Uralkali (Berezniki, Perm Territory) has completed a project to increase capacity of the conveyor line of its pit head facilities at Mine 4. The transportation capacity for Mine 4 finished products was increased from 1.25 million to 3 million tonnes per year, while the supply capacity for ore sent to the Mine 3 plant was raised 1.5 times from 4.5 million to 7 million tonnes per year. The company launched the project in 2006 and has spent more than 500 million rubles on its implementation.

The conveyor line of the above-ground mine [pit head] facilities delivers ore to Mine 4 and Mine 3 plants, as well as delivering Mine 4 finished products to the drying shop, storehouse, and shipping points.

Project implementation involved the renovation of all stages of the transportation cycle. The company replaced old conveyors, installed additional new conveyors, modernized the obsolete reloading points and built up-to-date galleries.

As a result of this project, conveyor control and conveyor monitoring are now fully automated. This means that the operator can watch the conveyor on monitors and, if the conveyor stops, promptly find what has caused the fault and take corrective measures. To ensure the safe operation of the conveyors, each main reloading point is provided with automatic fire extinguishing systems and the galleries are equipped with fire alarm systems.

Sergey Diakov, Deputy General Director, Uralkali:

“Uralkali needs a well-established transportation flow to achieve its strategic goal of increasing annual MOP production to seven million tonnes in 2011. At present, the capacity of Mine 4 makes it possible to produce 1.25 million tonnes a year. The renovation has enabled us to raise MOP production to three million tonnes a year in the future. We’ll also be able to maintain the uninterrupted supply of ore to the plant of the company’s Mine 3.”