Project Description

In 2015, Vale’s Board of Directors sanctioned the Voisey’s Bay Mine Expansion Project – a 2-billion-dollar project that will transition the mine from open pit to underground mining, extending the life of Voisey’s Bay until at least 2035.

RothLochston was awarded the ‘Mechanical Piping Electrical Instrumentation Works’ contract by Vale in September 2020. The scope of work was extensive, it included installation of the diesel electric generation equipment to power Vale’s new underground mining operations. Fabrication of critical components including 9000 meters of pipe spools began at the RothLochston fabrication shop 1,200 km away in Paradise, NL.

Total Pieces of equipment to install:

  • Mechanical = 370
  • Electrical = 961 (plus 84 control panels)
  • Instruments = 970
  • Over 12,000 meters. of piping to install plus 52 fully assembled pipe rack modules that were supplied by UNAAN under separate contract.  Total weight of the pipe racks we installed was 28,000 kgs
  • Over 150,000 meters of electrical cables to be pulled into place and over 10,000 meters of conduit and cable tray and over 2000 electrical connections to be glanded and terminated
  • Over 160,000 kgs of various types of structural steel to be installed
  • Over 23,000 kgs of duct work
  • Almost 7000 square meters of walls and ceilings to finish and 200 windows and doors to install

Project Challenges

Voisey’s Bay is located 38 km south of Newfoundland & Labrador northern most permanent settlement in the community of Nain. Inaccessible by land, the location is remote, harsh, and demanding. The site can only be reached by sea during certain times of the year depending on ice conditions, or by air. Communication and limited cell service challenges, further complicate working on this remote and isolated site.
Access to the site was granted during the winter of 2020, during the height of the pandemic. RothLochston mobilized crews while adapting to a rapidly changing project schedule, stringent shipping requirements, significant supply chain issues, and all evolving safety protocols initiated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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