[miningmx.com] — CENTRAL Rand Gold on Wednesday reported progress on its proposed plan to stop and partially treat acid mine drainage at its operations in the Central Rand Basin.
In August 2010, Central Rand Gold ordered two submersible pumps from international technology group Andritz Ritz at a cost of €3.5m collectively. The two submersible pumps have the capability to dewater and to restore the company’s resource base in the Central Rand Basin.
They also form part of a larger proposed plan to stop and partially treat acid mine drainage via the establishment of a submersible pump station, which would be constructed at the South West Vertical shaft.
As part of the quality control plan, the pumps were individually tested last week in a special testing bay at the manufacturer’s factory in Schwabisch Gmund in Germany, to ensure conformance to specifications.
Representatives from Central Rand Gold as well as the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority, the appointed project managers by the department of water affairs, and BKS, consultant to Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority, were present.
It was verified that both pumps comfortably achieved the required design capacity to pump 1,500 kilolitres of water per hour at 43 bar pump pressure differential. This was achieved at a pump efficiency of 81.1%.
Each of the pumping units is designed to pump water from 400 metres below surface.
The pumps will remain in Germany until such time as clarity has been obtained with regards to the final technical solutions and project timelines. In the event that these pumps are not utilised for the purpose of the submersible pump station, the company intends to sell them, it said.
