Chuquicamata conveyor system

At the time of commissioning rated as the worlds “most powerful belt conveyor system”, our principal ore transportation system conveys crushed copper ore from underground storage bins to the surface along a 7 km underground tunnel that overcomes a non-insignificant 1 km of vertical elevation change. Once on the surface, ore is fed onto an overland conveyor that transports it the final 6 km to the distribution silo. 
The two underground conveyors together with the overland conveyor boast advanced gearless drive technology which eliminates the need for a gearbox, hereby significantly reducing the number of main wear parts resulting in less maintenance and more availability. Total installed drive power for the entire system, including various feeder conveyors, totals 58 MW, of which 11 x 5 MW are gearless synchronous motors.