Newcrest, Australia’s largest gold producing company, has granted $18 million to ABB for delivering electrical and automation solutions for six underground mine incline conveyors for their Cadia East gold and copper project, which is scheduled to be over by 2013 and upon completion it will be the largest underground mine in Australia.
ABB will provide the latest conveyor control system which will streamline the working of the conveyors in terms of operation, consistency, competence and functional adaptability. The complete electrical solution offered to the mining project includes transformers, water chiller systems, modular switchrooms, 33 kV (kilovolt) ring main units and a mine conveyor control program (MCCP) to handle ACS 6000 multi-drives and motors. ABB will supply these systems in the first quarter of 2011.
Veli-Matti Reinikkala, Head of ABB’s Process Automation division has stated that their company’s mining industry proficiency coupled with their innovative technology offers an effective system which can streamline the mining performance throughout the productive life term of the mine.
The Cadia valley includes a total mineral reserve of around 2,347 million tons, featuring 33.2 million ounces of gold and 6.59 million tonnes of copper. The life time of the mine is estimated to be around 30 years.
Source: http://www.abb.com