PRESS RELEASE: Cerattepe mine, operated by Eti Bakır (a member of Cengiz Holding), is situated in mountainous terrain approximately 3.5km southwest of Artvin, a city in the Black Sea region in north-eastern Turkey. The mined copper ore is transported with a 4.5km-long ropeway, which covers a difference in elevation of more than 1,500m on its way there.

The mouth of the Cerattepe copper mine is at approximately 1,700m above sea level. From there, the ropeway transports the ore into the valley across steep, wooded terrain. The incline is more than 43° at the steepest point. The ropeway can also be used to transport backfill material from the valley to the mouth of the mine. 

The system consists of a continuously moving steel wire rope to which the 51 material buckets are attached by means of a grip. The rope loop is driven by bullwheels in the loading station and tensioned via a return bullwheel in the unloading station in the valley. A mechanism in the stations opens the detachable grip of the material buckets and slows down each bucket. The buckets can thus be stopped for the loading and unloading procedures in the stations, but can still travel along the track at full speed.

The Cerattepe ropeway allows for the combined transport of material and people. Apart from the material buckets in which the ore is transported, the system will also be equipped with some passenger cabins.

Operation of the ropeway is fully automatic. To cover the entire distance and the difference in elevation, the ropeway requires only 11 towers; the footprint on the ground can thus be minimised.