Aquila Mine: Dewatering Pump Control System Upgrade
The Challenge
Anglo’s Aquila Mine required a modernised dewatering system to support the mine’s transition from care and maintenance back to full operational status. The facility needed a dual 150 kW pump installation at the 53C/T NE Mains area with integrated PLC control, real-time monitoring of pressure, flow, temperature, and level data, and seamless integration with the mine’s existing SCADA infrastructure.
Our Approach
Deftec designed and implemented a complete control system centred on an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix 1756-PB72 PLC with integrated HMI, networked via a Cisco IE-3400 industrial switch for reliable communication with site systems. The solution incorporated dual duty-cycle pump control with automatic switchover logic, multi-point instrumentation (inlet/outlet pressures, flow meters, level transmitters and switches, temperature monitoring, earth leakage detection), and comprehensive alarm management including low-level pump protection and high-pressure fault detection. We also developed standardised naming conventions, operating procedures, and design guidelines across the control system to ensure consistency with Anglo’s broader SCADA standards and support long-term maintainability.
The Outcome
The dewatering system is now operational with fully automated dual-pump operation, redundancy via duty-cycle balancing, and real-time visibility across all critical parameters. The implementation delivers reliable, safe water removal critical to mine operations, with operator control modes supporting both automatic level-based operation and manual intervention where required.
Technologies and Capabilities
- Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC and HMI programming
- SCADA system integration and data mapping
- Pressure, flow, level, and temperature instrumentation selection and configuration
- Dual-pump duty-cycle control logic and permissive trip management
- Industrial networking (EtherNet/IP, Cisco switches)
- Functional specification and control system design documentation
- Site standards development (naming conventions, operating procedures, design guidelines)
- Citect SCADA HMI configuration and alarm management strategy