Bluestone Mines Tasmania Joint Venture (BMTJV) recently commissioned a partial upgrade to the mine’s ventilation system, bringing hot air from deep underground to the surface, where it
condenses to create a column of steam.

The upgrade involved the installation of two massive 800kw fans, which were transported in pieces and reassembled at the 2140 level in the mine. The fans draw hot, humid air 1200 metres to the surface through a series of newly excavated shafts, 5 metres in diameter. That’s like powering a kitchen range hood with the engine of a supercar, through pipes large enough to drive a bus through.

The upgrade had been two years in the making and is the first of three major new ventilation paths for the mine. BMTJV is investing heavily in capital upgrades at the Renison Mine, buoyed by a strong global demand for tin and the recent resource and reserve upgrades.