Rampura Agucha Mine

FY 2023-24 was a year of enhanced performance excellence, catalysed by new initiatives and innovations, at Rampura Agucha Mine (RAM). The mine has the richest zinc-lead deposit in India. It is the largest underground zinc producing mine globally and the lowest cost zinc producer in the world. The ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 & SA-8000 certified mine, located in Bhilwara in Rajasthan, is continually scaling its operations, infrastructure, technological superiority, sustainability focus and safety credentials.

RAM posted 5.0 Mtpa production rate in its underground operations during the year. The shaft hoisting capacity at RAM showed a marked improvement, from 6,500 tonnes per day (tpd) to 8,000 tpd, at the back of multiple debottlenecking and digitalisation initiatives. Efforts to further augment the capacity to 10,000 tpd are continuing.

KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES OF FY 2023-24

RAM continued to forge ahead on its performance trajectory, growing in terms of both ore and mined metal production, during FY 2023-24.

4.93 Mt

Ore Production

13.1%

Grade

566 kt

Mined Metal Production

28.7 km

Mine Development

CHARTING NEW GROWTH FRONTIERS

Commissioned 2^nd ore pass and waste pass for improvement in material handling through shaft hoisting
Commissioned new open pit portal at +55 mRL, providing better ventilation and emergency access to mine and better mine dewatering management
Converted overflow discharge to grate discharge in Stream-4 in Ball Mill, enabling up to 2.96 kWh/MT reduction in the mill’s specific power consumption
Commissioned shotcrete station at -255 mRL, leading to minimum of 30 minutes reduction in cycle time for each miller
Implemented Hindustan Zinc’s 1^st ever Belt Watch System to identify exact location of activated switch, open or loose connections in switches, cable shorting between switches & faulty switches
Completed in-house fabrication of flotation cells and height raising of 4^th stage zinc cleaner for improvement in recovery
Installed 28 froth cameras for monitoring the froth and velocity, to improve both quality and recovery

AUGMENTING EFFICIENCIES WITH INNOVATION

Replaced hazardous pyrite depressant with non-hazardous and environment-friendly chemical, while also achieving approximately 1% improvement in silver recovery
Shifted to use of specialised silver promoting chemicals, to improve silver recovery by 1%
Improved development overbreak from 10% to 8%
Deployed digital drilling during non-productive and smoke hours, reduced stope turnaround time (TAT) from 34 days to 31 days
Improved stope recovery from 90.9% to 92.2%, enabling enhanced mineral conservation during mining
Improved shaft hoisting capacity, reduced equipment damage, and minimised operational risk through utilisation of loader during smoke hours

BEING RESPONSIBLE TO PEOPLE SAFETY

Upgraded conveyor guards as per IS 9474, and installed safety interlocks in mill
Modified the layout to provide separate driver and pedestrian walkways, fencing, foot over-bridge and vehicle in-out segregation at material gate, to eliminate man-machine interaction
Installed fire water hydrant system at shaft feeder level, for entire conveyor drive
Enabled remote operation of overhead winches through radio remote control, along with e-stop facility

CASE STUDY

Augmenting Shaft Hoisting Capacity

Shift change duration was a major factor in creating non-productive operational hours at RAM, limiting the shaft hoisting capacity to 6,500 tpd. We decided to increase the feed to crusher to enable continual hoisting in order to boost the capacity. We switched to tele-remote operation of the loader, in order to utilise the non-productive hours, specifically during shift change hours.

Key features

Existing optic fiber backbone and networking used for operating the loader in guidance mode
Operators seated at the surface operate the loader deployed underground, c.1 kilometre from the surface

Key outcome

Shaft hoisting capacity increased from 6,500 tpd to 8,000 tpd

FY 2023-24 was marked by many triumphs, leading to our best ever performance. Our steadfast commitment to ESG, innovation and inclusivity has been the cornerstone of our success. The establishment of our pioneering All Women Underground Mine Rescue Team stands as a testament to our dedication to safety and diversity. Our focus on digital transformation remains unwavering, with tele-remote equipment operations set to revolutionise our operations. Innovation and our DNA to challenge our past performance will continue to help us to drive sustainable growth and foster positive community impact.

Kishore Kumar

CEO, IBU Agucha

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Honoured with state-level Bhamashah Award for making exemplary contribution in the field of education through school infrastructure support and implementation of various projects, including Shiksha Sambal and Unchi Udaan
RAM’s all-women first aid team created history by competing and winning 1^st prize against men’s teams across the zone, in its debut in the First Aid Competition in Mine Safety Week, organised by Directorate General of Mine Safety (DGMS)
Awarded ‘Overall Best Underground Mine’ prize at the 37^th Mines Safety Week, organised by DGMS
Received the ‘Overall Best Underground Mine’ award at the 34^th Mine Environment and Mineral Conservation Week, organised by Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM)

Operator using remote control technology to monitor and manage mining operations through multiple screens.

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