Tag Archives: Iron ore

Nordic Iron Ore enlists the help of ABB to ‘future proof’ Blötberget project

Automation, Environmental, IoT, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nordic Iron Ore says it has appointed ABB to scope process control and management systems for a “future-proof and fully-digitalised mining operation” at the Blötberget iron ore mine project, in Sweden.

ABB, in this context, has provided mine design consultancy and recommended scope of supply for the opening of the old Blötberget mine near Ludvika in the Dalarna region of Sweden.

The Blötberget iron ore mine is expected to be operational in 2024. Iron ore was mined until 1979 when it was closed due to low iron ore prices. Nordic Iron Ore was formed in 2008 with the main aims of resuming mining operations in Blötberget and Håksberg and conducting exploration of the expansion potential of the Väsman field, together forming the Ludvika Mines, in southern Dalarna.

ABB’s recommendation addresses automation, digital and electrification for long-term, safe, sustainable and efficient mining operations at the site. ABB analysed a detailed feasibility study by Nordic Iron Ore and made significant advancement on the definitions and scope of supply of the automation and electrification aspects of the mine, it said. ABB also looked at electrical infrastructure requirements for the Blötberget mine, including surface and underground containers, switchgears and transformers.

Lennart Eliasson, Managing Director of Nordic Iron Ore, said in the latest press release: “Mining and the support industries are a significant part of the Swedish economy, with some of the most advanced and efficient mining operations anywhere in the world. There are many challenges when opening a new mine. We want to draw on the strong technology knowledge that exists in Sweden to open a mine with low environmental impact and footprint and that is also competitive and safe. The early involvement from ABB, which has a track record of working with innovative mines in Sweden, ensures that the construction, design and planning for the development of the mine can take a significant step forward and with improved costs and benefits forecast accuracy.”

Just last month, Nordic Iron Ore’s Technical and Marketing Advisor, Paul Marsden, told IM that there was potential for leveraging the technology learnings on projects such as LKAB’s Kiruna and Konsuln mines, Boliden’s underground operations and Lundin Mining’s Zinkgruvan operation to make Blötberget “future ready”.

He added: “We cannot automate and electrify it all from the off, but we can lay the groundwork to eventually automate and electrify just about everything in the mine.”

Björn Jonsson, Hub Manager, Process Industries, ABB, said: “ABB can provide assistance at an early stage in mine development for electrification and automation and routinely collaborates with mining companies from initial feasibility studies through to full deployment. Swedish mines are already benefiting from ABB solutions, using ABB Ability™ System 800xA distributed control system and the integrated ABB Ability™ Ventilation Optimizer.”

Nordic Iron Ore and ABB will continue the development of the project and have recently signed a memorandum of understanding for further collaboration at Blötberget.

Monadelphous adds to mining work with BHP, Rio and Codelco contracts

Base metals, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monadelphous Group Ltd says it has secured a number of new construction and maintenance contracts in the resources sector totalling approximately A$200 million ($146 million).

In Queensland, Australia, Monadelphous has been awarded a new three-year contract with Queensland Alumina Ltd to continue to provide general mechanical maintenance services at its operations in Gladstone. The company has also secured a 10-month extension to its existing contract with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance for provision of dragline shutdown and maintenance services to its operations in the Bowen Basin.

Monadelphous has secured a number of contracts in the iron ore sector in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

This includes two contracts with BHP under its existing WAIO Site Engineering Panel Agreement. The first is for the refurbishment of cells and rotating equipment on BHP’s Nelson Point Car Dumper 1, with work expected to be completed in the December quarter of 2021, and secondly, an extension to the haul road at the Jimblebar mine, with work expected to be completed in the June quarter of 2022.

A contract has also been secured with Rio Tinto for construction associated with the Marandoo Dewatering Sump Project, with work expected to be completed in the March quarter of 2022.

In Chile, Monadelphous’ maintenance and construction services business, Buildtek, has secured a construction contract with Codelco for work associated with the development of a new underground section of the El Teniente copper mine in Rancagua. Work is expected to be completed in the March quarter of 2023.

The company acquired a majority stake in Buildtek back in 2019.

Monadelphous Managing Director, Rob Velletri, said these new contracts and extensions continued to demonstrate the company’s solid track record of delivering for its customers.

“We are pleased to have secured this work and look forward to continuing to build on our valued long-term customer relationships,” he said.

Bis and GFG Alliance agree on Whyalla mining and steelworks contract extension

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Bis is set to continue its long-standing commercial relationship with GFG Alliance’s integrated mining and steelworks at Whyalla, in South Australia, after the two companies signed a new multi-year materials handling and export facilities services contract.

The materials handling service involves the movement and processing within the steelworks of bulk materials, iron and steel slag, scrap and semi-finished products; while the export facilities service includes train unloading and ship loading at the harbour and management and maintenance of the export facilities.

The contract will help drive continuous improvement, resulting in significant efficiencies while providing greater opportunities to optimise each company’s assets and workforce across multiple work-fronts, Bis said.

Bis has been operating various service contracts at Whyalla for the last 60 years, with the contract extending its long history of providing essential core services at the integrated mining and steelwork operations.

Aqura Technologies improves BHP connection with Managed Services Support contract

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Veris Ltd’s wholly owned subsidiary, Aqura Technologies, says it has secured a new agreement to provide Managed Services Support for BHP West Australian Iron Ore (WAIO) accommodation village entertainment networks across nine sites.

Aqura’s in-house team will provide managed support services for village entertainment network and Wi-Fi access across BHP WAIO village accommodation rooms and public areas as part of this agreement.

Close to a week earlier, Aqura was awarded several work packages by BHP WAIO to upgrade and extend the technology and communications infrastructure at a range of accommodation sites surrounding the township of Newman in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The latest contract award leverages the internal investment undertaken by Aqura over recent periods to develop leading-edge Content Access Networks As a Service solutions, it says. “These provide capability to generate multi-year managed services frameworks with clients across a range of sectors while delivering best of breed user experiences replicating their at-home experience in a remote setting,” Aqura explained.

Travis Young, Aqura Technologies’ Chief Executive, said the engagement was a significant recognition of Aqura’s capability and skills in the delivery and efficient operation of large-scale networks and further solidifies the company’s strategic transition to a product and service-based business.

“This engagement continues a highly successful relationship supporting BHP’s In-room Communications and Entertainment Solution (IRCES), which saw Aqura upgrade over 12,000 rooms to provide high-quality connectivity access for their workers when they are away from home,” he said.

“We are proud to continue supporting BHP who have further shown their commitment to local businesses with this three-year engagement to ensure the IRCES network continues to deliver reliable and cost-effective access for many years to come.”

Veris, following a strategic review, has made plans to pursue a demerging of Aqura Technologies, explaining such a transaction will simplify the group structure and better position both Aqura and Veris Australia for growth.

MOBISCREEN MS EVO screening plants hit the mark at Orissa Mining’s iron ore site

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Wirtgen Group’s Kleemann MOBISCREEN MS EVO screening plants have been helping Kalina Commercial Corp and Orissa Mining hit their goals at the Keonjhar iron ore mine in Orissa, India, classifying material into the desired grain sizes.

Kalinga, which is responsible for iron ore extraction on behalf of the state-owned company Orissa Mining, has been using six MOBISCREEN EVO mobile screening plants from Kleemann to classify the iron ore in up to four fractions.

More than 20 excavators are deployed for extraction, handling and loading of the ore, with 140 large dump trucks transporting the material from the mines for further processing by the screening plants.

Five double-deck screening plants MOBISCREEN MS 952 EVO and a triple-deck screening plant MS 953 EVO make classification of the blasted and then crushed material into up to three or four (with the MS 953 EVO) fractions possible.

With the use of these six mobile classifying screens, Kalinga has achieved a continuous daily production target of 30,000 t in two shifts and the desired final grain sizes of 0-10 mm and 10-40 mm.

The MOBISCREEN MS EVO screening plants are able to operate precisely and efficiently under extreme conditions: in the open-pit mining site in Keonjhar, they process feed material with a moisture content of 6-7% without issue.

Dr SR Samal, Managing Director, Kalinga Commercial Corp, said: “We have been using Kleemann screening plants for more than two years. These plants have proved their value with regard to product quality and output. Over the years, they have become an indispensable element of our operation. The service, above all, is exemplary. The co-operation with the Wirtgen Group was crowned with success.”

The classifying screens in the EVO series provide high productivity, good transport properties and first-class screen results, according to Wirtgen. The product series includes the two double-deck classifying screens MS 702 EVO and MS 952 EVO, as well as the triple-deck classifying screens MS 703 EVO and MS 953 EVO. Thanks to the particularly large screening surfaces of 7 sq.m or 9.5 sq.m, high production outputs, combined with effective screening of up to four first-class final products, can be achieved, the company says. Depending on the application case, throughputs of up to 350 t/h (MS 702 and MS 703 EVO) or 500 t/h (MS 952 and MS 953 EVO) are possible.

With the MOBISCREEN EVO screening plants, Kleemann has also considered safety. The plants can be operated with an intuitive control system via a mobile control panel that can be attached at three different points of the plant. This increases work and operational safety.

Easily accessible work platforms mean service activities can be carried out quickly and screen surfaces can be replaced without any problems, the company says. All other service components can be accessed from the ground so maintenance tasks can be executed without complications.

Aqura Technologies to improve connectivity at BHP WA iron ore accommodation sites

Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

Aqura Technologies has been awarded several work packages by BHP Western Australian Iron Ore (WAIO), which will see the Veris Ltd subsidiary pocket circa-A$3.7 million ($2.7 million).

The initial phase of work commenced late in the June quarter, with expected completion in November.

The contract awards will see Aqura upgrade and extend the technology and communications infrastructure at a range of accommodation sites surrounding the township of Newman in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The scope of work involves the design, procurement and construction of new point-to-point microwave, DOCSIS and fibre-optic infrastructure to enable upgrades of in-room Wi-Fi for a number of BHP WAIO accommodation sites, Veris said.

These awards extend Aqura’s history of supporting BHP WAIO in upgrading its regional technology infrastructure to offer connectivity between its operational and support sites.

In addition to the new engagement, Aqura has secured an extension of the BHP Master Services Agreement for a further 12-month period.

Aqura Technologies CEO, Travis Young, said: “The upgrades will provide a solid foundation for current and future users to access reliable and high-quality communications whilst working for extended periods in very remote areas. These technologies are increasingly recognised by mine operators as critical to the health and wellbeing of the workforces that service these operations.”

Ferrexpo to decide on trolley assist-backed haulage project by year-end

Automation, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Ferrexpo’s decarbonisation and electrification plans in Ukraine are continuing to accelerate, with the company confirming it will make a decision by the end of the year on the selection of a provider for the installation of pantograph network to enable trolley assist haulage at the group’s iron ore mines.

The iron ore pellet producer previously said it was embarking on scoping studies investigating trolley assist technology at its Poltava mine in Ukraine, as part of its plans to reduce both C1 costs and Scope 1 carbon emissions.

In its first half interim results, Ferrexpo said the installation of the network of overhead power cables will enable haul trucks to ascend from the group’s open-pit mines using electricity rather than diesel fuel.

“This technology is expected to provide a significant reduction in each truck’s diesel consumption whilst driving up haul ramps, which will directly reduce the group’s Scope 1 emissions footprint per tonne,” it explained.

In the first half of the year, the group achieved a 6% reduction, year-to-date, in Scope 1 and 2 emissions combined. Following upgrade work on its pelletiser in this period, the group expects production volumes to increase in the second half of the year and, as a result, lower the group’s CO2e footprint on a per tonne basis.

Alongside the company’s latest electrification plans, Ferrexpo also updated investors and interested parties on its progress deploying autonomous haul trucks at the Yeristovo iron ore mine. These were the first large-scale haul trucks to be deployed in Europe when they were introduced in 2020 as part of an agreement with Epiroc and ASI Mining.

Ferrexpo said it now has five Cat 793D haul trucks operating in production areas in autonomous mode, with the conversion of the group’s remaining 793Ds planned as this project advances.

“Fleet automation represents a significant advancement in modern mining techniques, removing individuals from potentially hazardous production areas, whilst also providing benefits in terms of productivity and maintenance,” it said.

Highlights from the company’s first half results included a 74% year-on-year rise in revenues, to $1.35 billion, reflecting positive market conditions and investments in increasing pellet quality. It also increased its underlying EBITDA by 147% ($868 million) compared with the first half of 2020.

NRW Holdings to deliver solar power solution for Rio’s Gudai Darri

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NRW Holdings has secured two new contracts from Rio Tinto, one of which will see it enter the renewable energy fold with an agreement to deliver a 34 MW solar photovoltaic system at the Gudai Darri mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

This contract is part of Rio Tinto’s commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations with a stated target to reach net zero emissions by 2050, NRW said, adding that the contract value is approximately A$60 million ($44 million).

The scope of work for the solar farm includes design, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of all equipment including a 33 kV substation to be integrated into the overall Rio Tinto Iron Ore infrastructure, including remote control and monitoring via the Rio Tinto Iron Ore Remote Operation Centre.

The solar farm will be connected to the Rio Tinto grid at the Gudai Darri Central Substation via a 6-km long overhead powerline and fibre-optic link, which is not included in the NRW scope.

Design and procurement will commence immediately followed by commencement of construction in August 2021. Construction and commissioning are scheduled for completion in early 2022, it said.

Jules Pemberton, NRW’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, said: “Securing this work recognises the broader delivery capability of the business and NRW’s long-standing experience of delivering projects for Rio Tinto in the Pilbara. Renewable energy represents an increasing opportunity for the group in particular captive projects like this where the energy output is integrated to the client’s network.”

Alongside this announcement, NRW said it had been awarded the Stage 3 Expansion Works at the Nammuldi Waste Fines Storage (WFSF) facility. The works to be undertaken for this project are the Stage 3 expansion to the existing WFSF for Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd, a Rio subsidiary that manages the joint venture Nammuldi operation (53% owned by Rio, 33% owned by Mitsui Iron Ore Development, 10.5% owned by Nippon Steel Australia and 3.5% owned by Sumitomo Metal Australia), at the Nammuldi Below Water Table (NBWT) project.

The site is around 60 km northwest of Tom Price, with the WFSF Stage 3 expansion consisting of raising the existing earth fill embankment by a further 6 m using the downstream method with associated earthworks along with mechanical upgrades to water management structures, waste fines deposition lines and pond decant infrastructure.

The expansion works to be undertaken will achieve the ultimate limit currently permitted for the WFSF, NRW said.

Construction works will start in mid-August 2021 with all works complete in June 2022. A work force of about 75 personnel will be engaged on the project which has a contract value of circa-A$26.5 million.

Fortescue hits new automation milestone in the Pilbara

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Fortescue Metals Group’s autonomous haulage (AHS) fleet has marked a significant milestone, moving two billion tonnes of material, doubling the amount hauled since reaching the one billion tonne milestone in September 2019.

In 2012, Fortescue was the first in the world to deploy Caterpillar’s AHS technology on a commercial scale at its Solomon Hub operations in the Pilbara of Western Australia and the multi-class fleet has since expanded across the company’s operations with a total of 193 autonomous trucks now in operation.

Fortescue Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Gaines, said: “Fortescue is a leader in the implementation of autonomous haulage across our iron ore operations. Our fleet represents one of the largest in the world, with 79 trucks currently in operation at Solomon, 74 at Christmas Creek and 40 at Cloudbreak. Moving over two billion tonnes of material without a driver at the wheel is a significant milestone and a reflection of Fortescue’s ongoing commitment to increasing operational efficiency through technology and innovation.

“Most importantly, the introduction of AHS technology has led to significant safety improvements for our team members, with our fleet safely travelling over 70 million kilometres to date – the equivalent of 91 return trips to the moon.”

The continued expansion of autonomous capability across the business has demonstrated that autonomy doesn’t need to be at the expense of jobs, with the transition to autonomous haulage providing significant new opportunities for Fortescue’s workforce through the provision of training and redeployment to new roles, Fortescue said.

Gaines added: “Significantly, the adoption of autonomous haulage has allowed us to relocate many traditional site-based roles to our integrated operations centre in Perth, providing opportunities for parents and women in particular to remain engaged in our workforce. Today, almost 50% of our workforce in the Fortescue Hive are women.”

Metso Outotec to help Karara Mining expand tailings filtration at iron ore mine

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Metso Outotec has signed a contract with Karara Mining Limited for the design of its tailings filtration plant expansion project at its iron ore mine in Western Australia.

This agreement includes the delivery of key filtration and material handling equipment and associated services, with the typical value for an order like this is in the range of €15-20 million ($11-15 million) depending on the scope of delivery. The order has been booked in Minerals’ June quarter 2021 orders received.

Karara produces a premium, high-grade (65-68% Fe) magnetite concentrate at a design production rate of 8 Mt/y, Metso Outotec said. With this expansion, the operation will increase the current tailings filtration capacity from 30,000 t/d to over 45,000 t/d enabling safe and sustainable storage of the process mine waste, with improved utilisation and recovery of water.

Kai Rönnberg, Vice President, Minerals Sales − Asia Pacific, said: “The Karara mine represents one of the largest filtered tailings facilities in the world. We are very proud that Karara Mining Limited has chosen Metso Outotec to deliver the plant design and key equipment in this expansion project. This is a continuation of earlier delivered proprietary key process equipment and long-term on-site maintenance service agreements.”

Metso Outotec’s scope in this expansion will include the Larox® FFP3512 filter press as primary filtration equipment, material handling conveyor systems and peripheral items. Additionally, spare parts and supervisory services will be supplied to support commissioning and plant ramp-up. Delivery will take place during 2022, and the plant is expected to start production late in the December quarter of 2022.