LKAB knows that it will have to mine iron ore at greater depths in the future. And the company also aims to set a new standard for mining production by 2030, where the objective is a future mine that is safe, carbon-dioxide-free, digitalized, and autonomous. LKAB initiated an industrial development project in 2018 and within the project, globally leading companies have joined forces to make the necessary technological advances for tomorrow’s mining operations.
Within the Konsuln test mine environment, LKAB is also one of the first mining companies in the world to upgrade their power system protection and control with IEC 61850 standard-based digital communication and GOOSE (Generic Object Oriented Substation Event) messaging.
There are 12 of ABB’s Relion® REX640 protection relays installed and commissioned as a part of the power system protection in the mine.
“Fast protection is a must for the future” said Charlie Björk, R&D engineer at LKAB. “We are now exploring the world of GOOSE. We feel it’s a good fit with the main parts our strategic plans of increasing digitalization and causing zero harm.”
“Peer-to-peer communication with GOOSE between the protection relays improves the reaction speed without sacrificing selectivity. This ensures a safer working environment and reliable power supply in our mine” said Magnus Emanuelsson, Senior R&D Engineer at LKAB.