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by William Gleason, Senior Editor
From a distance, the 0.75-km (0.5-mile) rail line that sits in the shadows of Vale-Inco’s Stobie Mine outside of Sudbury, Ontario could be mistaken for a standard conveyor belt hauling ore from the nearby mine. But with its large, yellow-painted loop and interconnected green rail cars that invert themselves on the loop before correcting with a smooth rollover further down the track, one might assume that this is some sort of test track for a new roller coaster. The fact of the matter is that it is the proving ground for Rail-Veyor technology, a technology that the company hopes will one day change the face of ore transportation in surface and underground mines around the world.
The mission to commercialize Rail-Veyor material handling technology has been cranked up a notch.
It only seems fitting that Greater Sudbury would be the testing site for a new underground mine technology that could change the face of deep mining forever. After all, it is one of the most prolific mineralized deposits in the world, with more than 100 years of mining in its history. The city, its residents and businesses have experienced many mine evolutions, but this one is sure to impact local and global mining in a monumental way.
By 2010, Kelly Lake may be the site of a brand new, technologically advanced, Vale Inco mine. Imagine this: no shafts, no head frame, no ropes, crushers, conveyor belts, no toggle replacements, no main ore passes, no haulage trucks, little diesel fumes and no drifts larger than 12-by-12 feet.Welcome to the Rail-Veyor operated mine. In a city that has hauled ore from its belly for more than 100 years, change is coming. A second feasibility study on Kelly Lake is looking at an all Rail-Veyor option.
What if a mine could transport ore underground quickly and inexpensively and, at the same time, reduce diesel emissions?
South African gold miner Harmony Gold says that its Phakisa and Sub-66 decline projects, at Tshepong mine, are well on track.
