Belt Recoverability for Mine Sustainability
The Challenge
In today’s mining landscape, clients are increasingly driven to refurbish conveyor belts not just by preference, but by necessity. This shift is rooted in a combination of financial constraints, operational pressures, and sustainability imperatives.
Reducing operational impact on the environment has become a critical priority for mines across Australia. One of the largest contributors to operational waste is conveyor belt disposal following change-outs. Conveyor belts, while essential, also represent a significant cost - especially when frequent replacements are required due to wear, damage, or premature failure.
One mining client located in QLD, was under constant pressure to reduce overheads and optimise capital expenditure.
The harsh operating environment of underground coal mining was exposing their belts to abrasive materials, moisture and extreme loads. These conditions were accelerating wear and failure, leading to:
- Unplanned downtime from frequent breakdowns.
- Inventory and logistics challenges associated with storage and transport of large-scale belting, especially in remote regions of Australia.
As a major mining client operating in the region, they were also facing increasing scrutiny to reduce their operational footprint on the environment.
The Solution
- Fenner Conveyors was engaged for belt supply and refurbishment services, with the intention of “recovering” as much of this as possible for return to service. Rather than retiring belts prematurely, recoverability - the ability to refurbish and reintroduce belts into service - offers a proven, sustainable solution.
- Fenner Conveyors supplied 28.75km of conveyor belt to the site - a combination of Solid Woven and Fabric Ply S Grade belting.
- Fenner Conveyors’ S Grade compound demonstrates exceptional performance in this area, achieving an average of 70–90% recoverability for main-gate ply belts in longwall mining applications.
- The client confirmed at least 80% of the 28.75km supplied was returned for refurbishment.
- Beyond cost efficiency, recoverability aligns with the principle of “reuse before recycle”. Prioritising reuse minimises waste generation and maximises resource efficiency, supporting mines in meeting sustainability targets.
The Results
- Implementation of Fenner’s recoverability program across the four sites delivered outstanding results for the client.
- An audit of the client’s four sites across QLD showed up to 83% belt recovery, translating into substantial cost savings and waste reduction.
- Of the 28.7km sent for refurbishment, a total of 20.2km was returned to service - equating to a recoverability rate of 70%. The recovered belt was redeployed for the next mining block, reducing procurement of new belts and cutting landfill waste dramatically.
- Refurbishing approximately 20km of belting costed $1.5M. This would have cost the client $3.6M to purchasing the equivalent length of new belt - a saving of over 58%.
- Based on refurbishment costs versus new belt purchase, the mine saved approximately $2.8M per 20km refurbished, freeing capital for other operational improvements.
- Since recovered belt can be refurbished a second (sometimes third) time and used across multiple longwall periods the cost savings extend far beyond $2.869.
- This approach significantly reduced the number of belts relegated to the graveyard, extending asset life and lowering environmental impact.
- Fenner Conveyors was able to extend total time inservice and reduce total belt life costs for site.
