Modern Mining September 2017

PRODUCT News

Otjikoto to get 7 MW of solar power

A key differentiator in Caterpillar’s offer- ing is the Cat MMC, which keeps loads continuously energised with high-quality power at the lowest cost. It manages the flow of power from every source in the system, including the main grid when con- nected. The Cat MMC determines optimum recharge times for the energy storage sys- tems while managing power during times when solar energy is not available. The MMC also uses Cat Connect technology for real-time collection and communication of on-site performance data that can be monitored and analysed remotely. “The economic viability of remote mining operations depends on the cost-efficient generation of power,” said Tom Frake, Vice President of the Global Power Solutions Division for Caterpillar. “Caterpillar’s solar technologies provide a scalable, sustainable power solution that significantly reduces fuel consumption while delivering the reliable power needed to support mining sites.” Otjikoto is located in the region of Otjo­ zondjupa, approximately 300 km north of Windhoek. Themine reported a record year in 2016, producing 166 285 ounces of gold. Caterpillar supplied the original 25 MW of power capacity to the mine when it opened in 2014 through four Cat 12CM32 HFO medium-speed engines and three Cat 3516B high-speed generator sets. Barloworld Power, tel (+27 11) 898-0000 are used to convey ore from the primary crusher to stockpiles, another critical belt- ing operation that is prone to cutting and gouging. “The standard M-Grade cover lasted one year while our premiumMonsterHide cover, with its higher Shore A hardness, elongation and gouge impact resistance, continues to operate two years on,” says Terblanche. ContiTech has the largest conveyor belt service branch in Botswana and conducts the majority of the mine’s splicing and repairs. Upholding its commitment to uplift- ing local communities, ContiTech employs and trains local technicians to conduct all belt installations and services, from pulley lagging to vulcanising maintenance repairs. The ContiTech Botswana branch is based in Francistown and all ContiTech conveyor belts are manufactured at its manufactur- ing facility at Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Paul van Zyl, ContiTech South Africa, tel (+27 11) 248-9337

Caterpillar has announced that B2Gold Corp, reportedly one of the fastest- growing gold producers in the world, has selected the company and Cat® dealer Barloworld to supply 7 MW of solar power at the Otjikoto gold mine in Namibia. The full system, including Cat photo- voltaic (PV) solar modules and the Cat microgrid master controller (MMC), will be used to reduce reliance on a heavy fuel oil (HFO) power plant currently used to power the mining facility. Barloworld is supplying engineering, procurement and construc- tion services for the project. Installation of the system is underway, with the comple- tion of the project expected in early 2018. “At B2Gold, we embrace environmental stewardship and social responsibility as key corporate priorities in doing business,” said Mark Dawe, MD and Country Manager for B2Gold Namibia. “As one of the largest

solar installations in Namibia, the facility at the Otjikoto mine will help us to lever- age a plentiful, renewable resource while improving the quality of life for nearby communities.” Caterpillar’s solar PV system is powered by advanced thin-film solar modules that are claimed to be setting the industry benchmark with improved performance over conventional silicon solar panels. Fully scalable and pre-engineered for quick and easy installation, the system offers reliable and predictable energy in all climates and applications with modules that are inde- pendently tested to pass accelerated life and stress tests beyond industry standards. Caterpillar’s solar PV offering is a key component of the Cat Microgrid technol- ogy suite, an innovative line-up of power systems that adds environmentally friendly solar panels, state-of-the-art energy stor- age, and advanced monitoring and control systems to Caterpillar’s traditional line of reliable power generation equipment, including HFO, natural gas and diesel generator sets, switchgear and automatic transfer switches. The Cat Microgrid technology suite is designed to reduce fuel expenses, lower utility bills, decrease emissions and reduce the total cost of ownership while increas- ing energy efficiency in even the most challenging environments. In the first comparison, ContiTech tested its premium textile reinforced conveyor belt, FortressXP, with the mining company’s existing textile belt. The belts carry sharp- edged 300 mm diamond-bearing ore in short cycles and at high speeds, and are considered a critical belting operation for the mine. FortressXP is able to withstand these everyday diamond mining abuses with its patented twill weave fabric design which is claimed to provide the best cut and gouge resistance on the market. After a lengthy side-by-side test, ContiTech’s FortressXP conveyor belt outlasted the existing textile belt by 18 months to three. The second test compared cover com- pound wear rates between ContiTech’s new MonsterHide conveyor cover to a competi- tor standard M-Grade cover. The two covers were placed on textile reinforced belts that

Solar array in microgrid at Caterpillar’s Tucson proving grounds in the US.

ContiTech products prove themselves in Botswana Using advanced innovations in rubber com- pounding and reinforcement technology, ContiTech conveyor belts with high-impact resistant conveyor covers are reportedly providing extended belt life in real-field applications for Botswana’s largest dia- mond producer.

This technology and innovation, paired with ContiTech’s local manufacturing capa- bilities and its Botswanan-based service branch, has resulted in ContiTech becoming the customer’s preferred critical and high- abuse conveyor belt supplier. “In two comparative side-by-side tests that we conducted at the mining company’s southern Botswanan mine, we proved our abuse-resistant FortressXP conveyor belt and MonsterHide impact- and puncture-resistant conveyor cover greatly outlasted competitor belts and covers,” says Ben-Piet Terblanche, Branch Manager, ContiTech Botswana.

40  MODERN MINING  September 2017