Construction of a new conveyor system at the Peruvian port of Callao will allow productivity to rise by a factor of five. The 3km line will allow 2,300 tonnes of copper, zinc and other minerals to be moved on an hourly basis, whereas formerly just 600 tonnes could be shifted. Currently, secondary conveyor systems are used to move minerals, but the plan is to install a hermetically sealed system that will operator the speed of 4.5m/s.
At the same time, the company wants to open an open access
terminal for minerals, which will be served by the conveyor system and where the direct loading of vessels can take place. The aim is to locate this close to the Northern Breakwater, where it will have a quayside of some 200m and alongside water depth of 13.1m. It is expected to come into operation in the third quarter of 2013. Total investment is $150 million and once all components are up and running 130,000 truckloads of minerals will be made redundant.
BC