Fibex helps North Yorkshire mine meet targets

Sirius Minerals’ new polyhalite project represents the largest private sector investment in northeast England and will contribute an estimated £2.3 billion to the UK economy. The Woodsmith mine, located near Whitby, is within the North York Moors National Park, so managing the impact of the site is crucial. A key part of this was minimising the number of vehicles needed to move materials to the site.

With hundreds of metres of cabling required to provide power to the various areas of the large site during construction, Sirius Minerals needed a cable management system that would meet a specific set of requirements.

Steven Bowes, Project Manager, High Voltage at Sirius Minerals explained: “We needed a product that was lightweight and easy to transport due to the limits on the number of deliveries to the site. The troughs and covers also needed to be vehicle rated as the cables had to be routed across access routes. Additionally, as the layout of the site will change considerably as mining commences the system needed to be easy to remove and relocate.”

During the construction of the mine, Sirius has committed to investing £130 million in local projects that will protect and improve the countryside within the National Park. This includes planting more than 7000 ha. of trees that will offset the carbon emissions and create new habitats for wildlife. The company has also agreed to rigorous environmental limits on noise, pollution and traffic throughout the life of the mine. This includes the construction of a 37 km long tunnel to move the polyhalite between the mine and the processing facility.

The construction of the Woodsmith mine began in May 2017 and the mineshafts are expected to reach the polyhalite seam in late 2021.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/project-news/26062019/fibex-helps-mine-meet-targets/