A partnership between automated, electrically powered rail haulage company Railveyor and engineering firm Deebar aims to optimise the efficiency, safety and environmental impact of haulage in Africa by providing an alternative to traditional truck and conveyor haulage.

The Railveyor system was first installed in 2007 at Harmony Gold’s Phakisa mine in Welkom, Free State, and is used to transport gold ore from the Phakisa shaft to the Nyala shaft, after which it is hoisted to the surface.

The system is fully automated, apart from loading, and consistent with other global Railveyor installed systems to provide a continuous, autonomous process. At the same time, it retains Railveyor’s proven advantages of navigating tight curves along the line and transporting greater volumes of ore.

The partnership combines the efficiency of the Railveyor system with Deebar’s local expertise and geographic knowledge to drive greater operational performance, say Railveyor CEO Tas Mohamed and Deebar commercial director Richard Barley.

The partnership will also lead to lower operational expenditure (opex) for mine operators and enhanced material haulage efficiency, as opposed to using traditional truck- or belt-based systems.

To further emphasise the system’s efficiency in mining conveyor operations, Railveyor and Deebar have completed a prefeasibility study for a major gold miner in Mpumalanga, in South Africa. This partnership aims to enhance the mine’s ore hauling efficiency, reliability, safety and uptime.

What is Railveyor?

The Railveyor system combines the best features of lightweight rail haulage and continuous material movement, offering high flexibility and increased capacity while negotiating tight radiuses, much like a rail system, explains Barley. Its ability to climb inclines of up to 30% allows mines to get closer to the orebody, while its fully electric design eliminates the need for diesel.

“Because of Railveyor’s revolutionary design and engineering, our customers are seeing astounding savings, reporting as much as 92% lower operating costs when compared to [using] traditional diesel truck haulage,” he adds.

Mohamed notes that, unlike diesel trucks, the Railveyor can operate on steeper grades, navigate tunnels requiring only half the drift space, and can be easily relocated in a short period to adapt to changing operational requirements – thanks to its being a lightweight rail track design with minimal infrastructure requirements.

“Railveyor outperforms conventional conveyors by about 25% in terms of operating costs and those savings are compounded when you consider that the infrastructure needed for a conveyor system is much more expensive to install and maintain than a comparable Railveyor system.”

She adds that the cost-benefit ratio increases even more, as traditional systems age and operating costs become more pronounced and embedded.

Railveyor’s haulage technology, paired with Deebar’s local expertise and knowledge, will ensure that modern haulage solutions will be provided for South African mining operations, in addition to ensuring improved productivity, safety and environmental friendliness.

“For the mining sector in South Africa, it means greater access to innovative technology backed by local service and support. It strengthens the ecosystem by creating opportunities for local employment, skills transfer and supply chain participation while . . . enabling mines to achieve improved productivity and reduced environmental impact,” Mohamed adds.

Enhanced Operations, Environmental Considerations

The Railveyor system can also improve the safety of mine personnel, as its TrulyAutonomous software allows for the monitoring of workers and processes, while alarms and lights inform personnel when it is about to start operating.

Mohamed notes that the system generates significantly less noise, reducing the risk of hearing discomfort for workers and minimising disturbance to surrounding communities.

Through this partnership, Railveyor and Deebar will also pursue materials handling projects across the rest of Africa. Railveyor currently has systems operating in Canada, the US, South America and Kazakhstan – with ongoing feasibility studies underway in several other countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Greece and Spain.

“The Railveyor system is highly efficient, fully electric and vastly cleaner than any competing technology,” Barley concludes.