Coal miners in Indonesia, the top shipper, are preparing for potential new curbs on exports, a move that would add pressure to prices already at record highs. New restrictions on overseas sales are possible in either April or August — when mine output is typically lower — to make sure local power plants have sufficient supply, according to Pandu Sjahrir, chairman of the Indonesian Coal Mining Association.“There is potential for a disruption like what happened in January,” Sjahrir said in an interview Tuesday. “We just assume they’re going to stop exports again. Indonesia paused exports in January after about 20 power plants warned they faced shutdowns because of dwindling stockpiles and a squeeze on fuel supply. Coal prices surged in response, before shipments resumed in February.Key coal prices have roared to new records this month as utilities in Europe, along with other major consumers, hunt for alternatives to cargoes from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Asia’s benchmark Newcastle coal price jumped 35% to a new record of $353.75 a ton on Friday, according to a weekly index compiled by IHS Markit and Argus.Indonesia is the world’s biggest coal exporter by tonnage, followed closely by Australia, with Russia a distant third, according to the International Energy Agency.Power plants can face supply shortages in periods of the year when coal output is crimped by factors including heavy rain, Sjahrir said. April is usually a low month for production, and this year it coincides with Ramadan, potentially further hampering output.Indonesia requires coal producers to supply at least 25% of output to meet local needs and sets a ceiling price for coal sold to local power plants at $70 per ton, a policy known as the domestic market obligation rule.The higher international coal prices rise, the more likely local miners are to sell the remainder of their output overseas, which will increase the chance of another export disruption, Sjahrir said.Source: https://www.mining.com/web/indonesias-coal-miners-are-bracing-for-new-export-curbs/

A new version of ABB Ability Performance Optimization for hoists has been launched by global technology company ABB to meet the need for increased digitalisation in the mining industry. The upgraded digital service enables condition-based maintenance and a higher level of performance optimisation through more sophisticated predictive analytics.ABB Ability Performance Optimization for hoists 3.1 ensures early detection of hoist abnormality in operations and builds on previous versions to improve uptime, availability, performance and productivity of mine hoists by providing actionable information on key performance indicators (KPIs). Hosted on the ABB Ability™ Edgenius dashboard application, “ABB Ability Performance Optimization for hoists enables quick analysis and insights into any plant operation.”The new version offers new KPI settings based on customer and ABB experts’ inputs. New KPIs can be set for service hoist availability, hoist cycle statistics, EMS statistics, brake caliper spring operation times, accumulator pre-charge pressure, deceleration variation, guide rope tension, creep distance and clutching time. Cyber security assessments and solutions for protecting customer data are included.Predictive analysis of a mine hoist’s condition prevents operations from unexpected, time-consuming and costly shutdowns. “Data is automatically collected, segregated and managed, then securely monitored and analysed to generate actionable insights that can help increase production performance, identify safety hazards and provide optimised maintenance scheduling. ABB experts can analys the data so that potential problems are identified before they occur, and necessary actions can be made at the right time. This improves the availability of the equipment and the overall safety of mining operations.”“ABB Ability Performance Optimization for hoists is a key solution and service for harnessing digitalisation for optimum condition health, safety, productivity and to support the remote operation of mine hoists. This latest version creates an even more cyber secure bridge between information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) for mine hoist customers. It is an improved product, offering better insights with more KPIs and enables faster response to failure detection through mail notifications,” said Bengt Hedlund, Global Service Manager Hoisting at ABB. “As the industry looks to make operations more environmentally sustainable, digital services which support remote operation, such ABB Ability Performance Optimization for hoists, can also play a major role in reducing CO₂ emissions and removing the need for on-site service maintenance visits.”ABB says it offers “safe, optimised and fit-for-purpose hoisting solutions designed by mining engineering teams, and has more than 130 years of experience in hoisting with more than 1,000 hoisting solutions installed worldwide. Digitally connected with ABB Ability Performance Optimization for hoists, ABB hoisting solutions provides highest availability and productivity.”Source: https://im-mining.com/2022/02/09/84408/

Nickel Mines has started commissioning the fourth rotary kiln electric furnace (RKEF) line at its 80%-held Angel Nickel project, in Indonesia Each of Angel’s RKEF lines has a nameplate capacity of 9 000 t/y of nickel metal, equating to 750 t of nickel metal a month.“To now have all four RKEF lines operating by mid-May, well ahead of their scheduled October delivery, is a remarkable achievement by our operations team on the ground in Weda Bay,” said Nickel Mines MD Justin Werner.“Angel Nickel represents our first project within the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP) and an important platform in our rapid growth story. As production levels continue to progressively build we now look forward to the commissioning of the Angel Nickel power plant in August, which will further increase monthly production levels across our RKEF operations.”During its commissioning phase, production from Angel Nickel’s RKEF lines will run at less than 100% of the 36 000 t/y of nickel metal production nameplate capacity depending on power availability. Angel Nickel’s designated power plant remains on track to start commissioning in August, after which time the company expects production levels across all four RKEF lines to rapidly ramp up to above the nameplate capacity. Historically the company’s RKEF lines have operated in excess of 30% above nameplate capacity. Source: https://www.miningweekly.com/article/nickel-mines-starts-commissioning-of-fourth-line-2022-05-16