OPERATIONS • than 5 000m , and oil and gas exploration has reached about 7 500m In the mining industry , effective ventilation and cooling is needed to keep the temperature within the sub 30 degree Celsius ‘ safe zone ’.
Long running mines have continued to grow and their refrigeration requirement grows with the mine , so BACs are appealing as they can be scaled up or easily moved onsite .
“ While mines are expanding , our clients are also focused on energy efficiency , and safer operation – such as more environmentallyfriendly refrigerants – and we are constantly working on new developments in these areas .
“ The water-cooled BACs have less of an environmental impact seeing that the modular container sits on the ground ’ s surface and requires no serious ground modifications , such as concrete .
“ The units only require water and power , and while some mines use diesel-generated power , as time goes on that will shift to renewable energy . Our company has made major commitments to greener energy to help miners achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 . That is why we are constantly exploring and investing in new technologies .
“ Currently , our water-cooled chillers use half as much power as aircooled options , which is part of their appeal , and at the moment we are the only rental company to provide such modular and scalable products .”
The BAC10000s have been successfully used at 29Metals ’ Golden Grove Mine – a high grade copper , zinc , and precious metals mine about 450km northeast of Perth , Western Australia . The mine mills about 1.44 million metric tonnes a year .
When the mine underwent an expansion which required almost two years to upscale its permanent cooling plant , a quick and effective solution was needed in time for the 2020-21 summer . Aggreko were able to quickly supply their BAC10000s to install a 4.5MWr watercooled plant .
As well as water cooled refrigeration plants such as Aggreko ’ s 20-foot and 40-foot BACs , Aggreko also offers air cooled refrigeration plants ( with power provided if required ) and underground spot cooling solutions .
“ Newer mines are also continuing to come online in Australia and around the world . We are supplying modular cooling solutions throughout the entire mining life-cycle ,” says Bevan .
“ We are constantly looking for opportunities to improve on our strengths to assist our clients further into the future . We provide flexible energy solutions and services to the mining sector and provide high standards regardless of a mine ’ s location in the world .”
According to Aggreko Australia-Pacific Managing Director George Whyte Aggreko had delivered more than 50 mine cooling projects globally , and always drew on the experience of its engineering , procurement , construction , and maintenance teams to stay at the forefront of technology .
“ Aggreko ’ s mining services pioneered mine cooling as a rental service 20 years ago as a result of mines looking for alternatives to capital refrigeration plants . Previously , mining companies would need to use capital to install built-in cooling systems which were not scalable , modular , or as effective ,” says Whyte .
“ In the past two decades we have witnessed mines becoming deeper and this has resulted in the need for larger cooling capacities and innovation . The need for deeper mines in increasingly remote locations , coupled with rising global temperatures is forcing operation managers to seek affordable alternatives to cooling and ventilation systems . •
Aggreco
Aggreco
The Aggreco BAC10000 Unit in Action . Aggreco cooling infrastructure at Cobar mine .
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African Mining Publication |
African Mining |
African Mining • November 2021 • 31 |