FQM Kansanshi Smelter
Plantwide control system for a greenfield 1.2MTPA copper smelter
- Solwezi, Zambia
- Kansanshi Smelter
- Control System - Siemens PCS7
Kansanshi is located in the North western province of Zambia near the bustling town of Solwezi. The Smelter is 80% owned by First Quantum Minerals (FQM). The Kansanshi smelter was a greenfield site adjacent to the Kansanshi open cast mine and concentrator. When in full operation, the smelter is designed to process 1.2 Mtpa of concentrate, producing over 300,000 tpa of copper metal. The smelter produced its first anode in December 2014 after a 36-month construction period.
Project scope
- Full plantwide control system (PWCS) and ISASMELT™ smelter design and configuration
- Development of PWCS software standards
- Procurement of ISASMELT™ smelter packages
- FAT(Factory Acceptance Test), site commissioning and operator training
- AVEVA PI System server configuration and testing
Project highlights
- The project's total CAPEX value was ~$800M
- Kansanshi architecture is a full dual redundant Siemens SIMATIC PCS7 system. The system comprises of 5 control rooms and 12 operator stations
- The software development phase involved close collaboration with FQM and specialist vendors. A strong simulation and intensive FAT phase ensured an exceptionally high-quality software was sent to site for the commissioning phase
- 77 Mipac-designed DCS cabinets were built in Australia and South Africa, passing rigorous FAT before delivery to site
- Mipac developed a plant-wide control system simulation for the site that is being used at the smelter as a training tool for plant operations staff
- Development of site application specific eLearning tool to enable self-learning by plant operations and maintenance staff
- Mipac also delivered an AVEVA PI System to site and integrated it with the Siemens system to facilitate generating automated reports to inform management decision making
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We are very pleased with the performance of the smelter. The achievement of over 100% of nameplate capacity, in just three months from startup, is unprecedented. It is a credit to the design and project teams and illustrates the strong capabilities of the operations management and staff.
Philip Pascall Chairman and CEO, First Quantum