Tag Archives: Poland

BJD Crushers wins Hammermill order from DRC copper producer

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

BJD Crushers Limited, the UK-based manufacturer of crushing and size reduction equipment, has recently supplied a major order of its crushing machinery to a new copper mine and smelting plant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The order includes the manufacture of two BJD 24 x 30 Hammermills with 90 kW drives, both running at 40 t/h. The machines will be used for processing copper concentrate from rotary dryers at the Kamoa-Kakula mine in the DRC, IM understands.

Used worldwide in the reduction of friable and fibrous materials, BJD’s Hammermill crushers can be supplied with adjustable breaker plates, produce high reduction ratios and feature capacities of up to 500 t/h, depending on duty, the company says. The whole project at the plant is due for completion in 2024/2025.

The contract, which was awarded following BJD’s successful completion of a similar project for Poland’s largest copper mine, took eight months from the initial order to shipment. It was delivered on schedule and within budget.

Peter Mills, Senior Project Consultant at BJD Crushers, explains: “We were honoured to supply BJD Hammermills to one of the world’s largest copper mining projects following previous success in this sector. The customer envisages a 19 Mt/y production scenario and required industry proven machinery to service this high-grade copper mining operation. The BJD Hammermills will be used to reduce the copper concentrate oversize material to a predicted 2mm particle size.”

BJD Crusher’s experience in the design and manufacture of crushing and size reduction equipment spans more than 80 years and covers a wide variety of applications, it says. Its equipment can be found working successfully in primary, secondary and tertiary applications around the world.

KGHM’s natural-gas backed ventilation system starting up

Base metals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mine ventilation, , , , ,

KGHM is tapping natural gas to provide a ventilation and cooling/heating solution at its circa-1,300-m-deep GG-1 shaft in Poland.

The copper miner says technical acceptance of this surface air conditioning station is underway.

The investment is of key importance to the company, enabling personnel to work at a depth of around 1,300 m where the average primary temperature of the rock mass is approximately 50°C.

The system, being built by KGHM Group company Przedsiębiorstwo Budowy Kopalń PeBeKa S.A., allows the combined production of heat and electricity from natural gas. It also ensures the continuity and reliability of the cooled air supplied to the mine headings and allows elimination of the need to purchase electricity for the plant. This, in turn, helps improve the company’s energy efficiency.

The investment is environmentally friendly and is to bring savings thanks to the use of a tri-generation system: the electricity produced will power the air conditioning station equipment, the recovered heat energy will be used for cooling by absorption units and, in winter, to heat the air flowing into the shaft and the buildings at the GG-1 shaft yard.

The construction of the station began in 2019.

The project involves the implementation of three stages, allowing the production of cooling capacity of 22 MWt, 33 MWt and 40 MWt, respectively, KGHM said.

Cat cogeneration system helps JSW power Knurów-Szczygłowice coal mine

Coal technology, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Caterpillar Inc says Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa SA (JSW), the largest producer of high-quality hard coking coal in the European Union, has selected Cat dealer Eneria Poland to supply an integrated cogeneration system at its Knurów-Szczygłowice coal mine in southern Poland.

Commissioned in June, the system uses coal mine methane (CMM) to produce up to 12 MW of power and 12 MW of thermal energy. The electricity is used to supply power for conveyors, compressors, coal processing, mine ventilation systems, and other operations, Cat says. The captured thermal energy is processed through heat exchangers to maintain the proper temperature in the mining workspace.

Designed, installed and commissioned by Eneria Poland, the system is anchored by three Cat CG260-16 generator sets capable of operating on gas from the mine with methane content ranging from 40-70%. Eneria Poland will also provide ongoing support for the system through a three-year customer value agreement, according to Cat.

Andrzej Szymała, Chief Investment Engineer at the Knurów-Szczygłowice mine, said: “Safeguarding the health of our employees and minimising the environmental impact of our operations on neighbouring communities are key pillars of our corporate social responsibility strategy.

“The cogeneration system designed by Eneria Poland for the Knurów-Szczygłowice mine will reduce methane emissions and improve the safety and comfort of our employees’ working environment while providing electricity and heat through innovations that improve our bottom line.”

The cogeneration system at the Knurów-Szczygłowice mine is the latest in a series of initiatives by JSW to improve its environmental footprint. The coal miner is currently building a facility to convert by-products of the coking process into critical industrial materials, including lightweight, durable carbon fibres, carbon adsorbents for purifying liquids and gases, and carbon nanostructures used in lithium-ion batteries and numerous other applications, according to Cat.

JSW employs other equipment supplied by Caterpillar in its operations, including Cat plow systems for longwall mining at its Borynia-Zofiówka and Pniówek mines.

Sven Buehler, Territory Manager for Gas Product Sales at Caterpillar, said: “JSW has made a demonstrated commitment to sustainability that has delivered tremendously positive results for the communities where it operates as well as its employees. The system will support the expansion of JSW’s environmental initiatives and further improve the quality of life for its many stakeholders.”

Caterpillar and its dealer network offer power systems for mines ranging from the largest surface and underground operations down to the smallest quarries, it says. The solutions are engineered to keep operations running reliably and efficiently while protecting the safety of crew members.

JSW launches Komatsu Bolter Miner at Budryk coal mine

Coal technology, Explosives and blasting, Mine operation news, Mine shafts and equipment, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

JSW, this week, started operating its Bolter Miner 12CM30 at the Budryk coal mine, in Ornontowice, Poland, one of the deepest hard coal mines in the world.

The first bolter miner of its kind in the Polish mining industry, according to JSW, the Bolter Miner was developed by a consortium including  JSW Innowacje, JSW, the Central Mining Institute and Komatsu Mining (Joy Global).

Last year, the system successfully passed all the start-up tests and, in September, the machine was handed over to JSW. On November 12, it started drilling the “Bw –1N badawczy” exploration roadway in seam 401 at the underground mine.

Adam Domżoł, Head of Mining at the Budryk mine and Coordinator of the ‘Independent Rockbolt Support’ project, said: “We have before us nearly 2,000 m of excavation and bolting of the new roadway using the new technology and new machinery. After the research and development stage is completed, the complex will allow us to achieve a much greater progress in roadway excavation than any solutions that were previously used in the Polish mining sector.”

The Bolter Miner was purchased by JSW Innowacje, a subsidiary of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa, in 2018 as part of the ‘Independent Rockbolt Support’ project. The miner was manufactured in the US and arrived in Poland in early August 2019.

The machine was transported to the Polish seat of Komatsu in Tychy and, there, the miner was assembled and underwent all the necessary tests. In the meantime, the crew currently operating the bolter miner was trained. Then the machine was disassembled again, transported to the Budryk mine and hoisted down to the specially-prepared assembly chamber, where the bolter miner was re-assembled and prepared for operation.

According to the manufacturer, the maximum speed of work is 27 t/min of excavated material, which translates into lower cost advances, according to JSW.

Tomasz Śledź, Vice-President of the JSW Management Board for Technical Matters, said: “The rockbolting technology has been widely used globally: in Australia, South Africa, Russia and in the Czech Republic. It is much cheaper than frame supports and equally as safe.

“The cost of preparatory works in the mines of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa represents a significant portion of coal mining costs, so the company is seeking more efficient solutions. The use of rockbolting is an opportunity to reduce our expenditures incurred in the mining preparation process.”

JSW subsidiary delivers first bottom scraper conveyor

Bulk handling, Coal technology, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , ,

Jastrzębskie Zakłady Remontowe (JZW), a JSW Group company, has delivered its first in-house designed and manufactured bottom scraper conveyor.

This development sees JZR join an exclusive group of original equipment manufacturers of mining machinery and equipment.

JSW said: “It’s a great step towards development, especially because so far JZR dealt only with overhaul and modernisation of mining equipment.”

The PPJZR–850 bottom scraper conveyor was officially presented in the JZR production hall. The presentation was attended by the management board and directors of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa mines.

The bottom scraper conveyor makes it possible to collect transported material from the armoured face conveyor and transport it to another collecting device, eg a belt conveyor. The first conveyor is being delivered to the Borynia Section of JSW’s KWK Borynia-Zofiówka-Jastrzębie coal mine, in Poland, this week. The PPJZR–850 scraper conveyor comprises: KUJZR–4z coal crusher, UPJZR–KP1200 pushing device and the PTJZR–SZL1 line turning station.

All this equipment has been designed and manufactured entirely by JZR using top quality materials with much higher durability than the existing materials used in mining, JSW said. A number of innovative solutions were used in this equipment, according to the company. “They will improve the reliability and the safety conditions of the employees during the mining.”

Rafał Rychter, President of the JZR Management Board, said: “It’s a great day for us. After nine months of hard work and commitment of many people – constructors, technologists and production employees – we can present our creation.”

Tomasz Śledź, Vice-President of the JSW Management Board for technical matters, said: “This is only the beginning of the process of unification of longwall systems we intend to carry out in all our mines.”

JZR is already working on unification of further coal haulage devices, including PSJZR armoured face conveyors, KSJZR longwall crushers, UPJZR–SNZ belt tail pieces and PTJZR belt conveyors. In parallel with these efforts, an investment project is being carried out in the Suszec municipality where, next year, JZR plans to launch the production of new elements for the machinery and equipment.

JSW continues growth strategy with launch of Bzie-Dębina coal mine

Coal technology, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining events, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW) has launched its newest underground coal mine, Bzie-Dębina, located in Jastrzębie-Zdró, Poland.

The new mine consists of the renamed John Paul shaft (previously 1-Bzie) and new buildings, including the winding engine and the temporary administrative building. Subsequent buildings will be built over the upcoming year, JSW said, adding that there were also plans to sink another shaft, a ventilation shaft, in the nearby community of Zebrzydowice. The company intends to invest PLN3 billion ($748 million) in its newest mine by 2033.

“Twelve years ago, this site consisted of just mud, a meadow and barren land. My colleagues from the management board and I visited this spot in January 2007 and we said: ‘There will be a mine here.’ And that is exactly what has happened,” Włodzimierz Hereźniak, President of the Management Board of JSW, said this week at the mine’s opening ceremony, adding that the company planned to spend roughly PLN922 million in capex on this mine in 2019-2022.

Poland Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, who participated in this week’s ceremony (pictured, speaking), said no modern economy can exist without steel, and, with that, coking coal. “This highly modern mine will be needed in Poland and across Europe,” he said. “It should be pointed out that coking coal is recognised by the European Union as a strategic raw material. That is why we should be glad that we are expanding its capacity.”

The new mine’s recoverable coal reserves are estimated to be approximately 180 Mt. Some 95% of these reserves comprise hard coking coal located in two deposits: Bzie-Dębina 1-Zachód (71.4 Mt, concession valid until the end of 2051) and Bzie-Dębina 2-Zachód (106.4 Mt, concession valid until the end of 2042).

Extraction from the first longwall may commence in 2022, according to JSW, with Seam 404/1 being the first operational seam. Ultimately JSW intends to establish four operational longwalls prior to 2030, with the extracted material transported to the modernised coal preparation plant in the Zofiówka Section of its operations.

At full tilt, the mine is expected to extract around 2 Mt/y of coking coal, with a life of mine estimated to be at least 30 years. JSW said: “In this way, it is perfectly aligned to JSW’s growth strategy, which calls for growing its run rate, chiefly of coking coal, to 18 Mt/y in 2030.

Bzie-Dębina, at present, has more than 230 employees, with the majority of miners having been transferred from other mines within the group. They are mostly working at the preparatory works unit and the electrical and machinery units, with work primarily consisting of tunnelling work to setup mine faces. By the end of this year the mine will have 300 employees, but some 2,000 people will eventually be employed at the mine.

The decision to spin off a new mine from the integrated Borynia-Zofiówka-Jastrzębie operation was made by the JSW Management Board at the beginning of this year. Until now, the newest Polish hard coal mine had been the Budryk coal mine in Ornontowice, which began to extract coal in March 1994.

Becker builds safety into new longwall for JSW coal mine

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Becker Mining Systems has demonstrated the possibilities of a modern longwall system in a planned delivery to Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa’s (JSW) Budryk coal mine, in Poland.

The longwall complex produced by Becker Warkop Sp.zoo, in Poland, is one of the most modern in the industry, according to the company. It will work in Europe’s deepest coking coal mine, Budryk, owned by JSW.

Before the longwall complex arrived at the mine, Becker Warkop hosted a factory test and presented its capabilities to the management of JSW on August 6 (pictured).

Tomasz Budniok, CEO of Becker Warkop Sp.zoo, said: “The longwall complex, which we hand over to JSW, is one of the most modern complexes of this type in our country. Innovative technical solutions have been applied in it. The complex ensures safe operation and high efficiency.”

The new complex will operate in the Cz-2 face in the 405/1 deck at a depth of 1,290 m. This is the first longwall made available within the JSW investment program, ‘Construction of the 1290 level’, according to the company.

The commissioning of the longwall will initiate the exploitation of the seams 405/1 and 405/2, which have resources amounting to 68.5 Mt of hard coking coal, according to JSW. The commencement of the exploitation of longwall Cz-2 is planned for the turn of 2019/2020.

Włodzimierz Hereźniak, President of JSW, said, by the end of the year, the processing plant of the Budryk mine will be modernised and prepared for the production of high-quality coking coal.

“At the same time, we will start underground mining of deposits rich in good quality coking coal,” he said. “According to the current strategy, the share of coking coal in the Budryk mine’s production in 2020 will amount to over 50%, including hard coal – and will increase in subsequent years to about 65%. When launching new walls, we introduce new technologies, without which the development of JSW is impossible.”

The Cz-2 wall is 205 m long and almost 900 m in overall length. The average thickness of the seam is 3.1 m, and its resources amount to over 750,000 t of hard coal. The longwall complex to be used in the Cz-2 longwall consists of 118 Becker Warkop powered roof supports, each 1.75 m wide. The 7LS22 longwall shearer, the loader and the longwall conveyor are manufactured by Komatsu (Joy).

In addition to all the necessary equipment in the longwall system, an air-conditioning system has also been integrated to improve the working conditions of miners at the face, according to the company.

Engineers at Becker Warkop Sp.zoo took care of the safety of miners working directly at the face by designing, among other things, a passage for the crew in front of and behind the powered roof support section stands, the company said.

In accordance with the requirements of the mine, the safety of the workers servicing the shearer has also been ensured, with 24 of the 118 powered roof supports equipped with specially designed telescopic wall shields to protect the workers from falling rocks at the shearer. Another innovation will be the section geometry control system.

FAMUR to offer support at PGG Bielszowice underground coal mine

Coal technology, Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

FAMUR recently confirmed it would deliver new powered roof supports to Polska Grupa Górnicza’s (PGG) Bielszowice underground coal mine, in Ruda Śląska, Poland.

The company was rewarded the contract for 177 sets of new powered roof support sections with complete hydraulic controls, as well as a system for pressure monitoring and visualisation in roof support legs, following an open tender process.

Delivery is expected to take place later this year, with the maximum price being PLN 66.89 million ($17.67 million), excluding VAT, FAMUR said.

APCOM 2019 to showcase mining’s digital transformation developments

Automation, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine operation news, Mineral exploration, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Mining techniques, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The preliminary technical programme for the APCOM 2019 conference in Wroclaw, Poland, (June 4-6) has gone live, showing off some of the highest quality peer-reviewed papers on ‘digital transformation’ in mining, from resource estimation to mine operation and safety.

The conference topics include:

Geostatistics and resource estimation

APCOM said: “An entire three-day conference stream provides more than 20 leading- edge and peer-reviewed papers by world-class practitioners from leading mining companies and by world-leading research institutes.”

Papers on this topic include: Transforming Exploration Data Through Machine Learning from MICROMINE’s Mark Gabbitus, Rock mass characterisation using MWD data and photogrammetry from Luleå University of Technology’s Sohail Manzoor, and Rethinking Fleet & Personnel Management in the era of IoT, Big Data, Gamification, and low-cost Tablet Technology from MST Global’s Sean Dessureault.

Mine planning

There will be about 15 papers on newest IT-supported techniques in mine planning, uncertainty reduction, geomechanics, modelling, simulation and the most recent software technology, according to APCOM.

Papers on this topic include: A procedure to generate optimised ramp designs using mathematical programming from Delphos Mine Planning Lab, AMTC/DIMIN, Universidad de Chile’s Nelson Morales, Incorporation of geological risk into underground mine planning from NEXA Resources’ Rafael Rosado and a presentation from AngloGold Ashanti’s Andrade Barbosa titled, Economic Optimisation of Rib Pillars Placement in Underground Mines.

Scheduling and dispatch

“Around 15 papers address long- and short-term scheduling optimisation, the application of neural networks and genetic algorithms as well as risk mitigation and related software systems. A keynote talk covers the impact of Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and gamification on fleet scheduling topics,” APCOM said.

The conference has attracted speakers on this subject from Clausthal University of Technology, AngloGold Ashanti, University of Alberta, AusGEMCO Pty Ltd, Newmont Mining Corp, Advanced Mining Technology Center and Maptek.

Mine operation in digital transformation

There are more than 20 papers in this stream covering mining equipment related topics in the area of LHD transport, drilling and longwall operation, as well as underground communications and new digital technologies in mine safety, as well as product quality optimisation.

Speakers from the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Breakline and breakdown surfaces modelling in the design of large-scale blasts), Komatsu Mining (The Digital Mine eco-system), Tunnel Radio (Hybrid 5G Fibre Optic/Leaky Feeder Communication System) and Epiroc (Monitoring of a stoping operation, digital transformation in practice) are set to present papers

Emerging technologies and robotics in mining

Under this topic, there are a number of sessions with almost 10 papers covering the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in mining, the benefits of upcoming technology in robotics, mechatronics and communications, as well as the changes in machine design through digital transformation, APCOM said. Also a completely new transport system is presented in this stream.

Papers in this stream include: More Safety in Underground Mining with IoT and Autonomous Robots (TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institute of Mining and Special Civil Engineering), Application of UAV imaging and photogrammetry for high-resolution modelling of open pit geometry and slope stability monitoring (Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno) and The concept of walking robot for mining industry (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology).

Synergies from other industries

A plenary speech from an active airline captain will lead this session, talking about the impact of human-machine interfaces on decision-making of automated equipment and in control centres, APCOM said. Other papers will be on the transferability of building information modelling from commercial construction to mining.

A paper from MT-Silesia Sp zoo called: From machine construction to mechatronic system design: Digital Transformation is changing the way of thinking! is included. There are also talks from MobileTronics GmbH’s George Biro on, Rethinking mining transport: Trackless trains for mass transport in mining and KGHM Polska Miedeź’s Mariusz Sangórski presenting, Energy Management System Maturity Model – Systematic Approach to Gain Knowledge about Organization’s Real Engagement in Energy Efficiency Area.

The conference takes place at the convention centre of the Wroclaw University of Technology and is accompanied by an exhibition, APCOM said. A social programme, conference dinner with entertainment and partner activities are available as well as field trips on June 7.

“A post-conference hike in the Karkonosze Mountains is offered from June 8-10, with overnight stays in two microbreweries on the ridge, is a relaxing finish to the technical discussions of the week,” APCOM said.

All presentations are to be held in English. Simultaneous translation to Polish is provided if requested by a sufficient number of participants.

International Mining is a media partner for APCOM 2019.

JSW to study autonomous longwall coal operations in Poland with Komatsu

Automation, Coal technology, Communications in mining, Energy minerals, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , ,

Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW) and Komatsu Mining Joy Global have signed a letter of intent looking into the use of modern, autonomous longwall systems at the Polish coal miner’s operations.

The two companies signed the research and analysis pact on September 28 in Katowice during the Congress of New Industry EXPO.

“The implementation of high-technology mining technologies used in mines in North America and Australia aims to increase the safety of miners working in the most difficult conditions,” JSW said in a statement translated from Polish to English.

“Modern wall systems limit the presence of crews in the most difficult, dangerous places exposed to extreme conditions, eg very high temperatures. Computerised longwall systems allow high autonomy of longwall mining, thanks to remote control of devices and visualisation in 3D,” the company added.

Daniel Ozon, president of JSW, said the company would start researching the application of autonomous longwall systems this year.

“The use of modern technologies, apart from increasing the safety of the crew, also increases the efficiency of coal mining. Global technological solutions obviously bring JSW closer to the future Industry 4.0 mine.”