Salt harvester commissioned at Beyondie SOP project

The German manufactured Wirtgen harvester (pictured) was selected after extensive trials using different harvesting methods and machinery as part of KLL’s 10 hectare pilot scale ponds programme. The Wirtgen 220 can produce up to 600 tph of harvested salts, at a consistent floor height and grain size. Those salts are then transported to the nearby purification plant for processing into a final SOP product. Similar Wirtgen harvesters are in use in other salt mining operations around the world.

The commissioning also allowed the company to confirm several operational parameters including salt pavement thickness, harvesting methodology, expected grain size and the estimated timeframes to drain the evaporation pond of brine, harvest, refill with brine and recommence salt crystallisation.

Managing Director, Brett Hazelden, commented: “As we approached the milestone of 30 000 t of SOP brine pumped into our evaporation ponds it was a timely opportunity to commission the harvester on-site and confirm the operational assumptions.

“This very impressive machine has been specifically designed to generate a certain product size to enable the downstream purification plant to operate efficiently. It is also pleasing to see our operation completing another first for the SOP sector in Australia, as we continue to develop this new industry aimed at supplying our local Australian farmers,” he said.

Image courtesy of Kalium Lakes

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/project-news/17062020/salt-harvester-commissioned-at-beyondie-sop-project/