Fenner Conveyors has been awarded a major turnkey conveyor project with Malabar Resources, which will see the installation of a nine-kilometre-long overland conveyor system.
This system provides the opportunity for Fenner Conveyors to showcase its ability to deliver sophisticated, engineered conveyor solutions tailored to the unique challenges of the mining industry.
Part of the Maxwell Underground Project, the overland system will be managed completely in-house; a collaborative project for the Fenner Conveyors portfolio.
“We are excited and extremely proud to have been chosen by Malabar Resources to take on responsibility for this key aspect of the Maxwell Underground Mine development,” ACE general manager Mark Wilcock said.
“Our unique position in the market, with our complete portfolio of in-house capabilities, provides us with unmatched technical understanding of the interactions between all key components in the conveyor system,” Wilcock said.
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The overland conveyor system design, engineering, manufacture and on-site construction will be led by ACE, composite ‘Yelloroll’ Rollers will be supplied by CPS, and Australian-made Steel Cord Fenner Dunlop Conveyor Belting – another example of Fenner Conveyors’ end-to-end conveyor capability.
Maxwell Mine will be the largest underground metallurgical coal mine in NSW, and the overland conveyor system provides the key link between the underground operations and the coal processing plant.
The design and construction of overland conveyor systems such as the one being delivered for Malabar’s operation are no simple feat. The layout of these systems is dictated by several unique factors, including the constraints of the local topography, environmental impact considerations, and the desire to minimise infrastructure across the conveyor’s length.
“This constrained geometry, which features vertical and horizontal curves over its length requires careful planning and several design iterations to ensure optimal functionality, while keeping costs in check,” principal engineer Taylor Johnson said.
In the case of the Malabar overland conveyor system, ACE’s design team was faced with many of these challenges, including topographical challenges, along with limited access for power, roads, and other utilities.