Case Studies: Operations and Maintenance
Mining Power Plant Control System Upgrade
Control System Upgrade to Eliminate Harmonic Distortion at Golden Pride Mine in Tanzania
THE CHALLENGE
Golden Pride was a gold mine in Tanzania owned and operated by Resolute Mining out of Perth, Australia. After USP&E successfully completed the Syama Gold Mine power station in Mali in 2007, Resolute asked us to help with their other operational mine in Africa. The power station was an amalgamation of two brands of engines and differing controls, all combined into one plant. Due to the absence of an integrated controls philosophy, the power station was delivering power with tremendous harmonic distortion, creating problems with reliability in the distribution network and downstream in the plant. The client struggled to find a contractor willing to travel to Tanzania to troubleshoot and design a solution.
The Solution
USP&E designed and delivered a brand new controls system upgrade to the power station. The new controls system integrated the following primary components:
- Si-Tec Xtend CGC module with driver output to suit Heinzmann actuators
- Si-Tec Opal module with engine protection including two temperature and one pressure sensor
- MPU Expander module.
The Outcome
The upgraded control systems improved operational oversight and eliminated the harmonic distortion issues. The mine benefited from improved control reliability, more stable plant operation, and reduced operational risk.
Client Reference
“We struggled to find a contractor that was willing to travel to Tanzania to troubleshoot and design a solution. We needed a quick solution and USP&E did a superb job.” – Senior Manager, Intermediate Power Generation
Built for the Frontier
This project demonstrates Agility and Ownership in action: USP&E went where others would not, solving a complex controls integration problem to stabilise power delivery for a remote mining operation. Entrepreneurial speed. Engineering credibility. That is what Powering Possibility means.
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