Compañia Minera Esperanza SA chooses ABB for design, supply and installation of filter system for new mine in Antofagasta Region, Chile.
Baden, Switzerland, December 3, 2009 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, announces that it has won an order for a complete filter system to be installed at Minera Esperanza, Chile. In 2007, ABB was awarded the contract from Minera Esperanza for the delivery of three complete gearless mill drives (GMD) systems, including the performance of a network study. Based on the network study, ABB designed a filter system which will be supplied for installation and start-up in spring 2010.
ABB in Switzerland is responsible for the design, engineering and delivery of the hardware filter components such as capacitors, reactors, resistors, panels with programmable logic control (PLC) and protection relays, vacuum contactors, aluminium busbars and switches; ABB in Chile will be responsible for the on-site engineering, erection and installation, testing and start-up of the complete filter system.
The ABB filter system will help plant operation to comply with harmonic regulations and keep the power factor above the defined level.
Scheduled to open at the end of 2010, the Esperanza mine is expected to yield on average about 714,000 tons of copper concentrate , containing 191,000 tons of fine copper and 215,000 ounces of gold.The mine is located near the city of Antofagasta, in the community of Sierra Gorda, about 1,130 kilometers north of Santiago.
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 more than 120,000 people.