Key Partner in the Building of a State-of-the-Art Copper Refinery
Sector: Mining and minerals processing
- Commonwealth of Independent States
Background
In late 2019, Mipac was engaged to participate in the design and supply of a state-of-the-art, fully automated copper refinery. This project, which remains ongoing, is one of the largest design and supply exercises Mipac has delivered for any client in its 25-year history, utilising every product and service that Mipac offers to the market.
Project scope
Mipac’s brief for the project was to design and supply a state-of-the-art future facing copper refinery.
Underpinning the advanced systems, Mipac designed and supplied the following equipment:
- Plantwide control system
- Remote field panels
- Field instrumentation
- Control valves
- Motor control centre
- Plantwide CCTV system covering process and warehouse areas
- Large format control room video wall display system
- Integration of warehouse safety system with crane safety
- Integration of vendor systems in main plantwide control
A foundation element to meet this brief was the design and development of a highly automated process control system operating across the entire plant including:
- Electrolyte and reagent systems
- Automated crane movements with product tracking
- Automated warehouse (delivery and dispatch) with safety systems
- Integration with third party systems such as building management
Finally, Mipac designed and developed an advanced, automated Tankhouse Management Solution SMART TankhouseTM (see pull-out box).
All control system panels, motor control centre and field panels were manufactured and tested in Australia before being shipped to site. Where possible, other equipment was consolidated in Brisbane for on-shipping or shipped direct from OEM manufacturers due to Covid-19 travel constraints.
SMART Tankhouse™
Mipac’s SMART Tankhouse™ platform is a customised solution that provides production planning and complete oversight and visibility of your Tankhouse.
Designed specifically for your Tankhouse framework, and operating in real-time, SMART Tankhouse™ connects multiple systems and allows for a common interface of your plant. The plant dashboard represents a live view of your plant together with calculated metrics based on your needs.
SMART Tankhouse™ integrates closely with the OSIsoft PI System suite, the leading data historian in the world. Built as a modular system, the SMART Tankhouse™ provides you with the flexibility to customise and grow the platform at your pace. It also allows plant engineers the ability to further customise or leverage current infrastructure by integrating with multiple systems and platforms.
Timeline
Project challenges
The project had to be delivered 100% remotely thanks to the travel restrictions put in place due to COVID-19. Other challenges included:
- Language barriers – All communication and documentation related to the control system was required to be in two languages. Mipac software packages also needed to be translated by Mipac’s internal translators.
- Mipac partnered with Japanese company Mesco to deliver this project to the client. Mesco supplied tankhouse machines and filters.
- Working across different time zones
- Logistical challenges related to managing compliance requirements for procurement and supply of equipment to site
- Temperature considerations for the freight and storage of products
- COVID-related travel restrictions meant that many inspections could not be carried out in person and other methods such as video, imaging etc. were employed
- Working with a wide range of companies and third parties, including a local engineering house for process design and electrical systems; as well as other global vendors including ones based in the United States, Italy and Germany.
Project outcomes
Thanks to Mipac’s work, the client now has a state-of-the-art tankhouse solution. The operation also has global standard equipment, including digital communication networks, state-of-the-art machines and equipment and automated systems from leading manufacturers and vendors.
