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Electricity from the gen-sets supplies power to operate the massive conveyor system and all the other electrical equipment used at the mine.

many power generation installations worldwide ranging from on-site prime power to emergency standby power for critical applications, according to Cummins. Operating at 1800 r/min and producing electricity at 60 Hz, the generator sets are designed to be easy to start, synchronize and run due to the digital PowerCommand control systems on each generator set. All-digital control is said to improve reliability under extreme operating conditions by significantly reducing analog components and single points of failure.

Depending on the electrical load, only five or six of the generator sets operate at any given time, allowing at least one generator to be offline for maintenance, or in a standby mode, in an effort to guarantee a higher level of reliability for a power system that must run continuously.

“The owner of the mine did not want to undertake the day-to-day operation of the power system, so they contracted with our distributor in Saudi Arabia to install, commission and operate the system,” said Don Watson, rental director for Cummins Power Generation in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “The station has been operating for over three years already without a single loss of power or interruption of the mining or processing.”

Under the operating agreement, General Contracting Co., the Cummins Power Generation distributor in Saudi Arabia, operates the system and performs all the necessary maintenance. Local environmental conditions can be harsh. Blowing dust can clog air filters, and high summertime temperatures reaching 55°C require careful attention to generator maintenance. Oil and filter changes are made after every 250 hours of operation.

The power system is installed as a long-term equipment rental for a period of 10 years that includes an operating and maintenance agreement with the Cummins Power Generation distributor in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has spearheaded development of the mining sector as part of a program of diversification away from petroleum. The government’s objectives for the mining sector include establishing industries for extracting and processing the minerals, and developing the transportation infrastructure. It is estimated that Saudi Arabia has close to 20 million tons of recoverable gold ore, and according to a government website, non-oil mineral activity is expected to grow at a rate of 9.1% annually. A