Kroondal PGM Mine Project

Period  2003 – 2020

Site manhours 3738191

Peak Manpower 72

Description:

Electrical, instrumentation, hook-ups and commissioning.

Power distribution, sub-station

Project management and design of power distribution

Expansion of main Electrical, Instrumentation infrastructure

Kroondal is a shallow underground PGM mine with two concentrators located on the Western Limb of the Bushveld complex, 12 km east of the town of Rustenburg in the North West Province of South Africa, some 120 km north-west of Johannesburg.

Kroondal commenced operations in 1999 and has been progressively expanded since that time.

Kroondal comprises of six operating decline shafts.  Mining takes place at depths between 250m and 500m below surface, utilising the bord-and-pillar mining method.

B&W has installed and commissioned 123 new conveyor belts  and has successfully completed 1112 conveyor belt extensions (Electrical and Instrumentation).

These conveyor belts have made use of various control systems such as AS-I, hardwire and ELT.

Conveyor Belt Drive Sizes.

• 250 KW Tandem Drive.
• 250 KW Single Drive.
• 160 KW Tandem Drive.
• 160 KW Single Drive.
• 75 KW Single Drive.
• 45 KW Single Drive.

Conveyor installation lengths vary from 75m up to 400m and conveyor extensions from 100m up to 500m.  Duration for the installation of conveyor belt electrical and instrumentation works takes 14  days to complete.

B&W is responsible for the handling, installation, functional testing, commissioning and handover of the following:

Vent fan equipment:

• 11KV cables installed on straining wire and on racks, including joints and terminations;
• Low voltage cable installed on straining wire, including terminations;
• Control and instrumentation cables including fibre optic cables installed, including terminations of control and instrumentation;
• Accessories including support steelwork;
• Earthing installation;
• 630 KVA mini sub installed;
• Area lighting;
• Starter panels;
• AS-I Monitoring systems;
• Remote stop start stations;
• Convector safety equipment ( pull keys, E-stops, Yodel alarms, speed switches)
• Installation of gully stands;

Overall Duration 17  years

Period 2003 – 2020

Electrical Cable:

70 x 3 XLPE Cable 75 300m

150 x 3 XLPE Cable 67 100m

Cable Racking:

300 m

Straining Wire:

142 400m

As the shafts progress, B&W is responsible for the continuous expansion of MV reticulation with mini subs being installed at 300m intervals and switching subs at 1800m intervals.

B&W is responsible for the transport, handling, installation, testing, commissioning and handover of the following:

Equipment.

• Installation of 70 x 3 XLPE 11 00V Cable.
• Installation of 150 x 3 XLPE 11 000V Cable.
• 11 KV cable terminations and joints.
• Installation of straining wire.
• Installation of cable racks.
• 630 KVA Mini sub.
• 11 KV Switching sub.

B&W has Installed and commissioned 27 main vent fan installations throughout the Kroondal mines project.

B&W is responsible for the handling, installation, functional testing, commissioning and handover of the following.

Vent fan equipment:

• 11KV cables installed on straining wire and on racks, including joints and terminations;
• Low voltage cable installed on straining wire and racks, including terminations;
• Control and instrumentation cables including fibre optic cables installed on racks including terminations;
• Cable racks and accessories, including support steelwork;
• Earthling installation;
• 630 KVA mini sub installed;
• Area lighting;
• 400 KW starter panels;
• AS-I Monitoring systems;
• Remote stop start stations
• Pull key switches

Minopex appointed B&W to design, supply and install waste dump lighting.

The scope of work included:-

• Design 670m of LED lighting for waste dump;
• Supply and install LED lights for waste dump;
• Excavate trenching in soft/hard soil;
• Supply and install cables – bundle conductor;
• Terminate cables;
• Supply and install main feeder cable from MCC.

B&W has installed 27 raise bore cables, the depths of these holes very from 70m up too 650m. Cables are lowered from surface to underground by means

Of a specially designed winch through a 4” bore  hole.

These installations form a critical part of the expansion of the mine, as this allows the mine to drill new ventilation

Shafts from surface to underground.

B&W has over the years developed new and innovate means of installing these cables that makes safety and consistency its first priority.

B&W is responsible for the handling, installation, functional testing, commissioning and handover of the following.

Equipment:

• 11KV cables installed, including joints and terminations;
• Low voltage cable installed, including terminations;
• Earthing installation;
• 630 KVA mini sub installed;
• Area lighting;

B&W was awarded the Electrical and Instrumentation (E&I) Kroondal Slurry pipe line Project.

B&W was responsible for the supply, delivery, off-loading, handling, storing, installation, functional testing, commissioning and hand-over of the following

Site-wide equipment:

• 11kV cables installed in ground and on racks, including terminations;
• Low voltage cables installed in ground and on racks, including terminations;
• Control and instrumentation cables on racks, including terminations;
• Cable racks and accessories including support steelwork;
• Site-wide earthing installation;
• Pump station earthing installations;
• Area lighting systems;

Equipment inside buildings and pump stations:

• Small power installation
• Cable racks;
• Switched socket outlets;
• Isolators;
• STOP/START/E-STOP stations;
• Cabling and wiring;
• Lighting installations;
• Welding plugs;
• Earthing and lightning protection equipment;
• All instruments.

Commissioning included:

• 11kV/525, 2500kVA Transformers;
• 525V Motor Control Centres and Local Control Panels;
• Stop/Start/E-Stop Stations;
• Low Voltage Free Standing VSD’s.