Modern Mining April 2017

MODULAR PLANTS

overall programme management activities and EPFC services for specific elements of the mine, port and rail works. Fluor designed and fabri- cated 38 process plant modules. Among the key benefits of assembling modules in purpose built fabrication yards were limited construc- tion activity and equipment on site. In sub-Saharan Africa, Fluor has applied its modular approach to design 60 process plant modules and 106 conveyor and services gan- try modules for Debswana’s Letlhakane Mine Tailings Resource Treatment Project (LMTRTP) in Botswana. Says Escalona: “The design of the modules was tailored specifically around the project size, location and client requirement. They were assembled locally at a yard off site and transported to the mine by road.” Fluor was awarded the engineering phase of the LMTRTP in 2014. The new 2 Mt/a plant will recover the existing coarse diamond tailings mineral resource and extend the life-of- mine of the Letlhakane operation by 25 years. The design of this stand-alone plant is cen- tred on a modular approach. The main process areas such as the Dense-Media Separation (DMS), scrubbing and crushing buildings have been designed in such a manner as to allow them to be fully constructed from fit-for-pur- pose modules, thereby accelerating project execution. “Fluor’s experienced project teams are ready to assist clients in the oil and gas, mining and metals, power and infrastructure industries to assess their particular project design and circumstances, and evaluate the merits of a modular construction strategy,” concludes Escalona. 

Above: A module designed by Fluor in transit from the fabrication yard to the Letl- hakane site in Botswana. Left: A module designed by Fluor loaded and ready for transportation to site.

African mining also result in significant capital cost savings for our clients, and reduced site work contributes to a much safer working environment.” Typical modules for the mining industry include process facilities, crusher and conveyor modules, and pipe racks. “Modular plants are fast moving from smaller pre-fabricated units to macro units, where up to 90 % of a facility can be pre-assembled and commissioned prior to transport to site,” says Escalona. He points out that the company’s level of achievable offsite work has significantly increased since using Fluor’s patented and innovative 3rd Gen Modular Execution SM strat- egy. “When so much of a facility is modularised, these site-assembled modules are essentially ‘plug and play’, allowing for final checks at the module assembly yard.” Fluor pioneered large-scale modularisation in mining in Western Australia for the iron ore industry, transporting a large number of mod- ules by truck over a distance of 500 km inland. The Fluor-led joint venture’s scope included

Typical modules for the mining industry include process facilities, crusher and conveyor modules, and pipe racks.

feature

April 2017  MODERN MINING  35