ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
INTERNATIONAL MINING PROFILES
ABB ’ s GMD is now used in 23 countries , powering the largest grinding mills with a visionary gearless design , combining production efficiency with maximum uptime and lower maintenance needs
Grinding it out : Making Real Progress in minerals processing
Driving some of the world ’ s largest mining equipment in an increasingly sustainable way is front of mind for operations management teams , explains Wilson Monteiro , Global Business Line Manager for Gearless Mill Drives , ABB .
Mining and minerals processing is a kaleidoscope of change , part of an industry traditionally known for sticking with what it knows , developing year-onyear into a modern , fit-for-the-future operation . Not dissimilar to the beads within a kaleidoscope , the industry ’ s ore is processed within a large grinding mill using all manner of associated equipment and infrastructure 24 hours a day , 7 days a week . Such technologies are among some of the largest capital investments for mining companies and the energy requirements for this daily grind are in the millions of dollars per day . This work is not only full of risk and challenges , but is also absolutely essential for everybody on the planet . Without a supply of minerals and metals to meet the demands of manufacturing , construction and consumer technology , the standard of life would change dramatically and there would be no energy transition .
Mining companies are facing rising exploration costs , volatile market prices for hard rock metals like iron , copper , gold , silver , zinc and nickel , and increasingly deeper mining , low-grade ores and remote environments , some in extreme , uninhabitable locations . Productivity remains alongside safety as one of the highest priorities – but sustainability is their equal . Mining and its supply chain is on a journey to do more with less ; double , triple and quadruple the volumes of metals and minerals extracted from ore while eventually eliminating fossil fuels and reducing energy and water resources . Technology leadership and development is needed .
Solutions that tackle these issues need to ensure equipment operates efficiently and reliably , with minimal intervention from the operators . This article will take a look at the key technology in ABB ’ s arsenal , the Gearless Mill Drive ( GMD ), and its critical role in literally driving mineral processing operations towards a more sustainable future .
Doubling production , doubling down on sustainability
Looking at the copper market as an example , it is projected that demand for this commodity will double to 50 million metric tonnes per annum by 2050 . For context , this means that in the next years we have to somehow , somewhere in the world , create more than two times the capacity of the top two copper producing countries today , Chile ( circa-5 million metric tons p / a ) and Peru ( circa-3 million metric tons p / a ), with all of their established mining infrastructure and equipment . This effort will take everybody involved in the industry working together – from the investment community to miners , machine builders and technologists .
ABB was the pioneer in producing the essential GMD technology for powering large grinding mills . Each GMD takes many months to build and install in a mine , so the urgency to replicate the success story of the aforementioned South American nations is paramount . As a technology that has evolved since the late 1960s , ABB ’ s GMD is now used in 23 countries , powering the largest grinding
mills with a visionary gearless design , combining production efficiency with maximum uptime and lower maintenance needs .
ABB ’ s latest white paper , ‘ Unleashing the power of gearless technology : Enhancing sustainability and operational efficiency in the mining sector ,’ recognises the importance of the GMD to the energy transition , and its place in delivering real progress as soon as is practically possible . It explores key areas such as : challenges facing mining organisations from demand to decarbonisation ; the differences between the key types of grinding mill drives ; common misconceptions around these competing technologies ; how GMDs offer a safer , more reliable solution ; the key role of digitalisation ; and the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainability goals . It also features valuable insights from a range of industry experts , as well as real-world success stories from two mining companies : Boliden and Atalaya Mining .
One of the key findings in the report , based upon extensive testing of ABB ’ s current installed base of GMDs , is the high level of efficiency they provide . GMDs can be up to 3.6 % more energy efficient than Ring-Geared Mill Drives , reducing energy consumption and operational costs of a mine . A 3.6 % efficiency across ABB ’ s GMD installed base equates to 195,000 tonnes of CO 2 – the equivalent of taking 89,000 cars off the road . Even a conservative 2 % of increased efficiency equates to 106,000 tonnes of CO 2 saved , or 49,000 cars taken off the road .
To learn more about the future of sustainable mining , as well as ABB GMD ’ s role in supporting this transition , read our latest interactive white paper .
https :// new . abb . com / mining / campaigns / whitepaper-unleashing-power-of-gearlesstechnology
GMDs can be up to 3.6 % more energy efficient than Ring-Geared Mill Drives , reducing energy consumption and operational costs of a mine , ABB says
OCTOBER 2024 | International Mining 31