Extending Mine Pump Reliability

Sulzer pump specialists have helped global miner Anglo American overcome persistent reliability problems at an important iron ore project in Brazil. Since the switch to Sulzer’s range of advanced dewatering pumps, the site has experienced improved reliability and reduced spending on spare parts and maintenance.

Producing since 2014, Anglo American’s Minas-Rio is a fully integrated iron ore export operation in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Ore from the mine is processed on site and transported via a 529 km pipeline – the longest in the world – to an export terminal at the port of Açu in the state of Rio de Janeiro. At full capacity, Minas-Rio is expected to produce 26.5 million tons of ore per annum. Estimated reserves at the site are 1.45 billion tons and the mine has a planned working life of 45 years.