Haul Road Dust Control - Iron Ore Mines, Pilbara Region

Background

The Pilbara is located in the north of the state, bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west and extending across the Great Sandy Desert to the Northern Territory border in the east. Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) is an integrated system of four processing hubs and five mines, connected by more than 1,000 kilometres of rail infrastructure and port facilities in the Pilbara region of northern Western Australia. Our client is one of the world’s largest mining companies and an Australian based resource company, it is involved in the production of iron, steel, copper, silver, aluminum, oil, and gas.

They are focused on offering a range of resources, which provides copper for renewable energy; nickel for electric vehicles; potash for sustainable farming, and iron ore and metallurgical coal for the steel needed for global infrastructure and the energy transition. Their segments include Copper, Iron Ore, and Coal. Their Copper segment is engaged in mining of copper, silver, zinc, molybdenum, uranium, and gold.

Scope

GRT’s dust suppression system “GRT: Haul-Loc” has been in operation since 2020. This system relies on the automated dosing of a measured amount of the safe, environmentally friendly, polymer GRT: Haul-Loc into the water trucks used for dust suppression on the haul roads. This improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the watering program while impacting very little on the standard road maintenance program.

Major concerns of the client with respective haul road dust suppression:

• The reduction in visibility on haul roads caused by vehicle generated dust, preventing clear communication between drivers and increased risk of collision.
• The respiratory and environmental impact of uncontrolled dust.
• Regulatory compliance.

Solutions 

GRT: Haul-Loc:

A specially formulated liquid polymer added to watering trucks used to reduce water required for continuous dust suppression by at least 60% and extend the dust suppressing effects four to five times longer than water alone.

GRT: Haul-Loc is designed specifically for the conditions of the mining and resource sectors and can be applied using existing site water trucks, tankers, or sprinklers. GRT Haul-Loc binds surface dust particles and creates a sustainable stable layer resistant to heavy traffic wear, wind erosion, and rainfall impact.

SMART Dosing Unit Model 3:

The GRT Haul-Loc Solar Powered Dosing Equipment automated unit is a 24Volt DC, solar-powered configuration. It is designed to give faultless and reliable dosing of GRT: Haul-Loc dust suppression in mining operations where up to 15 x 120 kilolitre water trucks might operate. The equipment will automatically inject GRT Haul-Loc into a standpipe at a predetermined rate when a truck is filled. Every litre of water that passes through the standpipe is accurately dosed with the required rate.

Benefits 

By addressing the above the performance in dust suppression outcomes improved considerably:

• An efficiency gain in the use of the product of at least 20%. This efficiency should flow onto savings/efficiencies in water truck usage, which delivers efficiencies in fuel usage and should deliver better road conditions
• A reduction in time required for staff to manage/swap out IBCs
• A reduction of downtime / no product being used
• Elimination of the waste elements (up to 50L per IBC or 5%) by going to a bulk option