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Wabtec-RoyHill

Wabtec premieres Roy Hill FLXdrive battery locomotive

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Wabtec and its launch customer, Roy Hill, have celebrated the debut of the FLXdrive battery locomotive, the world’s first 100% battery-powered, heavy-haul locomotive for mainline service.

The ceremony unveiled the unique, striking pink-coloured locomotive at Wabtec’s design and development centre in Pennsylvania in front of employees, customer executives, and government and community officials.

“This FLXdrive locomotive represents a major step in the journey to a low-to-zero-emission future in the rail industry,” Rafael Santana, President & CEO of Wabtec, said. “The FLXdrive is driven from within by our battery technology and the innovative spirit of our employees. Roy Hill is an ideal customer to partner with given their leadership and excellent operational record.”

Roy Hill’s FLXdrive battery-electric locomotive will feature an energy capacity of 7 MWh. Based on the route and company’s rail operations, the FLXdrive is anticipated to provide a double-digit percentage reduction in fuel costs and emissions per train. Once Wabtec completes the final battery installations and track testing, the locomotive will begin its 17,000 km journey in 2024 for delivery to its new home in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, one of the world’s premier mining precincts.

Gerhard Veldsman, Chief Executive Officer, Hancock Prospecting Group Operations, owner of Roy Hill, said: “The foresight of our Executive Chairman, Mrs Gina Rinehart AO, has been instrumental in establishing an environment in which we can successfully leverage the ingenuity of our people alongside key partners like Wabtec to transform our rail and mining operations through nextgeneration technologies.

“The FLXdrive locomotive represents not only a first for the Pilbara, but a first for the mining industry. The technological smarts that have gone into the development of the loco makes it well suited for our rail network. By using regenerative braking, it will charge its battery on the 344 km downhill run from our mine to port facility and use that stored energy to return to the mine, starting the cycle all over again. This will not only enable us to realise energy efficiencies but also lower operating costs.”

Today, Roy Hill uses four Wabtec ES44ACi “Evolution Series” diesel-electric locomotives in a consist to pull trains that are typically 2.7 km in length carrying more than 33,000 t of iron ore. The addition of the FLXdrive will form a hybrid locomotive consist with Wabtec diesel-electric locomotives, and recharge during the trip through regenerative braking. The FLXdrive manages the overall train energy flow and distribution through its state-of-the-art energy management software. It is also designed with a unique battery thermal management system using liquid cooling to withstand the Pilbara heat, where ambient temperatures can exceed 55°C (131°F).

Roy Hill’s iconic pink livery symbolises the company’s commitment to assisting research and those suffering from breast cancer. To commemorate the FLXdrive’s premiere, Roy Hill, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Wabtec donated $50,000 to Linked By Pink, a non-profit organisation consisting of Erie area survivors diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 45.

IOCA names REGROUP Australia as preferred primary contractor for Hancock iron ore project

Mineral project development, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Alien Metals Ltd’s wholly-owned subsidiary Iron Ore Company of Australia Pty Ltd (IOCA) has named REGROUP Australia as its preferred primary contractor to undertake the construction works, mining operations and haulage services for its flagship Hancock iron ore project in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

IOCA has conducted a competitive market engagement over the previous six months to identify commercially and technically adept contractors to undertake works as part of the Hancock development and operations. This process has involved pre-qualified and targeted proponents submitting bids for specific scopes of works and agreeing to key commercial terms.

REGROUP is, Alien Metals says, a highly renowned and experienced civil construction, mining operator and haulier, having executed projects that exceed A$100 million ($64 million) on multiple occasions. It operates one of the largest privately and independently owned fleets in Western Australia, with clients that include Newcrest Mining, Roy Hill and Element 25.

The selection of REGROUP allows the company to update its financial model as part of the definitive feasibility study (DFS) work streams, Alien Metals says.

As part of the preferred construction contractor award, REGROUP would be in charge of construction of an intersection of the project area at the Great Northern Highway and construction of an access track from the Great Northern Highway to the mine site.

REGROUP has also been selected as the preferred operations contractor for:

  • Mining services (that is inclusive of any drilling and blasting activities); and
  • Haulage services for the haulage of ore from the mine site to Port Hedland.

The award of this contract remains subject to the completion of a positive DFS, approvals, funding and the Board making a final investment decision.

The 2021 scoping study on Hancock showcased a 1.25 Mt/y production profile that would sustain an eight-year life of mine with current resources. The company has said it plans to make its first shipments in 2023, leveraging its direct shipping ore options.

Troy Whittaker, Chief Executive Officer of Alien, said: “Securing REGROUP as a key contractor for the Hancock project is a significant milestone for the company…This is the first step in locking in relationships with contractors on the back of the IOCA sourcing process, securing competitive pricing from contractors, which moves planning for the project forward.

“We are excited to partner with REGROUP, a company that shares our values. REGROUP has set the goal of becoming carbon neutral via the use of a fully battery-powered fleet and the utilisation of solar and wind to help power their sites. That combined with their commitment to advancing indigenous businesses, notably through the championing of Maramara in Western Australia, a majority Indigenous-owned Pty Ltd company, is one of the reasons why we teamed up with REGROUP.”

Michael Still, Managing Director of REGROUP, said: “REGROUP is looking forward to working with IOCA, firstly in the establishment of their mine, as well as the long-term success of the operations from pit to port. We also see a great opportunity to support First Nations business, Maramara, in delivering the civil scope of this exciting project. We would utilise our expertise as a Pilbara-based business and being a partner of a values-based miner such as IOCA, we are eager to see the impact we know this project will have on the Pilbara communities.

“In being a greenfields site, the Hancock project lends itself well to autonomous and electrified solutions for both the mining and bulk haulage fleet. We will continue to work with our partners in Scania and Janus to integrate new and emerging technologies where practical, both on-site and in Port Hedland. The consolidation of the construction and operational activities under one group will facilitate speed to market for IOCA and provides us with the opportunity to embed our expertise early in the project.”

Swift to connect AngloGold, MRL, Roy Hill sites with network tech

IoT, Mine operation news, Mining services, , , , ,

Swift says it has been awarded project contracts with multiple companies including AngloGold Ashanti, Mineral Resources Ltd and Roy Hill that amount to A$2.06 million ($1.36 million) in total contract value to the specialist technology company.

The contracts are for infrastructure work to be undertaken in 2023.

Under the new agreements Swift’s engineering and delivery teams will design and install various network infrastructure and Wi-Fi infrastructure solutions, aligned with the needs of each individual site.

Through consultation with each customer, Swift’s teams will leverage their extensive knowledge and expertise within the mining and resources sector to ensure each network and Wi-Fi infrastructure solution supports reliable and stable connected services, it said. The designs will not only support the delivery of an enhanced on-site living experience, but also ensure the solution is scalable and future proofed.

While the aggregate revenue from these contracts is material to the company, no individual contract generates revenue over A$1 million, it said.

ASI Mining goes commercial with autonomous haulage system

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

In conjunction with the recent announcement from Roy Hill on its planned expansion of autonomous haul trucks using ASI Mining’s Mobius based autonomous haulage system (AHS) combined with Epiroc support, ASI Mining is announcing full commercialisation of its AHS program.

The Product Verification Phase at Roy Hill included the operation of a mixed fleet of CAT 793F and Hitachi EH-5000 haul trucks operating under ASI Mining’s Mobius traffic management system (TMS). Full integration with Wenco, the fleet management system (FMS) used by Roy Hill, is also underway as part of ASI Mining’s interoperability with fleet management systems.

The phase included key performance indicator verification of efficiency, productivity and AHS availability using a fleet of 10 haul trucks operating in both ore and waste hauls at multiple locations within the Roy Hill iron ore mine.

With the validation phase complete, Roy Hill will move into the expansion phase to convert and operate the different truck models under Mobius representing a total fleet size of 96 haul trucks, making it the largest AHS site in the world, acoording to ASI.

Successful completion of this verification phase has enabled ASI Mining to fully validate the overall performance capability and operational safety of its system and establish the full level of related field services for deployment and support of its AHS product, it said. Support of ASI Mining’s AHS globally will be through Epiroc’s distribution network, such as the one based in Perth Australia, supporting the Roy Hill deployment.

While Mobius supports AHS operations, it is an autonomous mining platform supporting other applications such as Mobius for Blasting, Mobius for Drills, Mobius for Dozers, etc.

The Roy Hill AHS project will focus on safe and highly productive operations and will leverage ASI’s Mobius to achieve an integration platform which can continue to scale for future applications, it said. The commercialisation of AHS will now also enable bringing these other autonomous applications to market.

Epiroc spots further agnostic automation opportunities

Automation, Communications in mining, Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Having convinced iron ore miner Roy Hill to move ahead with plans to create the world’s largest autonomous mine, Epiroc and ASI – which the OEM owns 34% of – are ready to take on new equipment-agnostic automation opportunities, Helena Hedblom says.

Speaking after the company’s December quarter and 2022 results were released, Hedblom, President and CEO of Epiroc, said the company and ASI had progressed through three years of rigorous testing of the system, with the solution now entering the “scale” phase.

The Roy Hill project’s Production Verification phase was recently completed with 10 converted haul trucks fitted with vehicle automation kits and in cab clients using ASI Mining’s Mobius traffic management and on–board automation systems to navigate the mine’s virtual map, communicating with ancillary vehicles and the control room.

From March, the companies will start converting the mixed fleet of 96 conventional haul trucks to driverless operation, which is an increase from the 77 trucks originally set to be converted to running autonomously.

“There are certainly opportunities to deploy such solutions elsewhere,” Hedblom told IM. “If you look at how we started autonomous drilling with BHP, we took a step-by-step approach ahead of rolling that out to our customer base.

“We and ASI hope to be able to do that for this type of autonomous haulage solution too.”

Epiroc’s financial results highlighted another robust quarter where orders received increased 18% year-on-year to SEK13.7 billion ($1.3 billion), representing an organic decrease of 4% and organic growth of 3% when excluding Epiroc’s Russian business (which has now ceased). Revenues increased 25% to SEK13.9 billion, an organic increase of 8%, and operating profit increased 25% to SEK3.2 billion.

While this quarter saw fewer large orders than previous three-month periods, it did see the easing of supply challenges and good output levels, Epiroc said, adding that operating profit was at a record high.

The period also saw the company complete the acquisition of four companies – Remote Control Technologies (RCT), Wain-Roy, Radlink and Geoscan – continuing the acceleration of M&A activity Epiroc has become known for.

The purchase of RCT also offers another automation in-road, with the Australia-based company known as an OEM-agnostic automation specialist.

Listing off several of these acquisitions, Hedblom also highlighted the planned acquisition of CR, which has an offering covering surface and underground mining, and products including cast lips, teeth, and protective shrouds installed on mining buckets and loaders.

“CR and ground engaging tools represent a new niche for us,” she said.

When Epiroc announced the planned acquisition in December, it said the move was predicated on expanding its “first-rate offering” of essential consumables and digital solutions.

Hedblom, meanwhile, said the company would continue to evaluate further M&A opportunities as they appeared.

Outside of automation and digitalisation, Hedblom remained confident the company would hit its electrification goals in 2025 – goals that include offering a complete range of emission-free underground products.

“We actually had our first order for the underground tunnelling sector recently,” she said. “We are very well positioned to achieve these targets.”

Atlas Iron names load and haul, drill and blast contractors for McPhee project

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Atlas Iron says it has awarded the major haulage, mine load and haul as well as drill and blast contracts for its McPhee project in Western Australia, bringing the iron ore project one step closer to construction and commissioning.

With these contracts, the total number of major contracts awarded for the project is over 50%, with five of nine now awarded. All contracts are subject to the relevant government approvals being approved.

The McPhee project is 100 km north of the Roy Hill mine, and is situated between the townships of Marble Bar and Nullagine. The project scope includes haulage of up to 10 Mt/y of crushed ore to Roy Hill for processing, transport to the port and shipping. For this scope, the haulage contract was split between MGM (60%) and REGROUP (40%).

MACA has been awarded the mine load and haul contract, and a separate contract for drill and blast mining services has been awarded to the Nyamal joint venture, EWP-Ozland.

Indigenous contractor, East West Pilbara (EWP), is a Nyamal-owned firm, with EWP-Ozland previously awarded civil and construction works at Atlas Iron’s Miralga Mine, which has been recognised as an industry first, it said.

This announcement marks the first instance of REGROUP, a full-service civil construction, mining services, labour resourcing and equipment hire company, being engaged as a contracting partner.

CEO Group Projects at Hancock Prospecting Group, Sanjiv Manchanda, noted: “The McPhee project is another step in the successful integrated Hancock Group development approach focusing
on the product strategy for the broader group. Atlas will continue to engage local and Indigenous contractors and maintain a practical approach to operations.”

McPhee is expected to commence operations in the 2024 financial year with first ore reaching Roy Hill in thr 2025 financial year. This is subject to the regulatory approvals being granted in early 2023, which will enable the contractors to mobilise to site and commence the works under their respective contracts.

PROK idlers set for overland conveyor system at Roy Hill iron ore operation

Bulk handling, Mine operation news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

PROK has been selected by Roy Hill to manufacture and supply the idlers for a new circa-8km overland conveyor system as part of the iron ore mine’s Rom4 expansion in Western Australia.

PROK says it was awarded the contract for the conveyor idlers off the back of a long history of success with various overland conveyor systems across the globe.

Roy Hill requires the new overland conveyor to connect a new crusher to the existing mine infrastructure. The system comprises two overland conveyor systems that are approximately 8 km in length.

The entire project scope for the conveyor components included the manufacture and supply of 23,500 rollers and 6,500 idler frames.

The majority of the rollers will be PROK HDPE, a lightweight composite roller. PROK HDPE was chosen due to its lightweight construction and exceptional reliability, PROK said. The rollers include dual-layer wear indicator technology which facilitates smarter roller maintenance.

PROK General Manager WA, Wade Guelfi, said PROK HDPE will bring a range of benefits to Roy Hill’s operations.

“PROK HDPE is proven in heavy-duty iron ore applications and will assist to reduce maintenance costs, increase production and importantly improve safety outcomes,” he said. “We were thrilled to be able to partner with Roy Hill on this project and look forward to working closely with them to continue to optimise conveyor performance.”

Rio Tinto, BHP, Hancock among miners supporting new Western Australia community initiative

Environmental, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , ,

The McGowan Government in Western Australia has launched what it says is a state-first Resources Community Investment Initiative, backed by major mining companies, which will facilitate investment in iconic state infrastructure projects and community and social initiatives across Western Australia.

Established with founding partners Rio Tinto, BHP, Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill, Atlas Iron, Woodside Energy, Chevron Australia and Mineral Resources Ltd, the initiative provides a state government-backed platform for direct contribution to iconic infrastructure and social projects in the Western Australia community that will make the state an even better place to live for generations, the government said.

The initial commitments total A$750 million ($496 million) from Rio Tinto (A$250 million), BHP (A$250 million), Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill and Atlas Iron (A$100 million), Woodside Energy (A$50 million), Chevron Australia A($50 million) and Mineral Resources (A$50 million).

Government will work with The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia and other companies to encourage additional investment from across Western Australia’s resources sector, it said.

An initial pipeline of projects has already been identified, including the Aboriginal Cultural Centre, the Perth Zoo Master Plan, the Remote Aboriginal Communities Fund, the Perth Concert Hall redevelopment and additional contributions to Telethon.

It will also extend to include transformational projects across the state, to enable companies to collectively contribute to achieving long-term social and economic outcomes in the regions they operate in, in areas such as education and training, health, Aboriginal wellbeing and energy decarbonisation projects.

Each company will decide the projects they wish to nominate funding to and individual project agreements will be established with agreed project milestones.

An advisory committee, comprising of an independent chair as well as government and industry representatives, will be convened to oversee the initiative and ensure the highest standards of governance.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive, Simon Trott, said: “This initiative is a great example of government and industry working together to support critical projects that will enable our community to prosper for generations to come. We want to leave a lasting, positive legacy wherever we operate, and this initiative will build on our more than 50 years of work helping to create thriving and resilient communities across Western Australia.”

BHP Asset President WA Iron Ore, Brandon Craig, said: “BHP has a long and proud history in Western Australia, and we welcome the collaborative approach taken by the Western Australia Government and the mining industry to strengthen our significant contribution to this great state. We look forward to furthering our support for long-term social and economic outcomes in the regions where we operate, and for all West Australians.”

Hancock Prospecting Executive Chairman, Gina Rinehart, said: “Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill and Atlas Iron have invested in programs and infrastructure in West Australia over many years and we are pleased to make a further A$100 million contribution through the RCII initiated by Premier McGowan.”

Mineral Resources Ltd Managing Director, Chris Ellison, said: “Western Australians have played a vital role in the success of MinRes and our industry. As a proud Western Australian company, MinRes is continuing to grow, creating jobs and building projects in this great state. It is only natural that we support an initiative that is building a better future for all Western Australians.”

Monadelphous banks Australia work with FMG, Rio Tinto, Roy Hill and BMA

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Engineering company Monadelphous Group Limited says it has secured new contracts and contract extensions in the resources and infrastructure sectors totalling approximately A$220 million ($150 million).

Within this is a number of contracts for work in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, including:

  • A five-year contract to provide maintenance, repairs, general shutdown services and minor projects across Fortescue Metals Group’s Pilbara operations;
  • A multi-disciplinary contract with Rio Tinto for the construction of a new conveyor at the Tom Price iron ore mine, which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2023; and
  • A contract associated with the construction of a pipeline and access road at the Roy Hill Mine site. The work is expected to be completed towards the end of 2022.

In Queensland, Monadelphous has also secured a 12-month extension to its existing contract with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance for the provision of dragline shutdown and maintenance services to its operations in the Bowen Basin.

Civmec to replace car dumper at BHPs Nelson Point, carry out new work for Roy Hill

Equipment maintenance, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

Civmec Limited says it has recently secured circa-A$120 million ($86 million) of new contracts across multiple operating sectors, including three new agreements with BHP and Roy Hill.

Among these new assignments is a Car Dumper Replacement project for BHP, which has instructed Civmec to replace Car Dumper 3 (CD3) at the Nelson Point facility in Port Hedland, Western Australia, was commissioned in 1998. The new CD3 has a design life of 30 years and is intended to fit in the existing concrete vault with minimal structural modifications, Civmec said.

Procurement activities for this project have commenced, with fabrication commencing in the first quarter of its 2023 financial year (September quarter) and completion of fabrication in Q4 FY2023 (June quarter of 2023). At peak, this contract will employ approximately 85 people, Civmec said.

Roy Hill, meanwhile, has instructed Civmec to perform two contracts.

The first one is a capital upgrades project where it has been awarded the SMP&E (Structural Mechanical Piping and Electrical) works for the ROM4 Crusher 5 project at Roy Hill’s mine in the Pilbara of Western Australia. This is a follow on from the current SMP&E contract for the WHIMS project for Roy Hill, which is nearing completion and will see the same project management team transitioning to the ROM4 project.

The scope includes SMP&E plus communications works for the Crushing Station 5 and transfer conveyor, including installation of client-supplied modules and equipment. Mobilisation will commence in the June quarter of this year with completion by the end of the year.

Civmec has also received an extension of its Shutdown and Maintenance Support Services Agreement with Roy Hill, being granted an additional five years through to March 2027.

“This contract extension demonstrates a significant commitment from Roy Hill and will enable Civmec to support the Roy Hill Operation with multi-disciplined shutdown and maintenance services for the fixed plant assets across the port (facility) and PSA (mine),” Civmec said.

“As one of Civmec’s long term customers, Roy Hill is an important stakeholder for our maintenance business. Our investment in the local community and our commitment to building our Port Hedland Workshop facility is evidence of our pledge to being a long-term partner to Roy Hill and our intent is to further strengthen this relationship.”