OTML operates large-scale tyre recycling plant in Tabubil

Business, Normal
Source:

The National, Friday 24th May 2013

 OK Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) has commissioned a new plant to do large-scale recycling of discarded haul truck tyres and conveyor belts in Tabubil.

This would be a first for the mining industry.

The launching of the rubber recycling plant on Tuesday included a guided tour of the plant.

Located at the old tyre yard in the Tabubil Laydown area away from the main road and residential areas, the plant will process 30 years of stockpiled haul truck tyres to a reusable product.

The discarded tyres would have otherwise been disposed in a landfill. 

The plant was designed in Denmark and can produce about three tonnes per hour of rubber granules.

It can also separate and remove the steel reinforcement wires from the tyres and conveyors for recycling.  

With a past of environmental misfortune during its BHP days, redemption in the form of the plant is a tick in the box towards achieving OTML’s bigger vision of reducing its environmental foot print in the Western, according to managing director and chief executive officer Nigel Parker.

He said: “The use of recycling mine tyres in this way is a world first, and the eyes of the mining world are fixed firmly on what we have achieved and the progress we will make over the coming months.

 “This plant will recycle used mining tyres, conveyor belts and other hard mining waste materials into sustainable environmentally friendly products.

“The plant will recycle tonnes of used mining tyres … 30 years of mining wastes that would otherwise have been buried creating a problem for future generations to deal with.”

Earth moving truck tyres can have a diameter of up to 2.5m with a width of up to a metre, weighing as much as three tonnes.

Parker acknowledged the construction team headed by coordinator Hendrick Min for erecting the recycling plant.