Commissioning of the first coal handling and processing plant (CHPP) at the Ukhaa Khudag mine of Energy Resource on June 11 was a landmark event in the history of the mining and processing industry in Mongolia. G.Iderkhangai talks to Ts.Bayarmagnai, operational director of the plant, on just what it means.
Please tell our readers more about the plant. The plant has three modules with a total capacity to process up to 900 tons of coal in an hour. The first module has just been commissioned and will process up to 5 million tons of raw coal annually. The trial run of the CHPP started on May 12 May. Some 600 workers from over 20 different contractors were involved in the construction. It was an enormous and challenging job, and on behalf of Energy Resource, I wish to thank everybody, including on-site workers and those who designed the project, and made all agreements on logistics and procurement, as also all suppliers, for their help and cooperation.
The project team is working hard to get the second module running in October. The third module will be operational in 2012. The quality control department will monitor both processing and transportation to ensure that the coking coal satisfies the demand of consumers. The plant has several sections such as a sophisticated laboratory, maintenance center, and heating boilers and will employ 96 staff working on two shifts.
Going back, the design and construction management was undertaken by Sedgman Company of Australia, a world leader in coal processing and material handling technology. All equipment and machinery came from the world’s leading manufacturers.
Why do we need a CHPP?
First, it adds value to the production and, second, the solid minerals that remain as the waste can be used in production of construction material.
What are your production and processing targets?
We hope to produce 7 tons of coal this year. The export volume will not be very high as it takes some time for the washing and processing operations to settle down and also to prepare for the winter.
Will the Ukhaa Khudag power plant use coal from here?
Yes. And the electricity from the power plant will then be used in the handling plant.
What is done in the chemical laboratory?
More than 10 kinds of coal inspection and analysis will be needed. Almost all the equipment has already been installed. We have had a basic mining laboratory for two years and the present one at the CHPP is an extension of that, mainly meant to control the quality of production in the new plant.
We also aim to automate the lab. We have started to do the basic tests and analyses of the coking coal, like its ash and humidity level. This is done every two hours so that we know the handling plant is operating smoothly.
What about the workshop for repair and maintenance of machinery?
The CHPP works round the clock and meticulous maintenance and immediate repair services are integral to its effectiveness. In coal processing work, there is constant erosion of metal devices, and likelihood of dislocation of configuration in machines and in chain arrangements.
We use Mex as the maintenance software program. It manages work orders, inspections, equipment reading, and stock taking. That sounds nice but skilled engineering staff are needed to operate all this equipment, devices and software programs. Our maintenance team underwent rigorous training. As the software programs get more specialized, and the speed of internal information exchange rises, the quality of maintenance and repair work will also improve.
How did you prepare your general workforce?
We started recruiting in the second quarter of 2009 and put them through RII, an education program specially devised for coal handling plant staff. The program is certified by the Government of Australia and we sent some workers to Australia for hands-on training at similar plants there.
Some maintenance staff have been trained in Germany. We also have an agreement with Sedgman Group to receive operational management support so we now have 4 expats to oversee the work. We shall soon run programs for safety at the workplace and for planning better use of time during both work and leisure. We follow world standards in recording undesirable incidents, in taking measures to avoid their recurrence, and in providing the best possible facilities.
How are you meeting your electricity needs?
The coal handling plant is going to run for 6,000 hours a year, so it is imperative to have reliable electricity supply. The 18-megawatt power station at Ukhaa Khudag will be our source for this. The first module receives 5.6 mw of electricity per hour.
What about use of water and recycling?
The plant uses 2,700 cubic metres of water every hour but we recycle 94 per cent of it. We hope to raise this to 96 per cent once a few other measures are introduced, such as thickening the wastes and loading processed coal from the bunker.
What is the main benefit of the handling plant?
It enables the company to boost its global competitiveness with value added coal products, by reaching internationally acceptable quality coal to end-customers under its own name and brand.