with LAVO is the continuation of our commitment to finding the best solutions to the energy challenges facing remote areas and energy intensive industries.”

Earlier this year, Macarthur Minerals has signed a strategic partnership and collaboration agreement with LAVO Hydrogen Technology Holding that could see the mine developer use LAVO’s hydrogen energy battery system on site at its flagship Lake Giles Iron project in the Yilgarn region of Western Australia.

Insig Tech and Ampcontrol broaden Western Australia service offering

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , ,

Insig Technologies says it is partnering with the Ampcontrol Group of Companies to establish a service centre in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, to support, repair and service Ampcontrol products for the Western Australia market.

Insig Technologies will also be a distributor for the Ampcontrol multifunction outlet starter, Rockstarter, for underground hard-rock mining, tunnelling and other industrial applications.

In late May, Insig Technologies and Ampcontrol signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the foundation for the partnership and have now advanced the new association to service market and customer needs.

“We believe the partnership will further enhance Insig Technologies offerings in the underground mining electrical services domain and provide a one-stop-shop for Ampcontrol customers in Western Australia,” Insig said. “We look forward to working with existing and new Ampcontrol customers under this new partnership arrangement.”

Ampcontrol says its Rockstarter is a multifunction outlet starter that, compared with traditional starters, has been custom engineered, designed and built for specific applications. It controls a single power outlet, rated up to 250 A/1.1 kV and incorporates an integrally designed circuit breaker, contactor and all protection electronics into a single unit.

“The versatile unit can be re-used for a wide range of applications, including all normal pump, fan and drill rig applications,” the company said. “The Rockstarter can also be scaled to suit specific applications, allowing multiple units to be connected in a series to supply all active operations in an area.”

Ampcontrol to energise expansion at New South Wales mine

Mine operation news, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , ,

Ampcontrol is helping a mine in New South Wales, Australia, boost output following the delivery of new high voltage infrastructure.

The mine, which has taken its production from 6.4 Mt/y to 7.5 Mt/y, engaged Ampcontrol for a design, manufacture and installation project, which included a 40/50 MVA transformer, c/w 11 kV substation, 3,000 A 11kV switchboard and associated protection system.

As part of the project Ampcontrol designed, manufactured and tested a 40/50 MVA 132/11 kV transformer, with a final fully assembled weight of 85 t.

The transformer was fully tested in-house at Ampcontrol’s transformer facility, before being filled with oil above the core and coil assembly for transport to the mine where site erection work was undertaken by Ampcontrol’s High Voltage Service team.

The transformer will be energised at a later date during major site shutdown works, Ampcontrol said.