Carnac identified a high-value Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction opportunity for an alumina refinery. Carnac were subsequently engaged to complete a Pre-Concept Study for technical validation of the opportunity.
Carnac were engaged to assess the operating limits of an alumina refinery in relation to its environmental licence restrictions.
Carnac’s assessment was successful in providing the client with a go-forward strategy to improve the operation’s return on investment whilst ensuring environmental limits are adhered to.
Carnac identified several cost reduction opportunities for an alumina refinery via the completion of a Maximum Technical Capability Assessment (debottlenecking study). Carnac further developed the opportunities at a concept level and selected which opportunity to take forward for a prefeasibility study.
Carnac was engaged to investigate events associated with the bursting of heat exchanger tubes and identified root-cause of failures.
The client engaged Carnac to undertake a preliminary engineering assessment of required upgrades to achieve an increase in refinery throughput, which included both production generating upgrades, such as those that would increase alumina precipitation yield and liquor flows, and production enabling upgrades.
The Alumina Refinery was set to decommission their Cogeneration facility, which would reduce the supply capacity for low pressure and medium pressure steam for use in various facilities across the refinery. Carnac developed a hydraulic model for each of the low pressure and medium pressure steam systems using Piping Systems Fluid Flow and the hydraulic review of the system identified which nodes did not meet the required supply criteria.
As the life of mine has developed, some pits have progressed to below water table operations. Carnac was engaged by the client to undertake a study to assess the preliminary engineering study performed internally by the client and identify further work to progress design with regards to plans for dewatering.
The client aims to expand production rates from 24Mtpa of iron ore to 28Mtpa by 2015. The ore is processed on site before being loaded onto rail. Carnac was commissioned to provide advice and recommendations regarding options to realise sustained production with lower operating costs, with works expected to be implemented between 2015 and 2017.
