Reverse Pulse Bagfilters for Transnet

28th July 2014

Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa has been awarded a contract by the South African government-owned freight transport company, Transnet, to supply three reverse pulse bagfilters. Two are to be installed on multiproduct rail tipplers and one on a bottom discharge rail application at Richards Bay Port Terminal in South Africa. Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa is the South African black empowered operating arm of the global Tenova Mining & Minerals Group. The contract is based on advanced reverse-pulse bagfilter technology developed in-house by Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa’s trading division, Tenova TAKRAF Africa, which will execute the contract. The turnkey contract covers design through to commissioning, including all civils and electricals. 

The order was placed in early April 2014, with the first bagfilter for the bottom discharge, to be installed by the end of October 2014 and the remaining two, for the rotary tipplers, by the end of January 2015.

The bagfilters will handle between 90 and 100 m3/sec of air, guaranteeing an emission rate that will meet the stringent requirements of South Africa’s National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act. The fast track project is being carried out in a brownfield environment where tipping will be ongoing, while installation of the bagfilters is being carried out and with minimum downtime allowed for tie-in of the systems.

“While this is the first contract for air pollution control technology to be awarded to Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa by Transnet, the Group’s air-pollution control technology has been widely applied at Richards Bay for other companies, including Richards Bay Minerals and Richards Bay Heavy Metals,” says Mike Deeks, Managing Director, Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa. “The extensive reference list features more than 3,000 dust control systems installed in Southern Africa.  Of these, some 2,000 are reverse pulse bagfilter technology installations in a vast variety of applications, and in many different industries.”

The bagfilters handle flow rates from 0.5 to 100 m3/s and enable economical collection of dust at high filter rates, with collection efficiencies >99.99 %. These high efficiencies are maintained under variable operating conditions by reverse pulse action, with the bagfilter being able to operate 24 h/day under arduous conditions. Filterbag inspection is easy and replacement of the bags is done from the clean-air side, minimising any risk to maintenance staff.

Tenova TAKRAF is a key supplier of equipment and systems for open pit mining & underground solutions and bulk handling, having provided hundreds of complete systems, as well as individual machines to clients all over the world in all climatic conditions. Globally sourced air pollution control, specialised handling equipment, and technology for the cement and fly ash industries ensure selection of optimal processing options.

Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa is the broad-based black empowered operating arm of the global Tenova Mining & Minerals Group. The Company focuses on the provision of total innovative solutions across the full mining & minerals industry value chain in South Africa.

Tenova Mining & Minerals is a total integrated solutions provider to the global mining, bulk materials handling and minerals beneficiation and processing sectors, offering innovative technological solutions and full process and commodity knowledge across the mining industry value chain.

Tenova is a worldwide supplier of advanced technologies, products, and engineering services for the metals and mining & minerals industries. More information is available at www.tenova.com.