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Construction of the flotation department
Project Management: How to Commission a Plant in Record Time
Bringing a new flotation section online at a coal preparation plant in just 12 months is ambitious—but achievable. The engineering company TAPP Group delivered a record-fast modernization, building and commissioning a new flotation section in under a year. By comparison, the classical approach could stretch such works to as long as 2.5 years.
How the team accomplished this, what stages and challenges they encountered, and where the client’s upside came from—all based on a real case, with commentary from expert Dmitry Lokhov.
How the team accomplished this, what stages and challenges they encountered, and where the client’s upside came from—all based on a real case, with commentary from expert Dmitry Lokhov.
Why the Plant Needed a Flotation Section
Coal preparation (beneficiation) removes gangue from run-of-mine coal to raise its calorific value. Flotation is one of the preparation methods; it enables recovery of very fine particles (smaller than 0.5 mm) that previously were often lost to waste.
In simple terms, flotation works like this: special reagents (frothers and collectors) are added to the coal slurry, air bubbles form and attach to the coal surface, and the coal floats while the heavier gangue sinks.
The froth is then skimmed and dewatered on a filter press, while the gangue (tailings) is thickened and filtered; process water is returned to the circuit and solids are disposed of. In effect, a flotation section is a closed-loop process chain that recovers valuable coal fractions from fine slimes.
In simple terms, flotation works like this: special reagents (frothers and collectors) are added to the coal slurry, air bubbles form and attach to the coal surface, and the coal floats while the heavier gangue sinks.
The froth is then skimmed and dewatered on a filter press, while the gangue (tailings) is thickened and filtered; process water is returned to the circuit and solids are disposed of. In effect, a flotation section is a closed-loop process chain that recovers valuable coal fractions from fine slimes.
“In our specific case, the client hadn’t been processing the fine size class at all (−0.2 mm): that fraction was sold as standard thermal coal at a low price. By installing a flotation section, the company began to increase output of salable product by adding flotation concentrate to it. Overall concentrate yield from coal rose by 10–15%. In other words, modernizing the plant by adding a new flotation section targeted revenue and margin growth by recovering valuable fractions that previously went to waste,” explained Dmitry Lokhov.
The Classical Path: Why Projects Take Years
A typical project to build a new preparation section or modernize a plant comprises many stages, each of which takes considerable time. Usually the process looks like this:
In this case, the owner made an unconventional decision: entrust execution to a single team. TAPP Group served as the sole partner, covering the full scope (engineering, design and equipment delivery, installation, automation, building construction, and subsequent commissioning). Processes accelerated sharply and project costs fell by eliminating excess bureaucracy and delays at handovers between multiple contractors.
- Plant design (engineering the new section and integrating it with existing operations);
- Reviews and approvals (obtaining required opinions and permits, state expert review of the design);
- Tenders and procurement (equipment tenders, selection of construction contractors, electrical power supply, etc.);
- Construction and installation (erecting structures, installing equipment, connecting utilities and process lines).
In this case, the owner made an unconventional decision: entrust execution to a single team. TAPP Group served as the sole partner, covering the full scope (engineering, design and equipment delivery, installation, automation, building construction, and subsequent commissioning). Processes accelerated sharply and project costs fell by eliminating excess bureaucracy and delays at handovers between multiple contractors.
“Thanks to a turnkey format, we delivered the project in unprecedentedly compressed timelines. We brought the new plant section online in under a year—despite external sanctions-related constraints. A separate challenge was integrating the new flotation section into an operating plant without halting the base production process. A full shutdown of the preparation plant would have meant significant losses for the client, so we planned construction and installation to avoid extra downtime. We synchronized installation ‘windows’ with the facility’s planned maintenance outages and regulatory stoppages. In other words, during periods when the plant paused coal preparation for servicing, our team executed the necessary tie-ins and cutovers of utilities and process systems,” emphasized Dmitry Lokhov.
At peak, the project team on site numbered about 65 people. Work proceeded in multiple shifts and stages: civil crews (concrete) came in first, followed by steel erectors, then electrical teams, automation specialists, and so forth. Each group mobilized precisely on schedule as the work front became available.
From a processing-technology standpoint, no exotic solutions were used here—the project relied on proven, standard equipment (flotation machines, pumps, filter presses, thickening equipment, etc.). The real “secret sauce” lay in project organization.
Long-standing relationships with reliable partners also played a major role. TAPP Group maintains a network of vetted subcontractors, which allowed issues to be resolved quickly—virtually in real time—without months of back-and-forth correspondence.
From a processing-technology standpoint, no exotic solutions were used here—the project relied on proven, standard equipment (flotation machines, pumps, filter presses, thickening equipment, etc.). The real “secret sauce” lay in project organization.
Long-standing relationships with reliable partners also played a major role. TAPP Group maintains a network of vetted subcontractors, which allowed issues to be resolved quickly—virtually in real time—without months of back-and-forth correspondence.
Consolidated Delivery = Tangible Economics
- First, time saved. The project was delivered roughly three times faster, which in itself reduces costs (an earlier start means earlier profits).
- Second, one contractor instead of many. The client didn’t need to expand staff to manage a dozen different contractors or sign numerous separate contracts. A single contractor assumed the full turnkey scope and accountability for results.
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