Cummins_eMag_Summer_2014 Final Single

04 05
08 09 Power station at Fortescue’s Christmas Creek
mine comprises 27 QSK78 gensets.
16 17
One of the three EX2600-6 excavators achieving high availability at Iron Duke.
When Contract Power decided to
become the first major user of Cummins
QSK78 generator sets in the world with
the construction of a power station at
Christmas Creek in the Pilbara, it could
have been viewed as a bold move in
such a remote and harsh region.
At the time, Contract Power general
manager Marc Grosser dismissed any
possible concerns: “We like trying new
equipment… we believe it gives us a
leading edge over our competitors.”
The power station in question was
completed early in 2012, its generators
vital to the operation of Fortescue’s
Christmas Creek mine, in particular
the two ore processing facilities that
have an annual through-put capacity
of more than 50 million tonnes.
EX8000 recently loaded 110,440 tonnes in a day.
This is the biggest diesel power station
in Australia, designed and built by
Perth-based Contract Power and
owned and operated by the same
company – a progressive outfit that
boasts the ability to do power generation
business “anywhere in the world”.
It is also the largest single installation
of prime power Cummins QSK78
generator sets in the world, each of
the 27 units able to deliver 2 MW.
In a previous issue of Cummins
Commentary (Issue 34, August 2011),
we featured the first development
stage of the power station. Undertaken
in 2011, this first stage saw the
installation of 14 generators, while the
second and final stage was completed
early in 2012 with the commissioning
of a further 13 QSK78 units.
The reliability of the power station is
A fleet of Cummins-powered haul mine is owned by Idemitsu Australia
trucks and excavators is achieving Resources, a subsidiary of Japanese
availability targets for mining
petroleum company Idemitsu Kosan
contractor Downer Mining at Boggabri Co., Ltd. Construction of the mine
Coal in the Gunnedah Basin, NSW. began in January 2006 and the first
coal was produced in October.
Cummins’ on-site support also rates
highly at Boggabri with the mine operating Downer Mining’s current contract with
24/7 and set to produce more than Idemitsu, which runs to December
5.0 million tonnes of coal in 2014.
2016, involves drilling and blasting, mine
planning, and loading and haulage.
Downer Mining has been the mining
contractor at Boggabri Coal since
Overburden haulage at Boggabri is
2006 when production began. The spearheaded by 17 Komatsu 930E trucks
The world’s first Hitachi EX8000 backhoe
excavator is in full flight at Stanwell Corporation’s
Meandu coal mine in south east Queensland,
digging the big tonnages expected of it.
With its dual Tier II Cummins QSK60 MCRS engines
pumping out close to 4000 hp, the 837-tonne EX8000
went into service in September and is moving 2700
to 3000 BCMs (bank cubic metres) an hour.
“The EX8000 is expected to move 14 million
BCMs per year over the next three years,
removing mainly overburden,” says Jim
Young, Meandu Mine asset manager.
A pointer to the machine’s capability is that it recently
loaded 110,440 tonnes in a day. The EX8000 is
equipped with a 45 cubic metre bucket and is moving
around 75 tonnes per bucket load, feeding a fleet of
220-tonne capacity Komatsu 830E dump trucks.
One of the biggest hydraulic excavators in the
world, the EX8000’s dual 60-litre Cummins QSK60
engines power its hydraulic system – a system
of 16 main pumps which move 8000 litres of oil
a minute to achieve maximum working force.
Although it’s early days yet for the EX8000
at Meandu Mine, Jim Young is confident the
machine will achieve its targets based on his
extensive knowledge of the Hitachi product.
“We plan to have the machine operating around
5700 hours a year,” says the man who started
at Meandu Mine during its construction in the
late 1970s. It’s not surprising that Jim Young
knows virtually every square metre of the Meandu
complex which today comprises five active pits.
Stanwell is a diverse energy company owned by
the Queensland Government and has coal, gas and
water assets that are used to generate electricity
for Australia’s wholesale electricity market.
Jim Young, Meandu Mine asset manager… “We plan to have the
EX8000 operating around 5,700 hours a year.”
critical to Fortescue – Australia’s third
largest producer of iron ore behind
Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton – as it
continues to ramp up production.
For Contract Power’s Marc Grosser,
“hitting the maintenance targets” is
one of the key pointers to the
efficiency of the power station.
“Mechanically, the engine/alternator
package is performing very well,” he says
without hesitation. “Some of the gensets
have clocked up over 10,000 hours
and are hitting the maintenance targets
that we have in place with Cummins.
“Our experience at Christmas Creek is
that maintenance costs of the QSK78
genset are lower than competitors’ costs.
“Fuel economy of the QSK78 is
also very competitive,” he says.
He points out the maintenance targets
set with Cummins include injector
change-out at 10,000 hours – a
target that is being achieved.
CUMMINS SOUTH PACIFIC SUMMER 2014
Cummins on-site technician Casey Haywood (right) with
Downer Mining’s reliability supervisor Adam Morrison.
with a 290-tonne payload capacity, and
the force behind their tractive effort is the
Cummins QSK60 engine rated at 2700 hp.
The reliability of the 930E trucks is
critical as they contribute significantly
to a total annual overburden and coal
movement of around 36 million BCMs.
The oldest 930Es had clocked up around
9,000 hours near the end of 2013,
with the youngest at 5000 hours.
CUMMINS SOUTH PACIFIC SUMMER 2014
CONTENT
mining
Cummins
mining
Cummins
04
YOUR MINING MAGAZINE
Muscling in at Meandu
The world’s first Hitachi EX8000 backhoe excavator is in full
flight at Meandu coal mine in south east Queensland.
USER REPORT
08
Generation X
The biggest diesel power station in Australia, at Christmas
Creek mine in the Pilbara, features Cummins QSK78 generator
sets.
04
MUSCLING
IN AT MEANDU
GENERATORS
12
Just keep on digging
Two of the first operational Tier II Cummins QSK38 engines
in the world have exceeded life-to-overhaul targets in
mining in south east Queensland.
GENERATION
15
Holding fire
A containerised fire pump incorporating Cummins power
has been built for a Pilbara mining project.
08
The generation of electrical power in Western Australia’s
Pilbara region is critical as its iron ore riches continue
to provide Australia with its biggest export earnings.
16
Behind the seams at Boggabri
A fleet of Cummins-powered haul trucks and excavators is
achieving availability targets at Boggabri Coal in NSW.
20
Ironing out the Duke
Four Cummins-powered Hitachi excavators are exceeding
production and availability targets at the Iron Duke mine in
South Australia.
24 Now we’re pumping
A mine dewatering pump, powered by one of the biggest
Cummins CustomPaks in Australia, has gone to a mining
Cummins
project
Mining
in Africa.
Magazine
Published by Cummins South Pacific.
16
20
BEHIND THE SEAMS AT
BOGGABRI
Cummins power is specified in all the Cat excavators at Boggabri.
12 13 CUMMINS SOUTH PACIFIC SUMMER 2014
IRONING OUT
THE DUKE
Four Cummins-powered Hitachi excavators are exceeding
production and availability targets at BGC Contracting’s
iron ore mining operations at Iron Duke in South Australia.
Three of the diggers are 254-tonne EX2600-6 units with
Tier 2 Cummins QSK50 engines rated at 1500 hp, while the
fourth is a 239-tonne EX2500-5 with a Cummins QSK45
rated at 1350 hp.
All are configured as backhoes and they moved in excess of
15 million BCMs (bank cubic metres) in their first 12 months
at the Iron Duke mine.
USER REPORT
Cummins Mining is published by
Cummins South Pacific.
2 Carribbean Drive, Scoresby,
Victoria 3179.
Editor
Murray Clifford
Ph. 0419 268 289,
Email: murray.clifford@cummins.com
Marketing Manager
Rachael Reinheimer
rachael.reinheimer@cummins.com
02 03