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their environmental impact and remain profitable .”
Finally , the Carbon Scout is a self-contained , ground-level sampling system that measures the carbon concentration in CIL and carbon-in-pulp circuits to an accuracy of ± 0.5 grams of carbon per litre of pulp . The unit also provides other operating data important to the leaching process including slurry density , pH , Dissolved oxygen ( DO ) and most recently the measurement of gold loading on carbon . Data profiles are provided from every leach tank , every hour .
Following consultation with Curtin University ’ s Gold Technology Group , Evolution Mining ’ s Chris Hitchen , Former Projects Superintendent , approached Gekko Systems with a keen interest to employ their patented Carbon Scout system at their Cowal Gold Operations in New South Wales , Australia . Before installation of the Carbon Scout , Cowal operations measured their carbon by operators manually ‘ scooping ’ each individual CIL tank , collecting slurry containing carbon to determine carbon concentration . This practice is typical in most gold process plants globally . Once the carbon concentration is known , the carbon forwarding pumps can be turned on or off to achieve carbon setpoints . Evolution Mining installed Gekko Systems ’ Carbon Scout technology at the Cowal Gold Operations in February 2019 . Evolution Mining identified the need for improved carbon inventory management and reconciliation to optimise carbon circuit performance whilst improving the safety and reliability of leach slurry sampling . This innovative approach also provided access to realtime carbon inventory data from the Carbon Scout .
Real-time carbon inventory data is provided by automatically delivering samples of carbon-inleach slurry to the Carbon Scout through a series of ‘ dropper ’ lines from each tank . Slurry is then measured per known volume , and once completed , the slurry component is washed away , leaving the carbon behind . The carbon concentration is then calculated and reported automatically to the operations centre . Integrated carbon forwarding pumps can then manage the circuit ’ s inventory to maximise recovery and reduce gold-in-solution losses
The Carbon Scout at Cowal has successfully reduced operator exposure to slurry containing hazardous materials including cyanide and improved sample authenticity by collecting a more representative and repeatable sample . As the slurry sample is taken from a single point at ground level , this innovation has removed the requirement for process operators to collect samples from the CIL tanks themselves , potentially exposing them to slurry containing cyanide .
Since the Carbon Scout is a fully encapsulated unit at ground level , it negates the need for process operators to carry large buckets of slurry down stairwells . This previously posed a significant manual handling risk and potential for sample contamination . The other critical success achieved by the Carbon Scout is its ability to take a larger CIL tank sample that is more representative . This is achieved by the Carbon Scout drawing from deeper within the tank , where more superior slurry-carbon mixing occurs , and a larger sample of up to 20 L is taken , which is 10 to 20 times the typical manual sample size . Additionally , the sample is extracted from a consistent point each time the Carbon Scout cycle samples from that tank .
ABB ’ s charging solution for CSA loaders
ABB says it is committed to helping the Australian mining sector define the pathway for the industry to meet its Paris Agreement targets . Nik Gresshoff , ABB Australia ’ s Head of Mining , says that technologies for both batteries and hydrogen will be a part of the journey . “ I ’ m inspired by cross-industry initiatives , such as the Charge On Innovation Challenge – it shows that collaboration , being bold and thinking differently is necessary to tackle the climate change challenge . Today , mining companies should be working on changing out what diesel-powered vehicles and equipment they can with electric and ABB is well-positioned with our expertise – and ABB Ability™ eMine suite of technologies , to advise mining companies on the electrical infrastructure required to make electric transitions .” ABB Australia recently developed an innovative electric charging solution for Glencore ’ s CSA copper mine in New South Sales , based on technology that will enable the transition to electric vehicles for mining companies both locally and globally .
The CSA Mine at Cobar is one of Australia ’ s highest grade copper mines . The underground mine , which operates 24 / 7 , produces about 50,000 t of copper each year . The metal is mined and processed onsite and then transported to the Port of Newcastle for export to smelters in Asia . Glencore in March 2022 announced an agreed sale of the mine to Metals Acquisition Corp ( MAC ) which was expected to be completed this year .
CSA Mine currently uses diesel loaders as part of its excavation operations in the mine . These loaders produce heat , noise , moisture and
ABB recently developed an innovative electric charging solution for Glencore ’ s CSA copper mine in New South Wales
emissions , so the 2,000 m deep mine must be kept well ventilated . Last year , CSA Mine invested in its first battery electric loader – the Epiroc ST14 Battery – which is more than 2.5 m tall and capable of carrying up to 14 t of copper ore .
As the mine operates 24 / 7 , downtime waiting for EV batteries on the dump trucks to be charged should be as short as possible . To provide power for the mine ’ s battery electric loader , ABB created a bespoke fast charging solution , situated 1,000 m underground , to deliver 150 kW of DC power to fully charge each truck in less than two hours .
Based on ABB ’ s Heavy Vehicle Electric Charger technology , originally built to charge city buses , the customised plug-in solution is housed in an air-conditioned kiosk , rugged enough to withstand extreme operating conditions underground , including high ambient temperatures , humidity , vibrations and dust . The solution also includes state-of-the-art digital tools such as ABB Charger Connect and ABB Ability™ Energy & Asset Manager , which allow Glencore to monitor their underground charging network and maximise their energy efficiency .
Peter Christen , General Manager of CSA Mine , said : “ We are committed to reducing emissions across our operation and our investment in a battery electric loader is an important step forward . ABB has provided us with a fit-forpurpose fast charging solution for the loader , which can significantly increase its efficiency by increasing the number of hours it can operate .”
Epiroc ’ s Brett Kenley , Electrified Solutions Product & Sales Support Lead , Australia / Asia Pacific , added : “ We are proud to be part of this milestone project with CSA Mine to support their electrification journey . Our Scooptram ST14 battery electric loader is a 100 % fossil-free loader for underground application . Its energy regeneration ensures low energy consumption and extends driving range . With the electric
8 International Mining | OCTOBER 2022