ABB to deliver two drive systems for a greenfield iron ore mining project in Western Australia
Baden, Switzerland, November 13, 2009 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, will deliver the drive systems for two high pressure rinding rolls (HPGR) to Thyssen Krupp Polysius for the Karara Iron Ore Project in Western Australia.
Located 225 km east of Geraldton, the Karara Iron Ore project is being developed through a 50:50 joint venture between Gindalbie Metals Limited and Chinese steel producer, Anshan Iron & Steel Group Corporation (Ansteel).
Starting in 2011, Karara will deliver approximately 10mega tons per annum (Mtpa) of iron products, comprising 8Mtpa of high grade magnetite concentrate and blast furnace quality pellets and 2Mtpa of direct shipping ore (DSO) hematite. The new industrial complex includes a conventional open pit operation and involves mining, crushing, milling and concentration of Magnetite ore, then transportation by rail to the Port of Geraldton for export.
The project has a resource base of approximately 522 million tons magnetite reserve, plus 1.853 billion tons magnetite resource, a 10.9Mt hematite reserve and a 16.2Mt hematite resource.
ABB’s delivery includes drive systems for two high pressure grinding rolls (polycom drive systems), each consisting of two 2800 kW squirrel cage motors, two MV frequency converters and two converter transformers.
Today, HPGRs in the minerals as well as in the cement industry are often driven by variable speed drive systems. These provide operational flexibility through a variable speed range, making them ideal for the processing of inhomogeneous types of ore at variable throughput rates.
By providing sustainable solutions for HPGR applications, ABB has set the standard for efficiency in the mineral and cement industries. For Thyssen Krupp Polysius, ABB recently commissioned four HPGR twin drive systems at Boddington gold mine, Australia. In addition, CVRD’s São Luis and Cerro Verde mines have been successfully operating with ABB HPGR drive systems for several years.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 120,000 people.