ArcelorMittal Exploitation minière du Canada

Challenges

ArcelorMittal wanted to increase the iron-ore handling and shipping capacity at its Port Cartier operation from 16 million tons per annum (Mtpa) to 24 Mtpa.
The ore-handling equipment was to be debottlenecked and the flexibility of the system increased by adding a new stacker-reclaimer to help store, reclaim, and ship iron-ore concentrate or pellet-plant feed at a rate of 8,000 tons per hour (tph).
The plant had to be fully operational during the execution phase.
A new ship loader was to be installed as back-up to the existing one.

Solutions

The existing conveyor route was modified by constructing two new drive houses to add flexibility.
The existing 2,000 tph stacker-reclaimer and associated conveyor were dismantled and replaced with an 8,000 tph stacker-reclaimer and a 1,700-foot-long, 72-inch-wide feed-and-reclaim conveyor.
A second ship loader, capable of handling 8,000 tph of iron ore or iron pellet, was added to the existing wharf.
The ship loader feed conveyor was also upgraded by replacing the drive system and pulleys.

Highlights

The execution strategy minimized the impact on production, keeping the plant fully operational during that phase of the project.
By coordinating with the maintenance and operation departments and other ongoing projects at the site, smooth execution was strengthened.
The assembly of the stacker-reclaimer was done off-site at Belle Dune, New Brunswick, Canada, and the partially assembled equipment was transported and tested at site.
The ship loader was assembled and partially tested in Germany, transported to Port Cartier, and off-loaded on the existing rails.

‘’Hatch with their professionalism, performance and commitment has greatly contributed to the success of the Port Cartier Expansion project. Hatch has designed robust equipments and manage construction efficiently which has allowed ArcelorMittal Exploitation minière Canada to meet the target production of 24 millions tons of concentrate’’

René Lecler | Principal Engineer, ArcelorMittal Exploitation minière Canada