Load testing a massive mine's power plant
Client: CITIC Pacific Mining
Location: Cape Preston, Western Australia
Sectors: Mining
The Challenge
Load testing and back-up power for giant mine
The world’s largest – and Australia’s first – magnetite iron ore mine and processing facility couldn’t fire up its own power station until thorough load testing had occurred. And for load testing, the mine needed load banks. Lots of them.
Knowing that we could bring in equipment from all around the country, CITIC Pacific Mining called us in to help. As well as load testing their 450 MW combined-cycle gas-fired power station, they also needed back-up power to keep construction moving along.
Project fact file
The Solution
2.5 MW of power and 14 load banks
It was our job to gather together 14 load banks supplying 12 MVA. We dispatched them from depots around Australia out to Cape Preston. There, they were quickly commissioned to test the capabilities of the on-site power plant – a plant big enough to power Australia’s capital city.
We also supplied 2.5 MW of power for other phases of the mine’s construction. Specifically, 1,600 kVA for the commissioning of the processing plant, 800 kVA for construction of the in-pit ore crushers, and 3,050 kVA for the intake pump of the project’s desalination plant. Plus, 13 generators were used in the commissioning of the dewatering plant.
The Impact
450 MW power plant tested and commissioned
Once fully commissioned, the mine’s own 450 MW power plant would be used to provide power to everything from the mine’s very own port to the many processing facilities. Testing the load on the plant was critical, and our 14 load banks were up to the task.
Our back-up power helped CITIC Pacific tick all those other construction jobs off their list. With our help, they moved closer to the final commissioning of this massive magnetite ore mine.