TAKRAF installs India’s longest overland conveyor system for Utkal Alumina refinery to transport bauxite

The technological solution provider to the global mining and minerals industries TAKRAF has designed and installed India’s longest overland conveyor system, for the Greenfield project of Hindalco-owned Utkal Alumina refinery. The project worked by the TAKRAF’s India office included the longest single flight conveyor system to be installed within Indian territory as of today.

The project is located at Tikri in the Rayagada district of Odisha and includes a 1.5 Mt/y alumina refinery, the Baphlimali bauxite mines with reserves lasting for over 25 years, and a 90 MW captive co-generation power plant.

TAKRAF India secured the contract from Utkal Alumina International Limited (UAIL) for an overland conveyor system to transport 4.5 Mt/y of bauxite through challenging, wobbling terrain from the mines to the new alumina plant. In its final arrangement, the system comprehends two single flight conveyors of 14.5 km and 3.6 km in length, respectively. The 2,850 t/h conveyor system has a drop of 250 m and passes through some 45 crossings over its total span of travel from material loading to discharge.

The system’s performance guarantee testing was carried out for more than seven days and it consistently achieved its present capacity of 1500 t/h.

Gopal Kalyanakrishnan, Managing Director, TAKRAF India, commented: “This challenging project called for state-of-the-art design and engineering expertise, as well as focus on maintaining the highest standards of safety, fabrication, and installation. The team must be congratulated on this considerable achievement, which represented another ‘first’ for TAKRAF.”