Voltvision, a high voltage (HV) electrical data analytics business, has successfully completed Phase 1 of a pioneering energy efficiency and operational enhancement project at Endeavour Mining’s Houndé Mine in Burkina Faso
This project involves the implementation of Voltvision’s big data software solution, a programme that has been designed by mining specialists and engineers to optimise energy consumption and improve predictive maintenance on all high voltage equipment utilised on mine sites. This software is coupled with a data extraction cube, a secure ‘plug-and-play’ analytics device installed on a mine’s network. This device extracts and transmits hundreds of energy-related data points to the cloud-based software using Wi-Fi /4G networks.
Manoli Yannaghas, co-founder and managing director of Voltvison, commented, “The Phase 1 roll out of this project was intended to provide high resolution data extraction in support of existing data systems presented in mobile and PC based dashboards. This allowed the mine’s technical team to monitor incoming grid power quality and the power quality across the Houndé power system. It has also allowed the accurate recording and logging of power usage as well as the movement from source to point of use again across the whole HV and MV networks.
“Phase 1 of the project commenced in December 2021 when the Cube device was remotely installed across Hounde’s high voltage electrical network, with assistance from the Endeavour team. The ‘plug-and-play’ nature of the device allowed the project to commence with minimal hassle and zero downtime in production.
“In the four months since this installation, a wide range of data points, numbering more than 200 individual points, have been collected and analysed. Early analysis of this data has facilitated a clear and comprehensive understanding of how the mine’s electrical network is behaving and how power is utilised in real-time. This has made it possible for the Endeavour team to identify hidden problems and inefficiencies and understand what changes are required to achieve greater energy efficiency across the entire operation. The correction of such efficiencies can deliver quick cost savings and CO2 reduction as well as edging closer to operational excellence.”
Yannaghas said that the data recorded in the initial phase has set a strong foundation for Phase 2, which is intended to identify further power saving opportunities; develop early warning mechanisms for grid outages; and extract demonstrable Scope 1 and 2 GHG emission numbers.
“Voltvision will also provide highly accurate asset management services on capital equipment using algorithms it has developed with leading machine learning universities to provide advanced warnings of performance changes and fault development,” Yannaghas said.
The results of this initial phase have proved so constructive that Voltvision has been commissioned to roll out the project to all of Endeavour Mining’s mines and development projects across West Africa.
