ABB help coal operators achieve peak efficiency
Company wins £18 million deal to supply electrical and automation equipment for conveyor systems at new Australian coal terminal
ABB have been awarded an A$29 million (£18 million) order to provide complete electrical and automation systems for conveyors at a new coal export terminal currently under construction in north-eastern Australia.
The Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) in Gladstone is owned and being developed by several coal exporters in Queensland to provide increased long-term export capacity.
The initial stage of the project will provide 27 million tonnes per year in export capacity with first coal shipments planned for 2014. Once fully commissioned, the multi-billion-dollar terminal will provide more than 80 millions tonnes per year of capacity through the Port of Gladstone.
ABB will be responsible for the design, engineering and supply of an integrated electrical and control solution for the terminal’s 5.5km long overland conveyor and the 2km long jetty conveyor systems.
The order includes 13 modular switch rooms and five control rooms, complete with structural and electrical ancillary equipment. ABB will also provide distribution transformers, 22kV switchgear, low-voltage single and multidrives, and a mine conveyor control program (MCCP) to manage their ACS 1000 medium-voltage drives and motors.
The company’s sophisticated conveyor control system will help optimize the overall performance, reliability and energy efficiency of the on-site conveyors over their expected lifetime.
‘We are pleased that our integrated power and automation solution for conveyors was selected for this project, as it offers superior performance over traditional conveyor drive control systems,’ said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s process automation division.
‘The speed and efficiency of these conveyors will help the coal leave the export terminals in Australia for their markets in Asia more quickly, which will positively impact mine profitability and expansion plans in the region.’
Project delivery is scheduled for late 2013.
