COOLING KLOOF The new chiller condenser cooling tower installation at the Kloof gold mine was completed last month
Thermal solutions specialist IWC has designed, fabricated and erected a new pultruded glass reinforced polyester (GRP) condenser cooling tower for multinational mining and metals processing group Sibanye-Stillwater’s Kloof gold mine.
The construction of the new chiller condenser cooling tower was completed last month and is part of a refrigeration plant expansion. The project was awarded through an open tender issued by the mine, which is near Westonaria, in Gauteng.
Kloof is one of the deepest mines in the world, operating at between 1 000 m and 3 500 m underground. In 2020, it was listed as the biggest gold mine in South Africa and produced 352 000 oz of gold.
The new pultruded GRP cooling tower installation will provide condenser cooling to two of the chillers installed at the mine’s refrigeration plant.
“We very rarely build new pultruded GRP cooling towers in South Africa. Most new projects are abroad, so it was great to be able to take a day trip to see the progress of the tower as it was being built.
“Our pultruded GRP towers are designed and built according to project specifications and offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional cooling tower materials such as concrete and steel,” says IWC.
GRP offers several advantages. It is lightweight (typically one-quarter the weight of steel), corrosion and chemical resistant, provides electrical insulation, offers unrivalled durability and a long service life, requires lower capital cost and is easy to install.