Over the past year, Rockwell Automation South Africa has been using its medium voltage (MV) resources to commission 26 Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 7000 MV variable speed drives (VSDs) for the Ambatovy large-tonnage, long-life nickel and cobalt mining enterprise in Madagascar.
At a capital cost of approximately US$5,5 billion, Ambatovy is the largest-ever foreign investment in the country and one of the biggest industrial undertakings in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean region. It will soon rank among the largest lateritic nickel mines in the world.
Rockwell Automation France supplied the mine with 12 and 14 Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 7000 VSDs, which are fitted on either side of a 220 km pipeline that conveys nickel slurry from the open pit mine in the hills, to the processing plant below.
Nearly 22 000 lengths of 60 cm pipes were welded together to form the pipeline that connects the mine with the processing plant. The pipeline has a proven design, similar to pipelines operating elsewhere in the world and is capable of transporting 826 tonnes of slurry ore per hour. The MV VSD from Rockwell Automation controls pipeline flow and pressure through the 1 000-metre elevation difference.
“The pipeline’s length and the heavy nature of the slurry require that very large 3,2 MW motors are installed. The customer further required flow control to assist with a smoother hydraulic profile and help with greater energy efficiency,” says Colin Morris, branch manager, sub-Sahara export, Rockwell Automation.
The PowerFlex 7000 VSD, which operates at 6,6 kV with ‘Direct to Drive’ technology, was chosen as it could connect directly to the customer’s reticulation without the use of transformers. This further contributes to energy efficiency, and by using ‘true’ MV components, also allows for excellent reliability. The VSD communicates directly to the customers control system, which enables optimal process control.
“We also supply and support encapsulated motor control centres and medium voltage soft starters all over sub-Saharan Africa,” concludes Morris.
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