thyssenkrupp ships ore handling system

(Posted on 03/09/19)

thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions is developing and building a new materials handling

system for one of the most remote and challenging locations in the world: an iron ore port in

northern Canada. Recently, the first plants were shipped completely pre-assembled from

Bremerhaven, Germany, to Baffin Island.

Baffinland Iron Ore Mines Corporation's (Baffinland's) Mary River mine is one of the world's

richest iron ore deposits with iron contents more than 65 percent. At the same time, the port

on Baffin Island is one of the most demanding locations in the world. It is only free of ice and

accessible to shipping between the end of July and the beginning of October. With

thyssenkrupp's new material handling system Baffinland aims to triple its material handling

capacity to 12 million tons of iron ore per year. The project generates a major potential for

the economic development of the region and will create jobs for the local population.

Christof Brewka, Head of Materials Handling at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions: “Ambitious

projects like this require a deep understanding of local conditions, close collaboration with

the client and efficient global project management. One of our strengths is that we can bring

together our experts at different locations around the world. Teams from Germany, Canada

and the USA have pooled their know-how to develop the best solution for Baffinland. At the

same time, our proven technologies will guarantee the highest productivity even under

extreme climatic conditions.”

thyssenkrupp supplies a complete system for the processing, storage and transport of iron

ore. This includes a complete railcar unloading station, a crushing and screening plant, a

stockpile system including a combined stacker/reclaimer, a ship loader as well a conveyor

plant connecting all components. Due to the difficult logistical and climatic conditions on site,

the plants are pre-assembled at a total of four locations in Europe, Canada and the Middle

The first delivery including a crusher, a screening system and a railcar unloading station was

shipped from Bremerhaven to Canada in July 2019. While the railcar unloading station was

preassembled in Stettin and transported to Bremerhaven, the crushing and screening system

was assembled in Bremerhaven. The crusher building is 23.5 meters wide, 33 meters high

and weighs 1,470 tons. The screen building is 30 meters wide, 34 meters high and weighs

almost 1,800 tons. The BigLift Barentsz reached port on Baffin Island with its roughly 5,500

ton freight in the beginning of August. Two more cargo ships are scheduled to deliver

conveyors during the current shipping season. The remaining units will be delivered in 2020.

When it goes into operation in 2021, the system will crush, screen and store the ore produced

in the Mary River Mine all year round and load it onto Panamax or Capesize ships during the

ice-free season. For example, the system can fully load a Capesize ship in just one day.

Few people outside Canada know much about Baffin Island, the fifth largest island in the

world with a surface area of over 500,000 km (almost 1.5 times the size of Germany) and a

population of under 12,000. One reason for the low population figure is the harsh climate

roughly 600 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. Spring arrives in mid-July and winter returns

in September. Baffinland Iron Ore Mines operates the Mary River Mine at the northern end of

Baffin Island in the Canadian Nunavut territory. At a latitude of around 72°, it is one of the

northernmost mines in the world and has been producing high-quality iron ore for 12 months

a year since 2015. The ore is transported from the mine to Milne Inlet port on the northern

coast around 100 kilometers away. As part of the overall project, this transportation will be

converted from road to rail.

Superior Industries, Inc., a US-based manufacturer and global supplier of bulk material processing and... Read more

thyssenkrupp ships ore handling system

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