The Long Harbour Project on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland, Canada, is a multi-phase project led by Vale, the second largest mining company in the world. The project was designed to develop a new, more efficient process for treating and recovering nickel from Voisey Bay’s nickel concentrate. A $200 million research and design program resulted in a new hydrometallurgy process, which uses water-based chemicals to extract and recover metals from minerals.
With the research and design phase completed, construction began on the nickel processing plant in April 2009. The Kiewit Corporation, in partnership with KBAC Constructors, is one of four companies contracted by Vale to complete the $600 million project. The construction phase is expected to use 10 million person hours, with construction slated for completion in February 2013. KBAC is performing work on all 10 buildings of the plant and currently has more than 1,700 construction employees onsite.
Genie aerial lift products have been fixtures on the Long Harbour Process Plant site from the start of construction. KBAC has 66 Genie machines on the project, including Z-45/25J, Z-60/34, Z-135/70 and Z-80/60 articulating booms; S-40, S-60X, S-80X and S-120 telescopic booms; and GS-3390RT and GS-5390RT scissor lifts.
One-third of the Genie fleet is 22 Z-60/34 self-propelled articulating boom aerial work platforms. These manlifts have a working height of 66 feet 4 inches and can lift up to 500 pounds. The tight turn radius allows the machine to operate in confined areas and the 14-inch clearance and four-wheel drive allow for easy operation on rough terrain.
The articulating booms range in working heights from 51 feet 9 inches to 141 feet and have lift capacities from 500 to 600 pounds. The telescopic booms offer working heights up to 126 feet and can hold up to 1,000 pounds at the maximum outreach zone.
The GS-3390RT and GS-5390RT scissor lifts have working heights of 39 feet and 59 feet, respectively, and lift capacities of 2,500 pounds and 1,500 pounds. The foam-filled tires and four-wheel drive keep these machines running smoothly on uneven terrain, and each scissor lift’s two self-closing gates keep safety a priority.
