Modern Mining November 2015

CONSULTANTS/ PROJECT HOUSES

significant contribution to alleviating the coun- try’s and mining industry’s energy challenges. BBE Laboratory provides a specialist ser- vice for the analysis of respirable dust samples, essential for air quality assessment. BBE aims to increase its footprint in the international arena and an expansion initiative led to the opening of an office in Perth to serve the greater Asia-Pacific market. In other areas of the globe, joint ventures have been established, with all the design capabilities supported from the Johannesburg head office. The company’s next satellite office will be opening in Canada next year. The staff complement within the group is well balanced with younger members on well- defined career paths aimed at future succession within the company. Bursaries are offered to ensure a steady inflow of graduates coming from universities. Reflecting on 25 years of business, co- founder Steven Bluhm, who is also CEO, says: “We have an enviable track record of consulting behind us which has been made possible by the contribution of our loyal staff and the support of our clients for which we thank them, and we look forward to another 25 years of deliv- ering exceptional and innovative professional services.” 

of customised software for the analysis of mine ventilation, refrigeration and cooling networks. The most modern package, VUMA, com- prises a suite of modules that determine air flows, pollutant levels and temperature dis- tribution throughout ventilation circuits and cooling networks, all displayed in full 3-D colour graphics with the capability of real-time modelling. In response to client demand, BBE has also established various business units over the past few years that offer professional services beyond system designs and equipment specifi- cations and, through these units, is able to offer a full spectrum of services, focusing on mine ventilation, refrigeration, cooling and energy. BBE Projects delivers complete turnkey projects and has to date completed more than R1 billion worth of projects across the African continent. BBE Energy was launched in response to a growing need to optimise energy usage and management in ventilation and refrigeration networks. Through a combination of intelligent control systems and some sophisticated hard- ware, the company has reportedly achieved huge success in a relatively short time period with a reduction in demand of over 100 MW across the mining industry. This has made a

A surface main station fan at the WBJV Project 1 platinummine (Maseve) site in the Western Bushveld. A typical example of the work undertaken by BBE Projects (the projects arm of the BBE Group).

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November 2015  MODERN MINING  51