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Coal process plants – track record

BATEMAN has a long record of service to coal industries in Southern Africa and Australasia and in the
past five years alone has undertaken more than 25 projects and major studies involving coal
processing, handling and conveying. Some of the projects are mentioned below.

Serving the Coal Industry

BATEMAN offers innovative solutions to a coal-processing industry faced globally with increasing
technological, environmental and financial challenges. This is achieved by integrating the considerable
experience and technology available within the group in respect of the beneficiation, handling and
conveying of coal as well as pollution control and ash classification, with its ability to facilitate the
financing and structuring of projects of all sizes around the world.

This comprehensive approach will be particularly attractive in developing countries increasingly
dependent on the more efficient, economic and environmentally friendly utilisation of coal resources
for power generation.

All coal-processing assignments are undertaken, including mine evaluation, sampling and testing,
process feasibility and economic viability studies, through to the engineering, management,
construction and commissioning of coal process plants to produce marketable products.

COAL BENEFICIATION

Process designs include the storage and size reduction of run-of-mine coal, screening and
wet beneficiation to clean the coal.

This is done typically through the use of dense media separation (DMS),using drums, baths
or cyclones or ‘water only’ circuits using the BATEMAN Apic jig, spirals or teeter bed separators.
The use of fine coal flotation, multi-slope screening, and dewatering prior to product handling
has also been developed into our state-of-the-art coal washing plants.

Numerous new and upgraded plants have been supplied ranging in size from 60 to 2 000 t/h.
They reflect different styles of engineering, from computer controlled, multi-modular units to
the ‘minimum but adequate’ approach favoured by the emerging mining houses.

Modular transportable coal-processing plants are a BATEMAN speciality.

HANDLING AND CONVEYING

Bulk handling systems for both run-of-mine and clean coal include stackers and reclaimers
and conveying systems. Successful solutions are based on a thorough understanding
of the criteria affecting flow.

BATEMAN has designed, project managed and supplied many stockpile systems for the
stacking, reclaiming, homogenizing and blending of coal. BATEMAN / GUSTAV SCHADE
equipment is marketed extensively throughout Africa.

Sophisticated belt-conveyor systems handle any run-of-mine or clean coal conveying need.
The available systems include troughed belt conveyors such as overland, curved, regenerative
downhill, high lift and terrace conveyors to convey from 100 up to 4 000 t/h over distances more than 10 km.

The environmentally friendly Japan pipe conveyor transports materials securely within a moving pipe,
thus overcoming many of the coal dust and contamination problems commonly encountered with
conventional belt-conveyor systems. Dust generation and spillage along the length of the pipe is
prevented and the number of dust generating transfer points are minimised because the conveyor

can curve both horizontally and vertically.

With 60 units having been installed in South Africa to convey a range of products since 1984,
and in excess of 500 worldwide, the Japan pipe conveyor is well-proven.

DUST CONTROL

BATEMAN’s comprehensive range of systems provides the best and most cost-effective solution.

The range includes bag filters, scrubbers and cartridge filters and can be found on more than
2000installations on furnaces, kilns, smelters, driers, boilers and mills and on mines, minerals
processing, chemical and industrial plants.

FINANCE PACKAGES

BATEMAN successfully structures, negotiates and secures financial packages to support international
projects – a service it has provided globally for more than 20 years. Its understanding of how to
manage, expedite and coordinate this complex and time-consuming process is facilitated by its
familiarity with international financing institutions and established personal relationships.

BATEMAN has an enviable track record in the coal industry for coal handling and preparation
spanning nearly three decades. In Southern Africa BATEMAN built the majority of the large

coal washeries in the mid 1970s and ‘80s and since launching its business on the east
coast of Australia, has captured a fair slice of this market there.

Many coal-handling systems have also been installed.

Gordonstone CPP Upgrade

Gordonstone Coal Mine was commissioned in 1992, producing both high quality coking and thermal
coal from product mined from its two long wall mines. The original plant consisted of dense medium
baths, dense medium cyclones and conventional froth flotation cells.

Bateman secured the contract to upgrade the Coal Preparation Plant in January 1995,with commissioning
completed in August 1995.The plant upgrade consisted of the addition of two 5 m diameter Jameson cells
and an 85m2 Horizontal Belt Vacuum Filter (HBVF) to Module 2 of the plant. These units were sited in an
annexe to the original preparation plant structure

The design allows for a similar installation to Module 1 at a later date. Further modifcations were
made to the coarse coal circuit including the installation of 1000 mm diameter dense media
cyclones and banana screens for drain and rinse.

The design of the plant upgrade was developed to minimise the interruption to coal production
and required scheduling in conjunction with planned shutdowns of the long wall mining equipment.
Gordonstone Coal personnel worked closely with Bateman to develop operable and maintainable
designs that were implemented in the tight fast track timetable.

Client	Gordonstone Coal Management Pty Ltd
Description	Coal Preparation Plant Expansion to 1000tph
Location	Emerald, Queensland
Contract	Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management – $12M
Completion	1995

Gregory Fines Plant Upgrade

The Gregory Coal Preparation Plant uses both coarse and fine coal dense medium cyclones, spirals and
froth fotation cells. Fine coal dewatering was conducted by vacuum drum filters.

These filters were 20 years old and required replacement.

Bateman were awarded the contract for the fines plant upgrade in July 1998, with commissioning
completed in December 1998.The contract was awarded on the lowest price tender and the willingness
of Bateman to work with the client to modify the scope of work to achieve the project cost objectives.

The plant upgrade consisted of replacing the three existing drum filters with a single, 109 m²

Horizontal Belt Vacuum Filter (HBVF).The new HBVF was installed in a separate building adjacent to
the existing coal preparation plant. Feed material consisted of froth fotation concentrate which was
pumped to the filter using a specially designed froth pumping system.

HIGHLIGHTS

Zero lost time injuries, Project completion one week before the contract completion date,
The seamless working relationship developed between Bateman and BHP
personnel under a lump sum turnkey contract.

Client	BHP Coal Pty Ltd – Gregory Mine
Description	Fine Coal Dewatering System
Location	Emerald, Queensland
Contract	Lump Sum Turnkey – Project Value A$4M
Completion	December 1998

Newstan CPP Upgrade

Bateman, in joint venture with Concrete Constructions, successfully completed the Lump Sum upgrade
at Newstan Coal Preparation Plant.The upgrade of the Preparation Plant and Product Handling System
consists of both increasing plant capacity and achieving the simultaneous production of
Coking Coal and Thermal Coal.

The capacity increase of the dense medium cyclone circuit is from 280 tph to 450 tph.
This increases the overall plant capacity from 450tph to 700 tph.

The project involved the design, supply, installation and commissioning of a new coking coal dense
medium cyclone circuit accommodated in anew building, together with modifcations to an existing
dense medium cyclone plant to provide at two product circuit, and a new product coal conveyor
sampler and mass fow load-out bin for truck loading of product coal.

This concept provides Newstan with an increase in plant throughput capacity, the flexibility or
being able to produce a range of coal products, and an increase in overall plant yield.

The technical features for which Bateman were awarded the contract against strong competition included:

• Desliming at 0.5mm using banana type screens based on a dewatering rate rather than coal capacity of the screen.
• High gravity separation for the removal of shale material ahead of low gravity sepuration.
• Low coal to medium ratio at the low separation density.
• Minimal disruptions to the existing plant.

The new building was first constructed without affecting production for the existing plant.

Once the new building was completed, a shutdown period of only two weeks was then required to finalise
connections and make necessary modifcations to the existing plant.

HIGHLIGHTS

During the tendering phase, the client recognised that the technical features proposed would provide
capital cost reductions and operating plant improvement which were materialised on commissioning.

The construction methodology implemented by Bateman minimised plant shutdown requirements
and hence minimised the clients lost revenue.

Client	Powercoal Pty Ltd
Description	Heavy Medium Cyclone Plant
Location	Lake Macquane, New South Wales (Newstan Colliery)
Contract	Lump Sum
Completion	November 1996

Saxonvale Coal - CHPP Project

Bateman in joint venture with Concrete Constructions, successfully completed the Lump Sum
Turnkey upgrade of the Saxonvale Plant two weeks ahead of time within the fast track13month
design and construction schedule.

The preparation plant was modified from a700tph single product, single module heavy media drum plant
into a 1550 tph two product, two module heavy media cyclone plant. Construction was staged to maintain
full coal production during both the construction of the new module and refurbishment of the existing module.

As a consequence of this upgrade, mine production has been increased from4.5 Mtpa to 10 Mtpa. The
preparation plant was the first in Australia to utilise banana screens exclusively within a dense media
circuit module ie. for raw coal screening and drain and rinse applications.

Raw coal stockpile capacity was increased to 120 000 tonne capacity via two overhead trippers to
accommodate coal from the open cut and underground mines.

To overcome handling problems with underground coal, Bateman applied an innovative mass flow
system which eliminates coal valves or vibratory feeders which are ineffective with ‘sticky’, clay bearing materials.

This is the first time mass for reclaim has been applied to Australian coal application.
The mass for system was also applied to the new 60 000 tonne low ash stockpiles and
expanded thermal coal with reclaim rates of up to 4000 tph.

Highlights

The plant was delivered on time and with minimal plant disruption. Numerous plant innovations
were implemented within the project.

Client	Oakbridge Limited
Description	Heavy medium cyclone coal preparation plant
Location	Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Contract	$47million Lump Sum Turnkey
Completion	November 1994

Springvale upgrade

The Springvale Coal Preparation Plant Upgrade project was commenced in May 1995 and completed in
February 1996.It was carried out by Bateman under a full engineering, procurement and construction
management contract.

The project comprised increasing the plant wash capacity from 100 tph to 300 tph by the addition of dense
media cyclone and spirals circuits as well as installation of a rejects co-disposal circuit.

Coarse coal is treated in an existing Baum jig, intermediate sizes by dense media cyclone and the
fines in a single stage spiral circuit. Slimes are not treated. Cyclone and spiral products are
centrifuged and combined with the jig product stream.

An existing coal product conveyor was extended and a reclaim tunnel set in place for construction
of a 7000 tonne stockpile, expandable to 30000 tonnes with bulldozer push out.

Denatured rejects from the three circuits are combined in a bin, mixed with thickener under flow
and pumped through a 1.3 km150mm pipeline to the rejects co-disposal placement area.
A retaining drum collects the water decanted from the co-disposal area and site run off and
returns it to the plant for process water.

Highlights

Significant plant performance improvements were achieved with the plant upgrade The project was delivered on time and on budget.

Client	Springvale Coal Services
Description	Coal
Preparation	Jig, Dense Medium Cyclones, Spirals
Location	Lithgow NSW (Western Coalfeld) Australia
Contract	EPCM
Completion	February 1996

Stratford CPP Upgrade

Bateman was awarded a LSTK contract to upgrade the exisiting Stratford Coal Preparation plant.
The upgrade included the installation of two Jameson Flotation cells, a Horizontal Belt Vacuum
Filter (HBVF) and a Teetered Bed Separator (TBS).The TBS is the first installation in a coal
application in Australia.

The overall plant capacity has been increased from 550 tph to 610 tph with through puts of up to
650 tph now being possible for favourable coal. The overall plant yield has also been increased
by 5% and the resulting extra production reporting to the coking coalstream is providing a
significant increase in plant revenue.

The flotation and filter circuits were housed in a new building which had to be constructed first
and the circuits commissioned without interfering with the existing operations at the plant.
Bateman was awarded the contract on the attractive technical features contained in its tender
and a tight 18 week construction programme. The practical completion of the project was achieved
14 days ahead of schedule.

Highlights

The project was delivered on time and with minimal plant disruption against a very tight design and
construction programme. Zero lost time or medical treatment injuries on a fast-track program on a
congested site.

The client relationship was excellent as demonstrated with an increase in the scope of work to include
a new product centrifudge on the completion of the initial upgrade.

Client	CIM Resources
Description	Flotation Plant Upgrade and Teetered Bed Separator
Location	Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Contract	Lump Sum Turnkey – $5M
Completion	June 1997

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Portnet’s New Dry Bulk Terminal Load-Out Station

The new BATEMAN load-out station at the Port of Richards Bay and an Elbram train mover were
handed over to Portnet at a ceremony held in March 1999. On receiving the station on behalf of
Portnet, Hennie Loedolff, Portnet Chief Engineer, pointed out that it was one of several major
capital investments by Portnet to increase the capacity and improve the services of the port’s
dry bulk terminal. He identified the effective partnership established between Portnet and
Bateman Materials Handling as being a major factor in the project’s successful conclusion.

The load-out station, with its capacity of 2 500 t/h, and the Elbram trainmover will reduce the waiting
times of vessels at outer anchorage and, with other facilities now being installed, will increase the
discharge capability at the port.

According to Bill Kerr, BATEMAN Executive Director, speaking on behalf of Bateman Materials Handling
at the handover, Portnet’s load-out station is the latest of 21 units supplied since 1972 to clients
in Southern Africa, Australia, United Kingdom and Israel.

The BATEMAN rapid train-loading system has been progressively developed over the past three decades,
each new unit featuring state-of-the-art capabilities and unique features to meet client requirements.

A specific feature of Portnet’s station is its ability to out load seven very different  types of material,
including coking coal,fertilisers, sulphur and potash with bulk densities ranging from 0,7 to 1,4 g/ml.
When changing materials, all parts of the system in contact with the products are washed down
thoroughly to minimise contamination.

The station is also able to recognise and load trains composed of wagons of different sizes from
30 to50tonne randomly placed along the train. Its control system features a learning capability which
has now been developed to a point that enables it to load trains extremely accurately, often to within
kilograms of the theoretically required load.

The BATEMAN Elbram train mover, the first of three ordered by Portnet for Richard’s Bay, will ensure
that trains move through the station at a controlled and constant speed to obtain the best load-out
performance. These units embody years of design and operating experience on train pushers; nine
such units have been built The Elbrams’ wheel pushing force is augmented by two hydraulic rams.

A special Portnet requirement is that the speed of these units is infinitely variable between 3 and 14 km/h -
to handle the variety of products passing through the station. They also have a shunting capability in both
directions using the wheel drive mode only. Maintenance has been greatly facilitated by the use of sliding
canopies over the equipment compartments.

The BATEMAN load-out station, in combination with the Elbram, is now recognised within RSA and
internationally as a leading system for the rapid out-loading of bulk materials.

BATEMAN Load Out Stations

Two BATEMAN load out stations for rapid bulk loading of particulate materials into moving trains were
recently installed, one at Richards Bay, RSA, and the other at Moranbah, Australia. They both use the
flask loading system and BATEMAN’s materials flow technology was used during design to
ensure blockage free operation.

The Port of Richards Bay

The multi-product load out station for Portnet at Richards Bay handles seven different products, viz.
Coking coal, three types of fertilizers, sulphur, potash and rea. A unique feature of the station is that all
parts of the system in contact with the products are cleaned thoroughly when changing from one
product to another.

Trains passing through the Richards Bay station are made up of wagons of different sizes ranging from
30 tonne to 58 tonne randomly placed along the train. The surge bin capacity of the station is 500m³ with
a required loading accuracy well within the capability of this facility.

The Moranbah North Coal Mine

The rapid coal load out station for Shell Coal (Australia) Limited as supplied in cooperation with
Bateman Kinhill to the Moranbah North Coal Mine, Queensland, Australia. This was the first
BATEMAN rapid load outstation to be supplied in Australia and the first load out station in
Queensland to incorporate the flask loading system.

The Moranbah station comprises a 600 tonne surge bin, an 85 tonne weigh flask and a certifiable
check weigh system operated via a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system.
The user-friendly software is Windows based and produces all train manifests automatically.
It can detect and report on coal carry-back in the bottom of wagons entering the load-out station
through an in-motion wagon weighing system.

The station accurately loads trains of up to 102 wagons at an average rate of 4500 t/hr.
The trains are made up of randomly placed bottom dump wagons with capacities of
between 50 tonne and 81 tonne.

A total of 18 rapid load out stations for coal handling has now been supplied by BATEMAN.

Plant automation at Blair Athol

Bateman Kinhill has been engineering and project managing the automation of the fixed plant and
the two 4,000 t/hr bucket wheel stacker / reclaimers on the Blair Athol Coal Project. The objective
is to reduce the manning requirements at the plant and improve equipment availability and
information gathering.

Blair Athol Coal, the largest coal mine in Australia, is located near Clermont in Central Queensland
and produces approximately 11M t/yr of coal. The bulk is exported to joint venture partners in Japan.
The Blair Athol Coal Project is a joint venture between Queensland Coal Pty Limited, a subsidiary
of RioTinto, (57 %); Arco Coal Australia Inc., Delaware, U.S.A., (18 %); Arco Resources Limited,
Australia, (14 %); E.P.D.C. Pty Limited, Japan, (8 %); and J.C.D. Australia Pty Limited, Japan, (3 %).

Bateman Kinhill's part in the project involves the replacement of a mimic panel and obsolete PLC
(programmable logic controller) programs with a full S.C.A.D.A. (supervisory control and data
acquisition system) / PLC operator interface system and modifications to the stacker / reclaimers
to enable unmanned operation. The installation had to be done with limited production loss.

The technology includes fibre optic communications through cable reelers, including
PLC control and closed circuit TV data.

The new automation system has enabled the PLC program to operate the stacker / reclaimer
within its design limits. Thus operator error has been eliminated, productivity has been
improved and maintenance costs reduced.

On the basis of this experience, the improvement in productivity on its own would fully warrant
the automation of any stacking and reclaiming facility.

The work on the automation system commenced about two years ago and is now being completed
with a brief shutdown of the plant to implement the reclaimer software modifications.
The total capital cost of the project, including the on-line coal quality management system,
is approximately Aus$ 6M.

Load out station at Ashdod Coal Terminal

Since its installation eight years ago, the BATEMAN rapid load out station at the Ashdod Coal
Terminal has been part of a very successful operation. The terminal’s history was recently the
subject of a detailed review in Bulk Solids Handling, Vol. 17, No. 3, 1997.

BATEMAN supplied the load out station to Israel’s National Coal Supply Corporation under an
engineering, procurement and project management (EPCM) contract which also included an
Elbram train mover.

The station is fully automatic and can load either rail wagons or road wagons. It comprises a
500 tonne silo located in the upper part of the building with the level of the coal in the silo
determining the stockpile reclaim rate. Below the silo is a weigh flask resting upon four
load cells and computerized operation enables the wagons to be loaded to high accuracy.
The Elbram train mover moves the train at a controlled speed through the station.

During the past eight years the contents of over 200 vessels have been discharged at the terminal
and more than 15M tonne of coal and petcoke have been unloaded and stored. This quantity of
solid fuel was dispatched through the BATEMAN load out station to their respective consumers in
7 500 unit trains and 50 000 lorries. The equipment down-time of the whole terminal was
only 0,1 % of the total operation time.

In the past two decades 20 BATEMAN rapid rail loading systems have been installed to load coal,
iron ore and limestone in Australia, South Africa and United Kingdom. The systems are custom
designed to meet the client’s specific requirements and ensure the highest standards of
performance, reliability, safety and low maintenance, all of which increase the availability of rolling stock.

BATEMAN rapid rail loading systems load at rates of up to 8 000 t/h and allow for a variation in particle
size and bulk density of loaded material. A random arrangement of rail wagons of varying capacity
and type can be handled through these stations. In the case of Ashdod, for example, hooded
wagons are used to cover the transported coal and an effective dust control system was

installed to control pollution of the environment.

These systems are equipped with user-friendly computer control, information and records
systems and incorporate a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a computer controlled
measurement system which has a ‘learning capability’.

Coal handling at Richards Bay Coal Terminal

Richards Bay Coal Terminal Co. Ltd. (RBCT) has awarded Bateman Materials Handling a contract for a
gathering conveyor to handle coal at the terminal.

BATEMAN will design and supply the conveyor on a turnkey basis, excluding the civil work.

The conveyor will be 364 m long with a belt width of 2 200 mm and it will have a lift of 26.2 m. With a belt
speed of 6.6 m/s it will be capable of moving coal at a rate of 11 000 t/hr.
The total installed power will be 1 800 kW.

The reliability of coal conveying at the terminal is vital. To ensure blockage free operation during
both loading and discharging of the coal the design process will involve modelling the materials flow
characteristics of the chutes at both ends of the conveyor.

Springvale coal ROM modifications

The run-of-mine (ROM) coal handling and sizing facilities at Springvale Colliery, previously rated at
900 t/hr, have been upgraded by Bateman Kinhill, Sydney. The project involved the conceptual and
detail design, supply, installation, site modifications and commissioning of an extension to the existing
sizer building and its new and modified equipment.

Bateman Kinhill was awarded the project as a result of its experience in this type of work and its ability
to come up with the right conceptual solutions to the perceived problems. It was also able to commit itself
to a short construction period at the lowest cost.

Several problems were associated with the reclamation, conveying and sizing of the coal and with tramp
iron, trash and oversize material in the coal stream from underground.

The stockpile reclaiming equipment had to be modified to eliminate frequent blockages and a new
trash and sizing screen was installed to separate the coal into size fractions for crushing or by-pass;
oversize material is rejected to a collection area.

Because only the size fraction of the coal requiring crushing is now sent for sizing, one sizer (of the two
existing twin shaft units) can cope with the duty. Modifications were made to the mechanical equipment
and controls to enable automatic changeover of the sizers in the event of failure or blockage.
This provides a backup facility at the most vulnerable point in the coal processing path.

Crusher tooth life has been enhanced by providing a controlled distribution of material over the
full crushing zone of the sizers.

The effectiveness of tramp iron removal has been improved by relocating the two existing tramp
iron magnets to a position in the circuit behind the trash and sizing screens, where the material
passes along slow moving conveyor belts with small material profiles.

The new and modified facilities were constructed with the existing plant in full operation and the
changeover was accomplished during an extended weekend shutdown. The above measures
resulted in improved plant availability and an increase in capacity of 15 %.

Another modular coal plant for New Clydesdale colliery

The modular plant division of Bateman Minerals and Industrial has supplied another pump fed
modular coal washing plant to Gold Fields of South Africa Limited's New Clydesdale Colliery.
The plant is a second stage add-on washery to the modular coal washing plant supplied to the
colliery by BATEMAN last year.

The contract was awarded to BATEMAN in February this year and the completed plant was commissioned
almost exactly five months later. It is now working to specification.

The second stage plant handles 165 t/hr of clean coal received from the existing plant. The coal is
pumped via a mixing box to two dense medium cyclones to separate the 'Low Ash' and 'Cosmos'
products. This dense media separation (DMS) technology processes a -40 mm coal to produce
a 7 % ash quality product. The low ash product reports to the stockpile conveyor while the
Cosmos product reports back to the existing stockpile conveying system.

The plant is about 9 m high and consists of two separate modules, each of which is 10 m long
and 4 m wide. The steel and plate-work weighs about 76 tonne. The modules can easily be
dismantled, transported and re-assembled elsewhere should the need arise.

The first stage of the New Clydesdale coal washing plant is the single cyclone DMS plant which
processes 180 t/hr of -40 mm run-of-mine coal to produce a 10 % ash quality product. BATEMAN
won a 1997 Projects and Systems Award from the S.A. Institution of Mechanical Engineers for this plant.