MINING HOISTS journey .”
Aaron Trueman - Australian Business Line Manager for Hoisting at ABB , shared : “ No matter the mine in Australia , the challenge is how to get ore out of the ground safely and efficiently with high availability in very remote locations . Hoists are a critical mine asset to achieve this , and novel approaches to ore haulage such as EcoHoist are what the industry needs to deliver minerals essential to modern technology .”
Matthew Forrest - Managing Director of EcoHoist , said : “ I look forward to continuing to work with Björn , Aaron and other talented people at ABB . ABB ’ s proven track record delivering electrical drive , automation and safety systems to the resources industry provides strong synergies with EcoHoist .”
Michael Short - Business Development Engineer at EcoHoist , says that the “ EcoHoist offers an opportunity for mining leaders interested in integrating a low-cost solution into their operation . We are now in early conversations with interested mining companies for collaboration projects to trial this innovative technology , aiming to increase production rates while reducing both operating costs and carbon footprint .”
A recent case study from EcoHoist , ABB and consultancy Mining One compared three different scenarios for a hypothetical underground gold mine , focusing on the financial and environmental impacts of installing an EcoHoist . The three scenarios are compared by estimating the differences in capital expenditure , operating expenditure and carbon dioxide emissions , and then forecasting the mine ' s cash flow for each scenario . In the first scenario , the base case , the mine continues to operate as is , using diesel haul trucks to transport ore from underground . In the second scenario , named EcoHoist , a majority of the truck fleet is replaced by an EcoHoist and maintains the same production rate as the base case . The third scenario , named EcoHoist +, increases the mine ’ s production rate by 25 % due to the removal of an assumed trucking bottleneck .
The partners state that the EcoHoist scenarios offered a compelling internal rate of return ( IRR ) relative to the base case , while simultaneously reducing the mine ’ s lifetime carbon dioxide emissions . The location selected for the installation of the EcoHoist is a trade off of various parameters . These parameters include the geotechnical conditions influencing the shaft construction , the location of underground workings and proximity to electrical infrastructure at the surface .
Capital development for the EcoHoist includes an EcoHoist loading drive . This is where the underground EcoHoist loading and crushing equipment is installed . The EcoHoist has a maximum particle size of approximately 40 mm , meaning that the material from the mine must be reduced in size before being loaded onto the EcoHoist . For this case study , an MMD Mineral Sizer was selected because of the sizer ’ s suitability to underground applications ; lightweight and compact , coupled with the controlled cubic shape of the material produced which improves material flow and helps optimise bucket fill for the EcoHoist loading and unloading systems . The EcoHoist loading and unloading chutes are fully enclosed and have dust collection systems to minimise dust emissions .
The EcoHoist loading drive is developed off the main decline at approximately the same level as the primary production levels . The EcoHoist access and loading drive design has several key features : n A truck loop , which allows the trucks to reverse on level ground and not on the main decline , increasing safety . n Two stockpiles at a 60 degree angle to the loading drive are used for efficiency in unloading and loading via boggers . n The EcoHoist loading drive is slightly wider than a conventional drive to allow access to maintain the EcoHoist and reduce downtime . A traffic light system is used to indicate to the truck operators whether it is suitable to unload at the EcoHoist . This allows for a smooth commissioning and ramp-up process with no production downtime as the mine transitions