RWE Power International

RWE Power International – RE GmbH (RPI) provides consultancy and engineering services in exploration and mining of coal, ore and other minerals, mine site rehabilitation, as well as groundwater and environmental management.

Formerly known as Rheinbraun Engineering, we have been serving worldwide customers for more than 40 years and belong to the German RWE Group, with strong market positions in electricity generation, lignite mining and oil and gas production.

Geological modelling, exploration management, and hydrological and geotechnical assessments

We offer a complete range of services to ensure safe and viable mining operations, such as:

• Exploration services from design to detailed management of drilling programmes
• Geological modelling of state-of-the-art 3D deposit models and reserve estimation for all commodities
• Hydrological assessment, groundwater extraction, management and protection
• Design of sustainable mining slopes considering all hydrological and geotechnical aspects

Mining engineering and environmental services

We offer a wide range of individual solutions throughout the mining cycle:

RPI can plan and develop your mines, ensuring minimal impact on the environment throughout the mine’s life; we can operate your mine and provide transfer of skills to your own operators.<br/><br/>

RPI provides a full range of geological services for the mining industry by using state-of-the-art software, including exploration management, geotechnical modelling, and hydrological and geotechnical assessments.<br/><br/>

RPI’s mining engineering services encompass mine design, planning and optimisation, mine equipment planning, maintenance and optimisation, manufacturing and assembly supervision, mine drainage design.<br/><br/>

The portfolio of RPI's expertise expanded in step with the evolution of Rheinbraun into today's RWE Power, which is experienced in operating the world's largest continuous mining and conveying system. <br/><br/>

RWE has now developed a revolutionary fluidized bed drying technology, called WTA, with built-in waste heat recovery; the technology enables wet lignite to be dried quickly in an energy-efficient way.

• Mine design, planning and pit optimisation with GEMCOM SURPAC and DATAMINE
• Development of design, engineering and equipment specifications for your optimum mine equipment
• We are specialised in identifying, optimising and managing your maintenance efforts
• We analyse, optimise and coordinate your optimum production and maintenance process
• We conduct stringent manufacturing and assembly supervision to ensure quality standards are met
• Our specialists can plan or optimise your ground and surface water drainage
• We can optimise your mine plans to ensure minimum impact on the environment weather by dust, noise, or acid waters
• We provide staff training, opportunity, feasibility and
  due diligence studies, as well as owner’s consultant services
• We can plan and assist you in mine closure and post-mining

Mining conveying equipment and engineering services

We carry out multiple services in the field of conveying and haulage by assisting our clients with reducing costs and strengthening their position with our knowledge and equipment recommendations. We provide the following:

• Optimisation of mining operations and minimisation of plant breakdowns
• Continuous mining maintenance and optimisation methods for various equipments, e.g. shovel and truck operations, transportation by conveyor, truck and rail
• Optimisation of mining operations through our experience in manufacturing and erection supervision
• Conveying belt inspection services, including belt testing services, as well as optimisation to identify the most durable and economic conveyor belts
• Design, specifying, supervising and commissioning
  services for conveyors

Design, development and installation of mine conveying systems

RPI has designed, developed and implemented record-breaking conveyors with the strength of up to 7,800N/mm and a capacity of up to 37,500t/h.

Coal-drying technology

RWE researched and developed an efficient lignite drying technology, called WTA™ technology, which dries lignite from more than 65% to 10% moisture. The first commercial-sized WTA drying plant with evaporation heat recovery was commissioned in 2009 at RWE’s Niederaußem power plant.

Our WTA-related services include:

• Opportunity studies
• Laboratory scale tests
• Industrial scale-drying tests
• Basic design of WTA plants

In addition, we support the RWE-approved suppliers during detail engineering, construction and commissioning of WTA plants and in training of operating staff.

Ash reduction technology

Dry ash separation technology has become a real alternative to regular (wet) coal washing for specific cases. Our services comprise the following:

• Opportunity and feasibility studies
• Complete flow sheet development
• Troubleshooting and optimising in/of processing plants
• Laboratory and pilot plant tests