Fast track power for a Chinese mine

Imagine the frustration. You’re ready to expand your operation, you’ve trucked in the shiny new mining equipment, you flip the switch and … no power! This was the case for a remote copper mine in the Yunnan province in China that found the reliability and quality of power from the local provider was not nearly enough to get their expansion plans off the ground.

The mine needed a reliable uninterrupted power source, and because every day without sufficient power was a day closer to the ‘loss’ zone, they needed it now. Not put off by the aggressive deadlines or the poor roads, we responded to their urgent call.

We provided a 9 MW temporary power package with generators, transformers, bulk fuel tanks, a control room and consumables.

To get the expansion plans started as quickly as possible, we delivered the package in two phases. Phase 1 was enough to get them started and was delivered within three weeks of contract signature. Phase 2, delivered shortly after Phase 1, completed the project and gave our customer a high voltage 10.5 kV/ 50 Hz system with 24-hour on-site support from our team of qualified engineers.

The fast-tracked power allowed the mine to start its expansion plans and meet the production levels needed to make it profitable. The local community and economy benefited from the mine staying operational.

Our involvement also introduced the Chinese industry to cheaper and more mobile power packages. The concept of rental power was relatively new in China with many companies opting to fix power problems with capital investment and their own equipment. The success of this project demonstrated the benefits of rapid mobile rental units that could be installed at a moment’s notice and dismantled when permanent power was available.