Abstract
The RopeCon conveyor at Booysendal links the Booysendal Central shaft complex with the exiting Booysendal South Concentrator Plant. The RopeCon is a 4.7 km long conveying system, spanning over rough terrain and gaining 500 m of elevation from tail to head. At one of the valley crossings, a massive 800 m span is installed between towers. The project kicked off in 2015 with a proof of concept study where multiple technologies and solutions were evaluated. The RopeCon option was selected and the project received full approval in 2016. Successful commissioning took place in December 2018 and final optimisation settings completed January 2019.
This paper discusses the project from the proof of concept phase, through engineering and design, construction events and commissioning. The last section of the paper will be presented as a case study where theoretically calculated results are compared to actual results obtained in the field.