Regal Rexnord & BHP: Delivering the Jansen Potash Mine

When BHP announced a multibillion-dollar investment to develop the Jansen potash mine, the first new greenfield potash operation in Canada since the 1960s, the stakes were understandably high. 

Close to a mile underground, the mine demanded equipment that could withstand extreme loads, harsh conditions and rigorous safety standards. 

Beyond reliability, however, the project also required a partner with the experience and capability to influence design decisions and deliver a fully integrated gearing solution for bucket elevators and conveyor systems.  

Regal Rexnord stepped in early, leveraging decades of experience in the potash industry alongside a reputation for engineering excellence. From the first technical presentation to full-scale implementation years later, the team worked side-by-side with BHP and its EPCM partners to make this vision a reality. 

Its collaboration with BHP began long before ground was officially broken. Early on, Regal Rexnord presented to Amec Engineering in Vancouver, showcasing a portfolio of solutions tailored specifically for extreme and heavy-duty mining applications.

Over the following several years, and as the project expanded, Regal Rexnord became deeply embedded in BHP’s design process – consulting on plant layout, standardising components and ensuring compatibility across the hundreds and thousands of parts used in the project.  

Building a strategic partnership

The partnership moved past a transactional relationship of simply supplying parts; it evolved into a strategic partnership aimed at realising BHP’s vision and long-term success. ]

BHP engineers turned to Regal Rexnord for technical guidance, seeking to understand the results of the different options at their disposal. That trust translated into specifications written exclusively for Rex™, Rexnord™, and Falk™ products for critical components across the mine. 

The size and importance of the Jansen mine demanded more intentional configurations that off-the-shelf products could not deliver. To meet these demands, a series of integrated solutions have been implemented. 

First, Falk™ V-Class™ gear drives are designed to run cooler, reduce lubricant requirements and eliminate external cooling through Duraplate™ technology. 

Rexnord™ Autogard™ torque limiters replaced traditional shear pins, enabling safer and faster resets. Falk MCF couplings with locking rings simplified removal and enabled alignment-free assembly, improving safety and reducing downtime. 

Additional solutions included Rex™ Engineered Steel Chain with its patented field connection for bucket elevators, used to enhance mechanical reliability while minimising installation time, as well as Falk NRT backstops installed as a critical safety measure for bucket elevators and belt conveyors, fully load tested to provide operational confidence.

Benefits of early collaboration

Every solution was engineered with safety, reliability and efficiency in mind, from guarding against temperature extremes to enabling quick and secure assembly in a demanding environment. 

The benefits of this level of collaboration were clear. Early investment and innovation helped cement a relationship built on trust and expertise, while exclusive specifications for key components ensured long-term standardisation and compatibility. 

At the same time, improvements in safety and uptime were achieved through innovations that significantly reduced maintenance time. 

"By working closely with BHP and its engineering partners throughout the design process, we were able to help standardise solutions across the operation while addressing reliability, safety, maintenance and uptime considerations from the outset," says Robin Schmidt, Mining Sales Manager, Regal Rexnord

"That approach not only supported long-term compatibility across critical applications but also helped maximise equipment uptime and created efficiencies that will benefit the operation for years to come."

More broadly, the collaboration established a baseline of trust and understanding that extends beyond a traditional supplier relationship. 

The BHP Jansen project demonstrates how patience, partnership, and engineering excellence can transform a large-scale challenge into an industry benchmark.  

Partnering with Regal Rexnord means more than sourcing components; it means gaining a proven engineering partner committed to delivering reliability where it matters most. 

Looking for a trusted engineering partner? Discover Regal Rexnord's mining solutions.