International mining company Harmony Gold has collaborated with ABB to design a gearless mill drive (GMD) and a ring gear mill drive (RMD) system for its flagship project Eva Copper Mine in Queensland, Australia. By adopting a localized engineering solution, this approach enables the installation of efficient and reliable mineral grinding systems to be expedited while ensuring compliance with Australian standards. In the context of rising global demand, the implementation of this project will contribute to strengthening the future supply of copper resources.
ABB will provide the company Harmony’s Eva copper mine project with gearless mill drive (GMD) and ring gear mill drive (RMD) technologies. This project is located in Queensland, Australia, and is a significant new open-pit copper mine. With global copper demand expected to increase by 24% by 20351, the Eva copper mine is expected to become an important new copper project in the region. It is projected to achieve an annual copper output of 60,000 tons over a mine life of at least 15 years.
The Eva copper mine project is expected to become the largest of its kind in the northwest region of Queensland, Australia. Image source: Harmony
ABB technology will help achieve efficient, reliable and operationally flexible grinding operations, suitable for modern beneficiation plants designed around current beneficiation processes and low-risk technological options.
The conclusion of this cooperation reflects the accelerated growth in demand for key metals and minerals, as well as the resurgence of large-scale mining projects in Australia. Energy transition is one of the key driving forces behind this trend. At the same time, this project has further expanded ABB’s installed base of GMD and RMD deployments worldwide, providing strong support for the supply of essential materials needed by modern industries.
ABB will bring in local manufacturing capabilities, global professional experience and mature reliable technologies for this project. Image source: Harmony
Björn Jonsson, the global head of ABB’s Process Industries, Minerals and Materials Handling business, said: “ABB will integrate local manufacturing capabilities, global expertise and mature technologies to support this important new mining project in Queensland. Our mill drive system will provide reliable and efficient operational support for the core grinding process of the Eva Copper Mine project, and this project will play a key role in strengthening the copper supply chain and supporting the global energy transition.”
According to the design plan, ABB will equip the 40-foot semi-autogenous mill of the project with a 24MW gearless mill drive system, and provide a 18MW variable-frequency dual-drive ring gear mill drive system for the 27-foot ball mill. Given that the semi-autogenous mill and the ball mill are the largest power-consuming equipment on site, the efficiency of the drive system is a key consideration in the technical assessment process of Eva Copper Mine.
ABB’s gearless mill drive (GMD) and ring gear mill drive (RMD) systems will provide high availability and reliable functionality for copper ore processing. Image source: Harmony
This project will also include a set of electrical cabins (eHouses) for the mining industry. These devices will undergo engineering design and manufacturing in Australia to meet local standards and operator safety requirements. Local manufacturing will help simplify engineering design, shorten logistics routes and facilitate on-site integration. The project implementation will be jointly completed by the ABB global team from Australia, Finland and Switzerland. After the successful installation of the system, the system combination of gearless mill drive and ring gear mill drive will provide high availability and the required functions, ensuring that the mine can efficiently process copper ore throughout its entire life cycle.
