Transportadora Callao S.A., the logistics operator of a special cargo terminal in the port of Callao/Peru, relies on a BEUMER Group pipe conveyor for the transportation of zinc, copper and lead concentrates of different mining companies from the warehouse to the terminal (Figure 1). With its ability to navigate curves in three dimensions, the conveyor can be optimally adapted to its routing course of approximately 3,000 m. The conveying system prevents the concentrates from coming in contact with the environment and ensures dust-free transport to the ship’s holds. BEUMER Group, Beckum/Germany, was responsible for engineering and supply, including the steel structure, supervision of the installation and putting the pipe conveyor into operation.
Callao is located directly on the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the largest cities of Peru, with the largest airport in the country and one of the most important fishing and commercial ports in South America. A modern ship loading terminal for ore concentrates was built in this port and it is operated by Transportadora Callao S.A.
About 75 % of the imports and exports of Peru, one of the most important mining countries world-wide, are handled in Callao. In order to satisfy the increasing demand the Peruvian government decided to expand the port. Besides additional storehouses, the plans also foresaw the largest, most modern ship loading terminal in the country. Peru also wanted to change the way the raw materials were transported to the ship loading areas. Before the construction of the special terminal, trucks were used to transport the concentrates from the warehouses to the port terminal.
The mines in central Peru transport their concentrates to the warehouses, approximately 3 km from the port. This required an absolutely protected method for the transportation of material, to prevent particle emission into the atmosphere. Transportadora Callao opted for the BEUMER Group Pipe Conveyor.
Due to its enclosed transport, the Pipe Conveyor not only protects the environment against harmful impacts during the transport of the lead concentrate, it also allows conveying over long distances and navigation through tight curve radii. Due to its ability to navigate curves, this belt conveyor requires a lot less or no transfer towers at all, depending on its length and the available curve radii. This results in substantial cost savings for the customer, and allows BEUMER Group to easily customise the system to the individual routing. Durable conveyor belts guaranteeing tensile strength are used. The engineers use different dimensioning programs to determine the ideal belt design. They use them to calculate tractive forces and forces that arise during acceleration and deceleration and also to determine possible curve radii. BEUMER Group provides tailor-made feasibility studies for each project. Another advantage is the reduced noise emission that the system provides. This is ensured by special idlers, as well as low-noise bearings and selecting the right conveying speed. Noise measurements along the Pipe Conveyor resulted in values that are consistently far below the permitted limit values.
BEUMER Group supplied and installed a Pipe Conveyor with a centre distance of 3,195 m. Due to the system design and the required system capacity, it was designed with a diameter of 400 mm. The conveyor transports 2,300 t/h, at a speed of 4.5 m/s and is driven by three motors with a capacity of 650 kW each. The system is equipped with filters, strippers, a dedusting unit and a control system. BEUMER Group was responsible for engineering and automation, and supplied the steel structure and the necessary components. The site managers supervised the installation and put the system into operation.
Fig. 2. The Pipe Conveyor ends at the transfer tower, where the material is transferred to the ship loading system. // Bild 2. Der Pipe Conveyor endet am Übergabeturm, von dem aus das Material an die Schiffsbeladeanlage übergeben wird. Photo/Foto: BEUMER
The process is practically free of faults and, above all, safe. Trucks or trains transport the mining commodities from the mines to the ore storages, from where they are transported to the open access station. Here, the concentrates are received by a feeding 43 m belt conveyor that transfers it to the pipe conveyor at a height of 6 m. A dedusting unit ensures that no material is emitted during this process. At the end of the route, the conveying system runs along the seaside in the naval port of Callao to the transfer tower (Figure 2). Here, the belt opens automatically. It transfers the material to another belt conveyor that conveys the ore to the ship loading system.
This system, in operation now for 17 months, caused a significant increase in speed by 500 % for loading concentrates and reduced the ship’s waiting time until loading by more than 80 %. These advantages lead to savings for the exporters and improve the competitiveness of the country’s mining industry.
Further information/Weitere Informationen:
Beumer Group GmbH & Co. KG
www.beumergroup.com
