Product feature: Metso Outotec

Date: 22.05.2023

Mimico delivers heavy machinery for an Antarctica project

The machines were modified to suit the low operating temperates

It’s not every day that heavy equipment is sent to Antarctica. MIMICO faced a unique challenge when their client, Isaacs Construction, approached them for reliable equipment that could withstand the extreme environmental demands of Antarctica.

The Metso Outotec LT1110S mobile impact crusher and Metso Outotec S2.5 mobile scalping screen as the right machines for the job

To meet this requirement, MIMICO identified the Metso Outotec LT1110S mobile impact crusher and Metso Outotec S2.5 mobile scalping screen as the right machines for the job.

With the assistance of Metso Outotec’s experience crushing in the Arctic circle, MIMICO executed several modifications, includng the addition of special features such as insulated engine compartments, engine and electrical heating systems, and specialised fuel and lubricants.

After the modifications were completed, the equipment was ready to operate in temperatures as low as -30°C – the typical operational climate during the southern hemisphere summer months from October to April.

Destination Scott Base

Once ready, the Metso Outotec Impact Crusher and Mobile Screen was loaded onto a vessel at Lyttleton Port and following an eight-day voyage, successfully arrived at US McMurdo station.

From there, the equipment transported three kilometres to the Scott Base Research Facility, which has been home to both New Zealand and International scientists since opening in 1957. It was designated as an official research centre of New Zealand in 1962.

In 2021, the New Zealand Government committed $344 million to the Scott Base Redevelopment programme, which had not seen any major facilities upgrades since the mid-1990s. The modern redevelopment project will see 12 separate buildings being replaced by three large, interconnected buildings.

The project completion will ensure a safe, sustainable, and modern research facility, with the upgrades helping New Zealand secure its scientific presence in Antarctica for the next 50 years and allowing the New Zealand scientific community to be at the forefront of climate change.

Metso Outotec on the job

The project contractors will benefit from the versatility and power of the Metso Outotec LT1110S mobile impact crusher, which can efficiently process a range of materials from soft to hard rock.

With a capacity of up to 400 tonnes per hour and a maximum feed size of 600mm, the crusher can produce the required products quickly and cost-effectively, says MIMICO.

Working alongside the crusher, the Metso Outotec S2.5 mobile scalping screen is equipped with features such as a remote-control system, apron feeder, two-way split configuration, and hydraulic screen angle adjustment, and is capable of separating materials into different sizes at a maximum capacity of up to 450 tonnes per hour.

The work scope of the machines is to produce five different products ranging from zero to 100mm, engineered fill to a zero to 10mm crusher dust.

The project comes with significant environmental considerations, as the basalt rock that will be extracted from the site will be recycled into various products for the construction of building pads and access roads.

The Metso Outotec crushing and screening plant helps ensure the production process is efficient and sustainable due to the required aggregate products being produced on-site, reducing the need for transportation and minimising the project’s carbon footprint.

For more information, visit mimico.co.nz.

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