North-Western Phosphorous Company (a member of Acron Group) has established a Chief Process Engineer’s Department at the Oleniy Ruchey mine to stabilise and improve process performance in the face of an inconsistent raw material base and a planned capacity increase.
The department’s plan for the next three months includes a series of tests to determine the possibility of using grinding balls purchased from alternative suppliers, to improve the efficiency of the filtration equipment, and to streamline the operation of the flotation sections.
The department’s team of skilled and motivated professionals will also develop guidelines and parameter tables, updated flow charts and machine flow sheets for newly introduced equipment or improved processing techniques.
To implement the department’s tasks, NWPC will open an in-house ore and reagent testing laboratory at the Oleniy Ruchey mine in 2024. The Company is currently selecting and purchasing equipment and components for the laboratory.
Alexander Pislegin, Deputy CEO for Development, Apatite Concentrate Production and Logistics, said: ‘Our goal is to reach the production target of two million tonnes of apatite concentrate by 2030. Currently, we are expanding and upgrading the mine, so with the help of the new department we will improve the efficiency of the existing equipment, implement the mine development programme, and ultimately achieve better production results’.
