ABB takes underground mining to a new level
Sunday, July 6th, 2008Underground mining relies on hoists to transport people, equipment and ore between the mining zone and the surface. ABB hoist systems are raising productivity, energy efficiency and grid stability for customers all over the world.
Mine hoist systems are a key component in underground mining. They are the most efficient means for transporting crushed ore to the surface from the mining area hundreds or even thousands of meters below ground. And, they are often the only way of conveying staff and equipment up and down the mine shafts.
Speed, reliability and safety are essential in this demanding round-the-clock process, as the efficiency of the hoist system determines the mine’s productivity and eventual profitability.
ABB’s showcase hoist systems include installations at an iron ore mine in Kiruna, Sweden, operated by LKAB, a state-owned mining company, and a potash mine in Saskatchewan, Canada, run by Mosaic, a maker of fertilizer.
The Kiruna mine is the world’s largest underground iron ore mine and its 11 ABB mine hoists make it the largest hoisting plant in the world. ABB is currently upgrading the four underground hoists and has supplied a seventh surface hoist to enable LKAB to boost production capacity by 25 percent to 33 million tons of crushed ore a year.
Mosaic’s Esterhazy mine is one of the largest potash mines in the world. ABB recently upgraded one of two production shafts to increase skip capacity by 50 percent and boost mine production by 1.1 million tons a year.
The 8.6-megawatt (MW) motor and drive solution - the most powerful hoist system in the world - has improved energy efficiency at the Esterhazy mine by an estimated 5-8 percent. Despite its huge size and power requirements, it maintains grid stability without the need for additional power correcting equipment. (more…)
