Namibian copper refinery uses drone, abseiling team for maintenance
This article has been supplied.
Instead of traditional scaffolding, which is both costly and time-consuming to erect, Skyriders Access Specialists (Pty) Ltd. combined the use of a hi-tech drone with a specialist abseiling team to provide a unique inspection and maintenance service for Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb (DPMT) of Namibia.
The remote location, about 430 km north of the capital Windhoek, combined with the height of the structure, meant that traditional scaffolding posed a logistical challenge, Skyriders Marketing Manager Mike Zinn highlights. In January, Skyriders Access Specialists teamed up with Nyeleti Consulting to inspect the smokestack.
The solution was a combination of a drone to inspect the smokestack internally, and rope access to perform all external inspection, as well as core sampling. Based on these collated findings, DPMT put the cleaning project out to tender, which was awarded subsequently to Skyriders.
The Canadian-owned DMPT copper refinery requires periodic inspection of the structural integrity of its smokestack and related areas. “Between our expert technicians and Nyeleti’s engineering experience, we were able to determine precisely what would be needed during the upcoming maintenance period, and draft a detailed report for the client,” Zinn explains.
Due to the potential loss of production incurred by any downtime, Skyriders awaited the planned shut-down specified by DPMT, with the actual maintenance work carried out in May 2018. “Our team received all the necessary permits, and was ready to go as soon as the shutdown commenced. While this mitigated costs for the client, it also created a deadline challenge for the team,” Zinn notes.
The initial inspection revealed ash build-up from free gases inside the smokestack, which can restrict the airflow necessary to vent the internal gases. This build-up therefore had to be cleared.
The team of six, comprising two Level 3 supervisors and four Level 2 technicians, accessed the top of the smokestack before drilling and placing anchor points into the structure, from which rigging ropes could be deployed to abseil to the areas that required cleaning.
Now cleaned and with no impeded airflow, the smokestack is ready for a few more years of uninterrupted service life. “Skyriders has a highly satisfied client in DPMT, which indicated its satisfaction at the proactive approach adopted to its specific inspection and maintenance requirements,” Zinn concludes.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation