Austmine, Vedanta partner up for ore transportation

Austmine is partnering with Vedanta to find innovative solutions for improving the overall performance of ore transportation from underground mining to the surface at the Hindustan Zinc Rampura Agucha mine (RAM) and Sindesar Khurd mine (SKM).

Background

Hindustan Zinc’s Rampura Agucha mine is the second largest zinc mine and underground mining is carried out using long-hole open stoping with paste filling method.

Sindesar Khurd mine is a world-class underground silver mine utilising blast hole open stoping with filling. The ore is crushed at the surface and transported to the beneficiation plant for further crushing, milling, and flotation processes.

The problem

The overall challenge of ore transportation to the surface is divided into two major sub-challenges:

Reliability improvement of underground conveying systems and components
Reliability improvement of ore hoisting systems and shaft infrastructure

These sub-challenges focus on various operational impediments that require a combination of technology, engineering and equipment solutions to solve.

The solution

Reliability improvement of underground conveying systems and components

Conveyor belts:

Detection systems to avoid belt tears on underground conveyors
Alternative components to metallic joints used for fire retardant PVG belt to avoid spillage issues
Detection and segregation of foreign material at grizzly or conveyors
Detection of ore or waste being transferred on conveyor system

Transfer chutes:

Detection systems to avoid chute jams for underground conveyors
Processes, systems or technology to improve life of chute liners
Implementation of a dust suppression and collection system at dumping points and transfer chutes

Hopper:

System to avoid material deposition and provision of removal mechanism in the hopper due to fines and moisture conditions

Reliability improvement of ore hoisting systems and shaft infrastructure

Winder system:

A real-time monitoring system to avoid rope breakage due to metal loss and corrosion and reduce manual inspection of problems
Solution to improve the life of the head rope and tail rope, mainly due to corrosion
Tension detection system needed to avoid challenges with head rope not exposing to the same tension when one or more ropes extend

Shaft skips and infrastructure:

Real-time system for weighment of skips to maintain their fill factor and avoid overloading, along with skip door closing feedback mechanism
Processes, systems or technologies to improve the life of liners for skips
Online monitoring of the mine shaft steel works (steel structure)

The process

Challenge phase one

Suppliers are invited to submit their short-form solution to the challenge by 16 June 2023 for evaluation by Austmine and Vedanta.
A shortlisting process takes place and successful companies are invited to participate in phase two.

Challenge phase two

Shortlisted suppliers will be invited to a technical briefing, where each supplier will be able to gain more information about the challenge from Vedanta. This allows suppliers to refine their proposed solution prior to pitching to Vedanta.

Following the technical briefing, suppliers will pitch their solution directly to Vedanta online via Zoom breakout rooms. This provides the opportunity to ‘sell’ the solution, gain feedback from operational teams and field questions about the solution.

Challenge phase three

Following the pitch session, a final shortlisting of suppliers takes place. The remaining suppliers are invited to submit a formal technical and economic proposal to solving the challenge.

Winner announced

Vedanta will select the best fit solution/s for the challenge and the supplier will work directly with Vedanta to trial the technology on-site and implement the solution.