Omniflex is supplying a new wireless telemetry system for Nkomati Nickel plant, restoring mine-wide monitoring of its water and pumping systems as the operation prepares to resume following a R753 million investment in its restart. The mine has changed ownership several times since Omniflex originally supplied a telemetry system more than a decade ago, with some of the original equipment subsequently reaching the end of its operational life.
The new system will provide a modernised monitoring infrastructure, comprising six outstations connected to a central control room. It will give operators visibility of flow rates, water levels and pump status across the site, with information transmitted to the control room’s SCADA system. This will allow Nkomati to keep track of water management more efficiently, while pumps can also be switched on and off remotely. If a pump trips while water is being transferred between dams, operators will receive the information almost immediately, allowing them to respond before the failure creates wider problems such as a dam overflowing.
Omniflex’s modular approach allows additional monitoring channels to be added as Nkomati’s requirements develop without requiring the system to be redesigned. The outstations also incorporate surge protection and battery backup to support reliable operation in the harsh field environment.
“The mine’s hilly terrain is challenging for wireless communications as monitoring points need to be carefully positioned to maintain line of sight with the central control room,” says Ian Loudon, international sales and marketing manager at Omniflex. “Where a monitoring point is in a dip and cannot see the control room directly, we can route the signal through another nearby station, keeping all outstations on the network.”
The technical design accounts for the site’s varied terrain, with the lowest point between Pit 2 and Pit 3 potentially requiring signals to be routed through a repeater or another outstation to maintain connectivity with the control room. The technical survey also confirmed the terrain was suitable for a successful radio telemetry system, building on the previous Omniflex installation.
The approach is particularly important given the site’s exposure to lightning, with the mountainous area known for one of the highest rates of lightning strikes in the country. Surge protection and careful positioning of the equipment therefore form an important part of the system design.
With limited engineering facilities close to the remote site, Omniflex is also providing onsite commissioning assistance. Its engineers work alongside Nkomati personnel during installation to help configure the system, troubleshoot connectivity, and provide practical guidance on its operation. The first two systems have already been delivered, with the remaining outstations expected to be installed over the next 12 months.
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