IDE Technologies reported that China National Coal Group Corp. (ChinaCoal) selected IDE’s Vacuum Ice Maker (VIM) 850 system for mine cooling. Shanghai Datun Energy Resources Co. Ltd., a ChinaCoal company, will use a VIM system to cool a coal mine in Jiangsu. According to IDE, VIM technology is highly efficient, reducing energy consumption by 50% while increasing the capacity of the produced ice. Using latent heat, the VIM system creates ice that is easily transportable, making it particularly suitable for mine cooling. IDE said the technology can use any type of feed water—fresh or brackish—for ice making.
IDE CEO Avshalom Felber said, “We have 20 years of experience using our environmentally-friendly VIM technology in deep gold mine cooling, but this contract with ChinaCoal demonstrates that our technology is also relevant for mines that are only 1,000 meters deep, and takes the company to the next level in the field of mining. We look forward to continuing to expand our experience worldwide.”
IDE said it has built 400 plants in 40 countries worldwide since 1965, with a cumulative installed capacity of more than 2 million m3/day. It is jointly owned by fertilizer and specialty chemicals company ICL Group (50%) and Delek Group (50%), an energy and infrastructure group based in Israel.
