Bulk materials handling solutions provider ELB Engineering Services undertook construction of the longest materials handling conveyor in South Africa for coal miner Sasol Mining’s Impumelelo colliery, in Secunda, Mpumalanga. 

The engineering design, procurement and construction (EPC) contract entails the construction of a 27-km-long single-flight conveyor system, with a nominal conveying rate of 2 400 t/h at full operation, for the transportation of coal from the mine to the Sasol Synfuels plant, also in Secunda.

The materials handling system transports coal at a 17° incline from an underground surge bunker by means of an incline conveyor to the surface. The system will then extract the coal from a 15 000 t surface-based coal-bunkering system and transport it to a 4 000 t bunker, from where it will be fed onto the main coal-supply conveyor to the synfuels plant.

ELB and CDI supply the project with rubber viscoelastic technology, improved belt power and strength efficiencies, belt-life extension technology as well as dynamic conveyor analysis.

The Impumelelo mine will supply Sasol’s coal-to-liquids operations in Secunda, replacing Sasol Mining’s existing coal mine, Brandspruit. 

According to engineeringnews.co.za