Multicom Resources selects Rockwell Automation to automate critical minerals R&D plant With PlantPAx integrated power and process control system solution

A company dedicated to delivering critical resources for a sustainable future, Multicom Resources, is investing in a new Research and Development Plant (RDP) to be built on the Saint Elmo Mining Lease at Julia Creek, for the refinement of Vanadium Pentoxide and High Purity Alumina (HPA).

The RDP – which is scheduled to be productive by the end of 2024 – will be used to continue to develop Multicom’s process intellectual property (IP), and be utilised to produce up to 26,000 tonnes per annum of these critical minerals. Multicom’s Julia Creek Saint Elmo mine is in Queensland’s North-West Minerals Province, which holds 18% of the world’s stores of Vanadium.

For a long time, Vanadium has been used to reinforce steel alloys, resulting in greener, lower-carbon construction, but new opportunities are emerging for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFBs), which have longer lifecycles and greater flexibility to store energy at scale, including renewable energy.

HPA’s properties include corrosion and scratch resistance, high brightness, and its ability to withstand extreme temperatures. It plays a critical role in creating synthetic sapphire crystals used in LED lights, semi-conductors, watch faces, smartphones, and components for lithium-ion batteries.

“Multicom is a company that embraces sustainability throughout its operations. It provides minerals for energy-efficient solutions, and researches new extraction techniques to minimise environmental impacts. Its dedication to a sustainable future aligns well with Rockwell’s sustainability goals, so we were delighted to work with a company with a similar vision,” said Anthony Wong, regional director, South Pacific, Rockwell Automation.

Integrated plant-wide power and control

For this advanced and modern plant, Multicom sought integrated control technologies for greater flexibility, plant-wide control, and scalability for future expansion. After thoroughly assessing the options, Multicom selected Rockwell Automation’s latest generation PlantPAx Distributed Control System (DCS).

Rockwell Automation’s latest generation PlantPAx DCS provides enhanced reliability and uptime with plant-wide optimisation and control, and a user-friendly interface for operational staff.

“Rather than having separate technologies to control each process, Multicom wanted a truly integrated solution for the power and control of the entire new RDP,” said Wong.

“By implementing PlantPAx, they will have a DCS based on scalable and modular architecture, which means they can integrate new modules more efficiently, and have a faster time to market,” he added.

In addition to PlantPAx, Multicom Resources also selected several Rockwell technologies for use on its mining equipment:

• PowerFlex 527 drives, which feature built-in dual ports for Ethernet/IP and safety over the network. They seamlessly ingrate with Rockwell’s ControlLogix controllers, and are designed to provide maximum flexibility and performance ranging up to 30 HP and 22 kW.

• ControlLogix control systems, which use a common control engine with a common development environment to provide high performance in an easy-to-use environment. Tight integration between the programming software, controller, and I/O modules reduces development time and cost at commissioning and during normal operation.

• FactoryTalk View Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, which enables the monitoring and control of processing at all levels, from a single operator station up to distributed server/client, and multi-user applications. FactoryTalk View provides an accurate real-time view of operations, while meeting the demands of multiple stakeholders, including engineering, maintenance, operations, and production Information Technology (IT).

“In addition to providing technologies that met our requirements, Rockwell had a deep understanding of our core goals for the project, and brought significant expertise in the collaborative engineering, building, and design phases,” said Multicom Resources chief executive officer, Andrew Napier.

“Rockwell and Multicom have been working together for several years to optimise the design of the new RDP, and to make sure it is scalable to suit future needs,” he added.

The new RDP has now completed the design phase and is under construction, with a fast timeline planned for its completion.

“PlantPAx will provide Multicom with reliable and integrated power and control across the entire plant, and Rockwell will provide technical support through the commissioning phase, where we can use our experience on similar projects locally and globally to deliver optimum results,” said Napier.