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KTI was selected by Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited to supply and install an ice cooling system at Harmony’s Phakisa gold mine in South Africa. Harmony is one of the largest gold producers in the world, generating annual revenues of US$1.8billion.
Underground mines with depths reaching more than 2400 meters below surface, require extensive cooling to reduce the rock temperatures to less than 28°C. Adequately cooled air is essential for compliance with health and safety regulations, which also increases the productivity rate and reduces the injury rate.
Phakisa gold mine has been using underground water chillers for bulk air cooling, as well as a 2000 tons per day surface ice plant for cooling of underground service water and for localised coolers closer to the working areas.
However, Harmony required additional cooling capacity and chose KTI to supply a modular system of containerized ice makers. Two KTI ice plants with a capacity of 200 tons per day each, were pre-fabricated at the KTI factory in Balzheim and cargo shipped from Hamburg to Cape Town.
The 400 tons per day ice factory was erected in just ten days. The structural steel for the walkways and container supports was pre-manufactured and delivered to site ahead of time.
KTI has made meaningful progress in demonstrating their ability to quickly and easily install massive ice systems. The KTI plants at Harmony’s Phakisa gold mine have been operating almost without fault on a 24/7 basis since December 2013. Once the process was perfected, the nominal performance was exceeded by 10%, showing that the system is reliable and economical.
KTI introduces a paradigm shift in the application of surface ice making for deep-mine refrigeration and cooling, with each plant producing 220 tons of ice with a 27°C water in-feed. The capital cost of an ice plant is below R9000 per kilowatt, which is lower than alternative cooling means.
The system installed at Phakisa is a breakthrough in terms of modular containerized ice making systems. As cooling demand underground increases, the system ensures swift installation and easy expansion. In addition, should it be required, these units can easily be moved to another location.
KTI-Plersch GmbH is a German, Balzheim-based, refrigeration company. For more than 25 years KTI has specialized in concrete cooling in the Middle East, Asia and South America to eventually become the World’s global market leader in concrete cooling. The 2013 diversification towards other ice applications, led the company to boost its investment in Research and Development. Remarked innovations and commercial successes quickly followed, pertaining to other industrial, food and recreational activities such as, Ultra-deep mine cooling, Automated fishing harbour ice-facilities and All-weather snowmakers. The KTI concept relies on containerized ice plants hosting advanced industrial refrigeration systems.
