Power for Shaft Sinking Operation at a Copper and Gold
Mine
Ivanhoe mine, Mongolia
Situation
The Ivanhoe Mine required a reliable power
supply during the construction phase of the Oyu Tolgoi mine,
projected to be the second largest copper and gold mine in the
world when completed. The site, in the middle of the Gobi Desert in
Mongolia, is one of the most remote places on earth with very harsh
climatic conditions featuring both dust and snowstorms with
temperatures ranging from – 40°C to + 30°C. With no utility power
available during the early stages of the project, the client needed
reliable temporary power to carry out shaft sinking operations to
facilitate underground mining.
Aggreko Solution
Aggreko supplied a 6MW / 10kV temporary power
package that included diesel generators, transformers, cables,
panels and other ancillary items to power the hoists for sinking
shafts into the ground. Aggreko’s contract included the design,
supply, installation, commissioning and operation of the power
plant to provide a complete turnkey solution. Aggreko’s engineers
configured the equipment to withstand and operate in the harsh
environment that blew dust in summer and snow in winter.
Why was Aggreko Selected?
Aggreko worked with the client from the
feasibility stage of the project to understand the specific
requirements of the contract. Through its previous contracts in the
mining sector, Aggreko demonstrated its experience and technical
capability to engineer and operate a reliable and uninterrupted
power supply under some of the harshest climatic conditions in the
world.