Page 42 - Vol 28 Issue 29 2019

mining mine ventilation

10 Years and 200MW of Cooling

Later, African Mines are in Good

Condition – and Safer

Fan station

en years ago the Projects division on surface and underground, in Ghana, In an era of rapid development of the
of BBE had just completed two Tanzania, Mali, Zambia, USA, Canada, global economy, the energy dependence
Trefrigeration and air cooling Brazil, Australia and of course their home is increasing rapidly. As the shallow
installations at AngloGold Ashanti’s country, South Africa. mineral resources on Earth’s surface are
Obuasi Mine in Ghana, and were busy Each mine, with its unique combination being depleted, countries worldwide
with the first of two new installations of location, climate, orebody type and have successively begun to mine deep
at Acacia Mining’s Bulyanhulu Mine in mining method demands its own cooling resources. As the mining depth increases,
Tanzania. solution. As an independent organisation, the virgin rock temperature increases,
In the ensuing ten years BBE have installed BBE’s professional engineers are able to and the thermal consequences of the
ground temperatures and other factors
more than 200 MW of cooling power into offer unbiased, bespoke solutions utilising are amplified.
the hottest mines on the continent, in the optimum combination of available
some of the hottest climates, providing equipment. Ventilation and cooling systems are among
safe and comfortable working conditions the most important functions in a mining
in the underground mining operations. operation. Since ventilation directly
BBE, with its full spectrum of consultancy, The engineering designs affects the health and safety of employees
automation, energy and projects begin with cooling systems working underground, mine owners take
the regulation of air flow through a mine
divisions has been at the forefront of at concept level where all
developing ventilation and cooling system aspects of energy efficiency very seriously. Yet some may not realize
how changes to ventilation and cooling
technologies in the mining industry and cooling efficacy are
for decades, providing professional analysed to determine the practices can significantly – and positively
– benefit the bottom line. The classic
engineering support in the specialised
field of mine ventilation and cooling, best fit-for-purpose solution. approach to ventilating and cooling the
entire mine all of the time is a simplistic
designing and selecting the optimum Then equipment selection
combination of equipment to suit and specifications are extravagance.
each mine’s particular life-of-mine detailed and taken through to The rising costs of ventilating and cooling
circumstances. either an EPCM-style project mines, safely and efficiently, dictate that
BBE have designed, supplied and built or to a complete design-and- operators have to implement optimized
energy
management
control
and
mine refrigeration and air-cooling systems build turnkey package. strategies. Ventilation-on-demand and
across the African continent and beyond,
42 | AFRICAN POWER Mining & Oil Review Vol 28, Issue 29, 2019 Celebrating 10 years of excellence