Modern Mining July 2015

MINING News

Service delivery and overall customer sat- isfaction across the Cummins supply chain in Southern Africa are set to dramatically improve, following the official opening in early July of the 20 000 m 2 state-of- the-art Cummins Regional Distribution Centre (RDC), Filtration and Coolant manufacturing plant in Johannesburg. Cummins opens ‘state-of-the-art’ distribution facility Cummins Supply Chain Director for Africa Ged Mackell says the new purpose- built facility is part of Cummins’ global strategy to move its resources closer to its customers. This Southern Africa Regional Distribution Centre for parts and filters covers 10 000 m 2 , while the engine and generator storage warehouse

covers a further 6 000 m 2 area. “In addition, we are introducing a best- in-class coolant blending plant and air filter manufacturing plant that comprises 4 000 m 2 of the facility. The plant will also be home to the environmentally-friendly Fleetguard ES Compleat TM organic acid technology (OAT) coolant formulation,” says Feroze Chowdary, Director of Africa Components. Mackell states that the need for the RDC, located inWaterfall Commercial Park, was realised as a result of a strategy net- work study conducted by Cummins Africa. “The study revealed that, in order to sup- port our forecasted growth on the African continent, Cummins would have to invest in supply chain capacity and capability that will be resilient, competitive and creates preference for Cummins by our current and future customers,” he says. Construction of the RDC took one year, andMackell is confident that it will enhance the company’s capabilities in Africa, allowing it to optimise customer service, inventory and logistics costs.“The Southern Africa RDC will vastly improve service offer- ings across the region through enhanced stock availability, shorter lead times, lower end-to-end logistics costs, and value- added logistics solutions. The RDC has also facilitated the consolidation of various dis- tribution points under a single roof.”  and a PhD in Mineral Processing at the University of Queensland, Australia. BMR believes that Dr Masinja and his team are particularly well qualified to secure ZEMA’s approval for the planned pilot plant within the requisite time frame, having undertaken similar projects with a track record of successfully securing approvals from ZEMA. BMR has also announced that it has engaged the services of Edward Musonda, an experienced metallurgist, to work under the direction of Dr Geoff Casson on the pro- cess design of the Kabwe pilot plant. Musonda holds a Bachelor of Mineral Sciences degree in Metallurgy and Mineral Processing from the University of Zambia and has over 20 years’ experience in mineral processing of gold and base met- als with Anglo American, Gold Fields, Bateman Engineering Projects and ZCCM Investments Holdings (ZCCM). 

Inside the newly opened Cummins Regional Distribution Centre (photo: Cummins).

Kabwe testing confirms viability of leaching process London-based, AIM-listed Berkeley Mineral Resources (BMR), which is planning to exploit the tailings deposits at the Kabwe mine site in Zambia, reports that the met- allurgical test programme (announced in April 2015) on theWash Plant Tailings (WPT) and Leach Plant Residue Tailings (LPR) using an acid/brine leaching process to recover lead and zinc has been successful.

also zinc alone by electro winning. Liquid residue discharges from the pro- cess were non-toxic. As a result, BMR says it is able to estab- lish the mass, pulp and water parameters required for the construction of the planned pilot plant at Kabwe. It is therefore now focusing on the design and construction of the pilot plant and intends to source the majority of requisite equipment in-country. The company has contracted JA Con­ sultancy, based in Lusaka, Zambia, an environmental specialist organisation, to pre- pare, present and assist in securing approval for a further Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) from ZEMA (Zambia Environmental Management Agency). JA Consultancy is led by Dr Jewette Masinja, who obtained an MSc in Minerals Engineering at Birmingham University

The metallurgical testing was conducted by Kupfermelt at its laboratory in South Africa, under review by Dr Geoff Casson, General Manager of BMR’s Zambian sub- sidiary, Enviro Processing Ltd. The results demonstrated high metal recoveries from both the WPT and LPR of circa 80 % Pb, 70 % Zn, and 80 % Pb, 50 % Zn, respectively, into a pregnant liquor solution from which both lead and zinc could be extracted by precipitation and

10  MODERN MINING  July 2015