IPCC
Elsewhere at the mine , FAM recently completed extensive reconstruction activities aimed at increasing the performance of the MH014 rail-bound tripper car with a slewing boom in the Ripios Section of Minera Spence , ripios being spent , previously leached ore some of which is being reprocessed .
Installation of a new , reinforced discharge boom ( including a portal for the lower ring beam ), replacement of the ball bearing slewing ring and installation of additional travel drives served to increase the output of the machine from 4,000 to 5,300 t / h of leached copper ore . At the same time , a new cable drum carriage was added to the conveyor line . This enables continuous operation over the entire length ( approximately 1.2 km ) of the shiftable conveyor CV027 without having to change the feed source for the stacking devices . FAM commented that “ the quality of the work , adherence to deadlines and high safety standards during the project implementation were highly acknowledged by the customer .”
RWETI - the carbon footprint reduction mining experts
IM spoke to Arie-Johann Heiertz , Head of Mining and Materials Handling at RWE Technology International GmbH about its unique position in helping operators work through the IPCC conundrum , where a major focus is its role in carbon footprint reduction in mining . “ RWE Technology International GmbH as international mining and power consulting firm especially looking for these operators , as we have extensive experience operating low carbon emitting equipment in large mining operations . In our experience , major goals in carbon footprint reduction in mining can be achieved by the electrification of mining operations . In this respect , the utilisation of continuous mining equipment , thus In-Pit Crushing and Conveying ( IPCC ) technology , is fully developed and proven under strict environmental and economic boundary conditions .” Heiertz argues that this technology is an effective alternative mining solution when mass handling requirements get too expensive or become environmentally unattractive for conventional transportation methods . “ RWE itself has extensive experience with this technology as it operates three large open cast mines in Germany - successfully and very economically , solely employing conveyor based continuous mining and transport technology .”
In total , RWE ’ s three lignite mining operations involve the largest belt conveyor systems in the world with more than 250 km of shiftable belt conveyors installed in rough mining terrain . More than 1.3 billion tonnes of product and overburden is handled annually , operating 24 / 7 . “ Industry leading planning , operation and maintenance know-how has been collected over more than 70 years and can be made available to our customers via our consulting and engineering services . And an additional benefit worth mentioning is that continuous mining also allows for a very high degree of automation and an enormous reduction of dust emissions .”
Within the mining industry RWETI ’ s consulting and engineering services are well known . “ The first in-pit crusher was planned and established in our client Vale ’ s north iron ore mine more than 30 years ago , shortening the trucking distance and haulage height significantly . Since then a large number of clients - among them BHP , Antofagasta Minerals and Anglo American , to name only a few - rely on the planning , operation and maintenance experience and know-how derived from our German large scale mines . Another outstanding example of RWETI ’ s profound engineering capabilities are the world ’ s strongest conveyors , transporting copper ore downhill in the high Andes of Chile and producing surplus electricity as a by-product .”
Heiertz adds : “ Being an engineering consultant with real operator ’ s experience puts us in the position to provide tailor-made customer training in our own operations . This unique benefit was recognised by Vale , which asked us to train more than 80 of their managers , engineers and operators in RWE mines for multiple weeks each , enabling a common understanding of the important differences between discontinuous shovel & truck mining
Carbon Footprint
How can mining companies continue to produce more while emitting less greenhouse gases ? There are many actions companies can take depending on their unique circumstances , such as :
• Renewable energy integration
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• Improving mining processes ( IPCC vs . ST )
• Reducing waste
• Optimizing transportation
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RWE TI T + 49 221 480-1303 E re @ rwe . com rweti . com