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Fire protection for a solvent extraction plant in Africa

In the heart of Africa, a prominent mining site operates a state-of-the-art solvent extraction (SX) plant, integral to separating and purifying metals from ores. Despite the critical role of these plants, they face significant fire risks, as SX processes involve highly flammable organic solvents and elevated operating temperatures.

The mine’s engineers were tasked with designing a fire protection system to eliminate these risks. The goal was to create a solution that minimised potential failures, reduced water usage, and aligned with environmental priorities.

The challenge and solution

One of the main challenges was the inherent fuel load in the solvents used in the SX process, along with the close proximity of settler tanks and shared vapour spaces under a common roof. To address these risks, the FS Group designed and implemented the Cu SX Fire Protection system, a comprehensive solution that delivers over 60 000 litres of patented foam per minute. This foam covers the entire SX train, including settler baths, mixing tanks, organic, electrolyte, and diluent tanks, as well as crud treatment facilities.

The system, developed in partnership with Protect-o-Burn, features a patented Self Expanding Fire Fighting Foam (SEFFF). This ready-to-use foam requires no water after manufacturing and is unaffected by extreme temperatures, making it ideal for the harsh conditions of SX plants.

Comprehensive life safety system

The FS Group also designed and installed a comprehensive life safety system. This system included a network of life safety control panels with associated field devices, foam vessels manufactured from 304 stainless steel, and stainless steel pipes, fittings, actuators, nozzles, and valves to withstand the high corrosion factor.

Civil works involved casting plinths and slabs to accommodate the vessels, and vessels ranging from 3000 to 15 000 litres were placed in custom-built containers at each settler on the SX train. These containers housed fire control panels, valves, and equipment, ensuring the entire system was pre-assembled and shipped to the site ready for installation.

The life safety system provided an integrated control system for optical flame and linear heat detection systems, foam deluge system monitoring and control, visual and audible alarms, voice evacuation, emergency communication, and graphical alarm monitoring. A BMS communications bridge to third-party systems and PLC systems ensured comprehensive protection.

Project scope and impact

The project involved 19 suppliers and included the installation of 9 containers, seven vessels, 75 000 litres of SEFFF foam, 24 triple IR optical flame detectors, 1500 metres of heat detection cable, and over 4000 metres of fire-resistant cabling.

With this advanced fire protection system in place, the mine can now effectively safeguard its SX plants, ensuring operational continuity and environmental safety.

Watch the video at https://bit.ly/485dqSZ or scan the QR code.

For more information, contact FS-Systems, cathrine@fs-systems.co.za, www.fs-systems.co.za

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