PRESS RELEASE: ABB recently won an order to deliver a comprehensive process and power solution that will double the capacity of KAZ Minerals' sulphide ore processing plant in Aktogay, Kazakhstan.

The project is the third major order from this customer and will re-use the engineering and solution configuration from the company's two other production lines in the area. KAZ Minerals is the largest copper producer in Kazakhstan.

The processing facilities in Aktogay produce copper in concentrate from a nearby open-pit mine, to meet the growing global demand for copper for infrastructure, e-mobility and consumer industries, including electronics. ABB's delivery is part of a US$1.2 billion expansion that will double the current annual sulphide ore processing capability at this site from 25Mt to 50Mt. In addition to sulphide ore, the company also processes around 12Mt/y of oxide ore.

ABB will provide its ABB Ability MineOptimize integrated process and power control solution, which includes all process control and electrification equipment and infrastructure for the plant. ABB Ability MineOptimize is a framework that encompasses engineering, systems, applications and services to help mining customers achieve the most efficient design, build and operation of any open-pit, underground, mineral processing or refining facility. With digitalisation at its heart, ABB Ability MineOptimize provides the ideal platform to fine tune new or existing processes to reach top performance levels.

ABB's scope of supply for this project includes its digital automation system ABB Ability System 800xA, as well as three gearless mill drive systems, and a high pressure grinding roll (HPGR) to grind the increased amount of ore that will be processed in this expansion. The delivery also includes distribution transformers and substations, motor control centres, medium and low voltage drives, mineral processing specific applications, and other automation and electrical equipment. Furthermore, ABB will provide project engineering, installation and commissioning services, and ongoing remote monitoring and diagnostic services.

The ABB Ability MineOptimize solution will deliver numerous operational and safety benefits for this project. It will monitor, control and manage all aspects of production, access critical information from system devices and provide detailed data analytics to determine process efficiency and identify opportunities for improvement. It will also monitor and manage energy distribution and consumption at this and other KAZ Minerals sites.

Roger Bailey, managing director of ABB's Process Industries business unit, commented: "This project demonstrates how best practices have been efficiently re-used at three of KAZ Minerals' sites, and how this approach will enable fast track delivery so that our customer can start up quickly."

The new plant is scheduled for first production in late 2021.