ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order worth around USD 32M from Kansanshi Mining, a subsidiary of Canadian mining and metals company First Quantum Minerals (FQM), for the construction of a new substation and upgrade of an existing one. The facilities will help to provide reliable power supplies to Africa’s biggest copper mine being built in the north-western province of the country.
The new copper mine will be the biggest of its kind on the African continent and will help reinforce the country’s global position as the eighth-largest copper producer. The turnkey project includes design, engineering, supply and installation. Key product supplies include high- and medium-voltage air-insulated switchgear and power transformers. The substation will also be equipped with automation, control and protection systems conforming to international IEC 61850 standards to enable local and remote monitoring and control the power assets.
ABB will also supply telecommunications systems and solar photovoltaic-powered repeater stations to facilitate reliable long-distance transmission of digital signals via fibre-optic cables to a remote-end substation located some 400km away.
The new substation will be a main node in the new 330kV transmission ring linking the capital Lusaka and the copper belt area with two main supply-transmission line systems and will help improve power quality in the Zambian network. The project is scheduled for completion by 2014.
