Fortescue's relocatable conveyor begins operation

Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) has successfully implemented a relocatable conveyor at its Cloudbreak ore processing facility. A key productivity initiative, the five-kilometre conveyor includes a semi-mobile primary crushing station and feeds directly into the Cloudbreak ore processing facility. The relocatable conveyor and semi-mobile crushing facilities can be positioned closer to pits and relocated once mined.

By providing greater flexibility and increased accessibility to remote mine pits, the relocatable conveyor will reduce haulage costs, offsetting rising strip ratios and delivering sustained efficiency improvements across the business.

Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Gaines said Fortescue has a proud history of embracing technology and innovation.

“The long and shallow nature of the ore body at the Chichester Hub presents unique challenges and opportunities. Since Fortescue first began operation with strip miners, the team has consistently brought new ideas and solutions to deliver the most from our ore bodies,” she said. “In partnership with RCR Tomlinson, we have been able to adapt the relocatable conveyor technology frequently used in underground mining operations, allowing our team to respond to the requirements of the mine plan with greater flexibility.

“Together with the rollout of autonomous haulage technology (AHS) across the Chichester Hub, this innovative conveyor system will contribute to further productivity and efficiency improvements and maintain our cost leadership position.”

Fortescue’s first truck fitted with Autonomous Haulage Technology (AHS) is now in operation at Christmas Creek. The conversion of approximately 100 haul trucks at the Chichester Hub will see Fortescue become the first iron ore operation in the world to have a fully autonomous fleet. Since the introduction of the technology at Solomon in 2013, AHS trucks have moved over half a billion tonnes of material and have achieved a greater than 30% increase in productivity levels, according to the company.