The new mine hoist system has enabled Mosaic, a producer of potash and phosphate crop nutrients, to increase skip (buckets used to lift potash to the surface) capacity from 30 to 45 US tons at K2, one of two shafts at the company’s Esterhazy potash mine in Saskatchewan, Canada.
As a result, annual production capacity at Esterhazy has increased by 1.1million US tons to 5.3m US tons a year, “making it the most productive potash mine in the world,” the report claimed.
The turnkey solution is the largest single motor and drive system on a friction hoist ever, it added.
It consists of an 8,600 kW AC synchronous motor and ACS6000 variable speed drive, advanced hoist process control system, complete hoist electrical system and all mechanical components.
“Not only has the ABB mine hoist system boosted production by 50% at the shaft, it has done so without the need for additional investment in power correcting equipment like static var compensators, Statcoms or harmonic filters to secure grid reliability,” the report said.
Equipped with Direct Torque Control technology, the ACS6000 drive system has negligible impact on the surrounding power network and does not affect the power quality of other consumers. It has also significantly improved energy efficiency at K2 by an estimated 5-8% per US ton of potash mined.
