Today, at the Ekibastuz coal open-pit mine, operated by the largest coal mining company in the country, “Bogatyr Komir” LLP, a pilot operation of cyclic-flow technology for coal mining and transportation (CFT) was initiated.
“Bogatyr Komir” has commenced the development of the CFT project as far back as 2014, signing a contract with ThyssenKrupp for equipment manufacturing and supply. The active phase of project implementation began in 2020.In the process of constructing the facility, an intricate system of conveyors, stretching over a total length of 11.5 kilometers, was erected, along with the installation of four crushers, two stackers-reclaimers, two blending loaders, and an automated coal loading station for wagons.
As part of the extensive cyclic-flow complex construction, over 40,000 reinforced concrete structures were utilized, alongside metal structures and equipment weighing more than 15,000 tons, all encompassing an area of 174,000 square meters.
A total of 430 employees from Kazakh contracting companies and 30 German specialists were engaged in the construction of CFT facilities during a three-year period.
Even amid the challenges posed by the pandemic and quarantine restrictions, including border closures and worker isolation, as well as logistical difficulties, the construction pace remained unaltered.
As of the close of 2022, the CFT project implementation reached its concluding phases. Today, the initial coal tons, having traversed the primary technological stages of the complex from crushing to wagon loading, were dispatched via train to the CHP-2 in Astana city. The full completion of the "Cyclic-flow technology of coal mining at the Bogatyr open-pit mine" project and the facility's commissioning are scheduled for the summer of 2023.
During the trial run of the CPT, there are still tasks ahead, including equipment configuration, establishment of quality control systems, coal blending, measuring the weight and proportioning of railcars, dust suppression systems, and ensuring seamless automated interaction of the complex with robotic tractors and automatic dispatcher control system (ADCS) previously implemented at the enterprise. This enables the creation of a unified information environment encompassing "Excavator - Dump Truck - CFT" / "Excavator Operator - Driver - CFT Operator - Mining Dispatcher."
The primary significance of the CFT project for “Bogatyr Komir” LLP and the Republic of Kazakhstan's economy lies in modernizing the aging core technological equipment to guarantee a steady coal supply to power plants. Additionally, it ensures the efficient extraction of coal reserves from a depth of 230 meters, a task unattainable with the previous railway technology.