Tag Archives: India

FLSmidth to deliver dry-stack tailings solution at Hindustan Zinc’s Rajpura Dariba mine

Base metals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , ,

FLSmidth has been contracted to deliver an integrated dry-stack tailings solution and a paste fill plant to Hindustan Zinc’s lead-zinc mine in Rajpura Dariba, Rajasthan.

The solution will ensure environmental sustainability and significant process water recovery, as well as reduce the footprint of the tailings storage facility, the mining OEM said.

The new order, which was booked in the December quarter, includes design, engineering, procurement, supply of equipment and the commissioning for integrated dry tailings and stacking along with tailings paste fill plant. FLSmidth will also supply two Automatic Filter Presses (AFP-IV™, pictured), two E-Disc filters and one 26 m diameter High-Density Thickener as the main pieces of equipment. The project is expected to be completed by February 2022.

This new order follows a previous tailings-related order for Hindustan Zinc at its Zawar mine site in 2018.

Hindustan Zinc operates beneficiation plants at Rajpura Dariba and Sindesar Khurd, which both discharge tailings to the same tailings pond. The tailings dam was reaching capacity for conventional wet tailings deposition and so Hindustan Zinc needed a way to resolve this issue, FLSmidth said.

The solution the company required would involve creating a small dry-stack tailings area with minimal environmental and physical footprint and also a method to backfill the mine by using an adjusted dry filter cake mix.

By choosing FLSmidth’s hybrid technology – a combination of the E-Disc filter and the AFP-IV Automatic Pressure Filter – Hindustan Zinc will now be able to achieve this and recover around 85% of process water, according to FLSmidth. This recovered process water can be reused by the process plant located at the mine site with minimum operating and capital expenses.

The cake from the E-disc filter will contain below 16% moisture and can be used for mine backfilling, while the cake from the automatic filter press, with below 12% moisture, can be stacked on the surface in a safe and compact manner, FLSmidth says.

“The solution will also significantly reduce industrial water consumption, something that is of heightened importance in water-scarce areas, such as Rajasthan,” the company said. “The site will also have zero effluent discharge, further boosting its sustainable mining goals.”

Manfred Schaffer, Mining President, FLSmidth, said the order was another strong “proof point” for the quality and flexibility of the company’s technology for filtration and engineering solutions for tailing management.

“This project resolves the customer’s challenge through optimum utilisation of available space and ensures the paste backfill requirements are met with the lowest possible operating and capital costs,” he added. “Importantly, it also secures a high level of reusable water for the mine site, which helps their sustainability efforts and supports our own MissionZero ambition.”

Hindalco achieves aluminium industry first with red mud utilisation

Base metals, Environmental, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Hindalco Industries has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UltraTech Cement, India’s largest manufacturer of cement and concrete, to deliver 1.2 Mt/y of red mud to UltraTech’s 14 plants located across seven states. This agreement will see Hindalco become the world’s first company to achieve 100% red mud utilisation across three of its refineries, it says.

Red mud generated in the alumina manufacturing process is rich in iron oxides, along with alumina, silica and alkali, with the cement industry, Hindalco says, having developed the capability to process red mud as a replacement for mined minerals such as laterite and lithomarge in its process.

Hindalco is supplying red mud to UltraTech Cement plants where it has proved to be an effective substitute for mined materials, successfully replacing up to 3% of clinker raw mix volume, according to the company.

“Use of red mud reduces the cement industry’s dependence on natural resources and promotes a circular economy,” Hindalco said.

Hindalco’s alumina refineries are currently supplying 250,000 t/mth of bauxite residue to cement companies, making Hindalco the world’s first company to have enabled such large scale commercial application of bauxite residue. In the current year, Hindalco aims to achieve 2.5 Mt of bauxite residue utilisation, which will be another global milestone, it says.

Satish Pai, Managing Director of Hindalco, said: “Hindalco has been working with cement companies to develop high-grade inputs for the construction industry. Hindalco has built a strong customer base and supplies red mud to over 40 cement plants every month. We have achieved 100% red mud utilisation at three of our refineries and our vision is to achieve zero-waste alumina production across our operations. Hindalco’s actions underscore our commitment to embracing solutions that have the potential to deliver long-term sustainability impact and transform the future.”

Globally, 160 Mt of red mud is produced annually and stored in large tracts of land which is a serious industry challenge, Hindalco says. To find a sustainable solution, Hindalco has invested in infrastructure and collaborated with cement companies, with UltraTech Cement being a key partner.

KC Jhanwar, Managing Director of UltraTech Cement, said: “UltraTech has been among the early adopters in India on the use of alternative raw materials and fuels in manufacturing and invested to build storage, handling and processing facilities. Use of waste like red mud as an alternative raw material for manufacturing cement requires infrastructure and process modification to ensure a win-win for both business and the environment.”

Last year, UltraTech consumed about 15.73 Mt of industrial waste as alternate raw material and about 300,000 t as alternative fuel in its kilns.

Jhanwar added: “With an annual supply of 1.2 Mt of red mud from Hindalco, we expect to conserve more than 1 Mt of mined natural resources like laterite in our manufacturing process. Enhancing our contribution to the circular economy by strategically increasing the use of waste as raw material and fuel in the cement manufacturing process is in line with our aim to achieve our long-term sustainability goals.”

thyssenkrupp wins semi-mobile-crushing-plant contract in India coal hub

Bulk handling, Coal technology, Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining software, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , ,

thyssenkrupp has been awarded a contract to supply three semi-mobile-crushing-plants (SMCP) to a major open-pit coal mine in the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh, India, namely the Jayant mine of Northern Coalfields Ltd, a division of state compay Coal India. The plants will be used for a new 15 Mt/y coal handling plant (CHP).

Looking to boost production from 10 Mt/y to 25 Mt/y, the miner is implementing an in-pit crushing and conveying system utilising the in-pit SMCP for the CHP, which will, thyssenkrupp says, make the production process more efficient and stable.

thyssenkrupp won the contract from an India-based engineering procurement and construction contractor, SK Samanta. It involves the complete design, engineering, manufacturing and supply, and “TAG services” for the three semi-mobile crushing plants.

The plants consist out of three separate modules. The receiving hopper module comes with a 2.2 m wide and 10.5 m long, heavy-duty apron feeder, which can be fed by trucks and has a capacity of around 150 tons (136 t).

The heart of each plant is the crusher module, which uses a RollSizer DRS 1,000 x 2,250 (centre distance x length of the roller) for a maximum feed capacity of 1,900 t/h.

The third module is the electrical building with the operator room. By separating this module from the crusher module, the operators and electrical equipment are not exposed to any vibrations from the crushing process. This ensures the plants meet all requirements from a health and safety perspective, while guaranteeing a long life of the electrical equipment, thyssenkrupp said.

“Compared to stationary crushing plants, SMCPs are more flexible and can be relocated when the distance between the mining area and the crushing plant increases and, thereby, can reduce the cost for transport of the run of mine material significantly,” thyssenkrupp said.

“thyssenkrupp can look back on a long history of supplying fully-mobile, semi-mobile, and stationary crushing plants, which makes the company a leading partner for the engineering, construction and service of industrial plants and systems for the coal industry.”

FLSmidth FerroCer wear panels increase uptime at Hindustan Zinc operation

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

FLSmidth’s FerroCer® Impact wear panels have proven their worth in the mineral processing circuit at Hindustan Zinc’s Rampura Agucha operations in Rajasthan, India, having significantly outlasted the previous manganese liners the lead-zinc mine was using.

By the end of 2018, the mine couldn’t say exactly just how good FerroCer wear panels were as they were still in place over a year since installation.

However, by March 2019, it was confirmed the FerroCer liners had completed about 480 days (16 months approximately) in operation and had withstood some 2.45 Mt of lead-zinc ore conveyed through the U-13 tripper chute, located after the primary crusher at the mine.

This is a significant improvement on the previous 40 mm-thick manganese steel liners, which had a life span of only 23-25 days, according to FLSmidth.

The constant wear on these liners meant the material handling system needed to be frequently shutdown so the worn-out liners could be replaced with new manganese steel liners, which weighed about 50 kg each.

“Because of the elevated location of several chutes, replacement of the liners required safety preparations (such as scaffolding and other access and handling arrangements), with five to six workers required to get inside the chutes to handle the liners,” FLSmidth said.

FLSmidth visited officials at the Rampura Agucha mines in June 2017 and recommended FerroCer wear panels to address the high wear issues in the material handling chutes.

“Each panel comprises a set of abrasion-resistant ceramic inserts enclosed in a matrix of malleable steel, which ensures only the top surface of the insert is exposed to material impact,” FLSmidth said. “The sides of the inserts are tapered within the matrix, keeping them in place and preventing material particles and fluids from damaging the panels.”

Some in-situ results from the 220-day mark showed the wear on the panels measured only 8-10 mm and had withstood around 1.5 Mt of lead-zinc ore conveyed through the U-13 tripper chute.

“This means FerroCer outlasted the previous panels by over 10 times, meaning a much longer replacement cycle,” FLSmidth said.

Clearly delighted with this outcome, Hindustan Zinc is now looking to use FerroCer impact wear panels across its high-impact wear locations, according to FLSmidth.

Praveen Bhardwaj, Assistant General Manager (Mechanical), HZL – RA Mines, Rajasthan, said: “FerroCer has reduced maintenance time due to the much longer replacement cycle, eliminated possible damage to the mother plate and spillage of material due to the highly abrasive nature of ore, and significantly reduced safety hazards. HZL intends to install FerroCer impact wear panels in all the high impact wear locations.”

The results at the Hindustan Zinc site follow on from results from two mines in Australia. One mine operated for more than a year without replacing its wear liners and the other site is on the same track, approaching its first year without the need for liner replacement.

Meanwhile, in a Peruvian copper mine, 24 smaller and lighter FerroCer panels, each made of steel plates with ceramic inserts, replaced six generic liners. After a total of 12.6 Mt passed, with a feed of 7,500 t/h, wear was no more than 3%, FLSmidth said.

“At that rate, FerroCer lasts at least 10 times longer than the most expensive and recognised wear liner on the market.”

RCT brings teleremote options to Hindustan Zinc’s Rampura Agucha mine

Automation, Base metals, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , ,

Autonomous solutions specialist RCT has entered into its first automation project in India, commissioning its technology on machinery at Hindustan Zinc’s Rampura Agucha zinc-lead mine in Rajasthan province.

The agreement with Hindustan Zinc Limited and its mining services provider Barminco will see ControlMaster® Guidance Automation installed on two Cat R2900 underground LHDs at the mine. These loaders will now undertake teleremote mining in open stopes developed by Barminco.

Barminco, in February, was awarded a three-and-a-half-year underground mining services contract at Rampura Agucha. The mine, meanwhile, is currently undergoing an expansion to boost production to 5 Mt/y of ore.

RCT will install two underground ControlMaster Automation Centres, as well as four ControlMaster Area Access Cabinets into mine stopes, as part of this package. These will collectively enable machine operators to safely manage the machines away from the mine face, according to RCT.

The Automation Centres will also be equipped with Multiple Machine Selection and Multiple Machine Control options, enabling a single operator to manage both machines at one time, according to RCT.

The project represents the first time RCT has deployed its proprietary digital communications network RCT Connect into a mine site anywhere in the world, the company said, adding that RCT will carry out training programs to empower local operators and maintenance personnel then machine servicing works on an ongoing basis.

India’s first all-electric, heavy-duty truck ready for 2020 launch, reports say

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

Infraprime Logistics Technologies (IPLT) says India’s first all-electric, heavy-duty 60-t truck has had its initial commercial run, with a launch for the country’s construction and mining sectors scheduled for next year, according to local reports.

IPLT says its electric truck, the IPLT Rhino 5536, is the first of its kind to be integrated and deployed in India.

Some of its distinguishing features include the transmission based electric drivetrain, proprietary vehicle control software for improved mileage in material logistics and a battery pack “designed for optimal performance in local conditions”.

The latter has an in-built air-conditioned secondary cooling system to maintain the temperature around each cell at below 35° C even when ambient temperature climbs above 50° C, according to the company. IPLT said the 265 kWh battery pack weighs in at more than 2 t, making it one of the largest packs in use in India, and a 160-kW “twin gun fast charging” system is used to recharge it. This system, it says, could also offer a “blueprint for a pan-India network” of charging devices, it said.

Aemetis increases biodiesel market share in India mining sector

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

Aemetis’ Universal Biofuels India subsidiary has been awarded a biodiesel supply contract with the three India government-owned oil marketing companies (OMC) in a public tender process.

The contract provides for ongoing deliveries of biodiesel to a variety of blending locations in an aggregate amount of more than $23 million during 2019 and is tied to the mining sector, Aemetis said. Biodiesel shipments are scheduled to begin this month.

The company said: “The total diesel market in India is approximately 25 billion gallons per year with 80% imported, of which less than 250 million gallons per year of biodiesel is currently blended.

“The 2018 National Biofuels Policy stated a plan to increase biodiesel blending to 5% of the diesel market, equal to more than 1.2 billion gallons per year. The OMCs in India supply about 70% of the fuel consumed in India, and the diesel fuel market has been growing at a rate of more than 5% per year.”

Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis, said: “With the recent completion of our plant pre-treatment unit and expansion to 50 million gallons of capacity per year from low cost, high free fatty acid feedstock, the Aemetis team in India is executing on a rapid increase in production and revenues this year by broadening our customers to include government, logistics, mining, retail fuel stations and other sectors.

“As the only US company producing biofuels in India, Aemetis built and has now fully upgraded our India biodiesel and refined glycerin plant to use low cost feedstocks as a leader in this rapidly expanding market.”

Barminco wins extension at Hindustan Zinc-owned Rampura Agucha zinc-lead mine

Base metals, Mine operation news, Mine shafts and equipment, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Ausdrill’s recently added subsidiary, Barminco, has been awarded an underground mining services contract at the Rampura Agucha zinc-lead mine in India from Hindustan Zinc worth approximately A$100 million ($71 million), the ASX-listed company says.

Hard-rock underground miner Barminco has operated at Rampura Agucha for Hindustan, a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited, since late 2016. The new underground mining services contract is for a three-and-a-half-year term, subject to review and mutual agreement of rates after the first year.

The scope of work includes the extension of development works that were being provided under a recently completed contract, plus the addition of production work in the Barminco-developed area of the mine. Under the contract, Hindustan will provide capital equipment and consumables. Barminco will commence work immediately, Ausdrill said.

Barminco CEO, Paul Muller, said: “We are very pleased to have been awarded a contract that extends our operations at the Rampura Agucha mine with an expanded scope to include production works. We look forward to deepening the relationship we have built with Hindustan Zinc over the past few years by delivering on this extended scope of works both safely and efficiently.”

Rampura Agucha is the second largest zinc mine in the world, according to Hindustan, with production of 3.9 Mt in the company’s 2018 financial year. It has a zinc-lead reserve grade averaging 15.7% Zn+Pb, with total reserves of 46 Mt as of March 31, 2018.

The ongoing underground mine project is being developed with a vision of producing 5 Mt/y of ore and includes a main production shaft of 955 m depth, 7.5 m diameter and hauling capacity of 3.75 Mt/y; two ventilation shafts, two declines from surface and paste fill plants, according to Hindustan.

FLSmidth to help expand Utkal Alumina International’s refinery

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FLSmidth will supply machinery and equipment for the 500,000 t/y extension of Utkal Alumina International’s (UAI) refinery in Odisha, India, it has confirmed.

UAI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hindalco Industries, an industry leader in aluminium and copper, and is the flagship metals company of the Aditya Birla Group, the world’s largest aluminium rolling company and one of the biggest producers of primary aluminium.

When finalising the contract during a recent meeting of Hindalco and FLSmidth top management, Rakesh Mohan, Vertical Head Projects, MCoE, Hindalco, Mumbai, said he was very pleased and proud to be continuing Hindalco’s partnership with FLSmidth and with the decision to choose FLSmidth for all the critical parts of the project.

Anders Bech, Regional President for FLSmidth, said: “Hindalco is a global major in the field of aluminium with world-class operating facilities. We are therefore very proud to continue partnering with Hindalco in their expansion programme in which safety and productivity are key.

“Because we cover the entire flowsheet of mining and minerals processing, we can provide a strong solution that gives our customers the best return on their investment when looking at the total cost of ownership. All of this with a minimal impact on the environment.”

The scope of this contract includes bauxite grinding, handling, mud washing, hydrate filtration and gas suspension calcination packages on an engineering, procurement and construction basis (excluding civil works). Design, engineering, manufacturing, supply and erection of these units will be carried out by FLSmidth.

The project is to be completed by the June quarter of 2020 and, once operational, this plant will augment the alumina capacity by 500,000 t/y.

FLSmidth said: “FLSmidth’s state of the art products will reduce the energy consumption, minimise the environmental impact, thanks to greater caustic recovery, and will also reduce planned and unplanned equipment downtime by predictive and prescriptive maintenance.”

Utkal comprises a 1.5 Mt/y refinery, bauxite mines with reserves lasting for over 25 years and a captive co-generation power plant of 90 MW.

Loadscan measures up for Hindustan Zinc’s Rajpua-Dariba and Zawar mines

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Hindustan Zinc is using Loadscan’s load volume scanners (LVS) to monitor material at two of its mines in India, the equipment manufacturer says.

At its Rajpua-Dariba mine, Hindustan Zinc’s oldest mine, it has a custom-mounted Loadscan (LVS-3CMX model) underground to measure ore, where it is crushed before taken to the surface by lift. Within this mine, there’s also a block-mounted portable unit (LVS-3BMP) positioned at the portal to measure trucks as they come to the surface. Another two custom-mounted scanners (LVS-3CMX) were purchased for the Zawar mine.

Pavan Kaushik, Vice President and Head of Corporate Communication at Hindustan Zinc, said the Loadscan units have been helpful to improve operational performance by “managing haul-back to reveal our true shift tally”.

“We can now accurately calculate net volumes delivered for processing,” Kaushik said. “Time is also saved by minimising paperwork; there’s no manual data entry, driver records or after-shift record sorting.”

Increased trucking “factors” has led to production gains, including lower cost per tonne of material hauled, optimising truck loading and improved productivity,” he added.

Loadscan says: “The Loadscan LVS is the original non-contact, automated ‘drive-through’ truck load measurement instrument. It’s an affordable, effective alternative to heavy-duty truck scales for the monitoring, tracking, and management of load data.

“Compared to conventional weighing systems, Loadscan boasts greater accuracy in payload measurements, and, unlike permanent weighbridge installations (that require extensive site works), the LVS is quick and easy to set up so trucks can be scanned without delay.”

As the target vehicle drives under the scanner, the LVS scans the load and creates a 3D model or ‘surface profile’. By comparing this profile with vehicle details stored on file for the same vehicle when empty, the LVS is able to calculate the load volume to a proven accuracy of +/- 1% or to the point of resolution which is 0.1 m³.

All the mining trucks in Hindustan’s fleet are fitted with RFID tags, allowing the LVS units (which feature tag readers) to automatically identify each truck as it passes under the scanner and match it to its load.

By working from volume rather than weight, Hindustan Zinc obtains a more accurate measure of its materials, according to Loadscan. “The LVS literally ‘sees’ the load, whereas volume measurement converted from the weight generated from a weighing system is commonly affected by environment factors such as moisture and varying material densities.”

The custom mount head on the LVS-3CMX was the preferred option for the various sites due to its ability to be mounted virtually anywhere, either directly, or by custom mount, according to Loadscan. “This makes it great for attaching on mining portals, tunnels or for attaching to the side of buildings.”

The Loadscan LVS custom mount truck measurement units can be hard wired to a site office or run via a dedicated Loadscan kiosk.

The Loadscan LVS-3BMP is the portable option for large or long-term portable truck measurement projects where there may be a need to move the load scanning location, Loadscan says. The unit is mounted on a pre-cast concrete mounting block, making it easy to move around site by forklift or by lifting from its mounting points.