Vale Canada Limited
Vale's Copper Cliff Deep Project is divided into three phases focused on refurbishing key mining areas.
BESTECH’s involvement in phase one included detailed engineering for reopening the South Mine, which had been under care and maintenance.
SCOPE
BESTECH managed the electrical and instrumentation design for underground and surface facilities, including systems for dewatering, backfill, fuel delivery, process water, compressed air, and ore/waste handling. Power distribution designs consisted of arc flash studies, power system analysis, and protective device coordination. BESTECH also oversaw the fiber plant and communication systems, developing VLAN strategies and network designs.
The team created a design for the substation, detailing equipment specifications, structural supports, gantry designs, foundations, and pole line designs, linked with a previously purchased E-House. BESTECH handled communication, protection, and relay programming, providing a strategy for asset integrity and infrastructure integration. They also documented the safe decommissioning of non-repairable facilities.
OUTCOME
By integrating with the owner’s and project teams, BESTECH provided essential technical expertise and support, taking on roles like Project Engineering Manager, Project Controls, Document Management, and Work Package Leads. Key experts from BESTECH offered on-site support for Vale’s execution team in areas such as electrical, instrumentation, automation, communications, networking, and project coordination. This approach ensured the successful reopening of the South Mine under the Copper Cliff Deep Project, enhancing production capabilities and modernizing infrastructure.