Containerised Electrical & Control System Powers Paste Plant in Botswana
October 2025System Integration & Control Systems Design
Delivering a complete, containerized solution for a mine’s paste plant in Botswana, this project stands as a model of modern EC&I; execution — integrating electrical, control, and automation systems into one unified, transportable package.
Project Overview
The objective was to design and implement the mine’s entire paste plant electrical and control infrastructure — a full turnkey solution that included medium-voltage (MV) substations, MCCs, and MV drives, all built within containerized enclosures.
Central to the system was a unified PLC architecture with distributed Remote I/O, a robust plant-wide network, and a central server room for seamless data flow and centralized control. The result: total production readiness on delivery.
Challenge and Solution
Executing a complex, full-scope EC&I; project in a remote mining environment presented unique challenges — from stringent technical specifications to complex logistics.
Through a combination of in-house design expertise, modular construction, digital engineering, and ISO 9001:2015 quality assurance, the team achieved precision and reliability from factory to field.
This approach ensured all systems — from high-voltage power distribution to process instrumentation — were fully integrated, tested, and ready for rapid deployment and commissioning.
Key Technologies and Tools Used
• EPLAN for advanced electrical and control design
• PLCs with distributed Remote I/O for plant-wide integration
• 24VDC control power systems for reliability and safety
• Skid-mounted RIO panels to enable flexible relocation and simplified maintenance
• Digital engineering tools ensuring accuracy, consistency, and traceability
Lessons Learned
Future projects will benefit from even greater modular standardisation to reduce commissioning time and further simplify logistics, especially in remote environments.
Unique Selling Point
An end-to-end engineered solution — fully integrated, factory-tested, and delivered ready for production — demonstrating how precision design and modular execution can overcome even the toughest project conditions.
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