Capital Equipment News March 2018

Volvo machines help change the face of Sierra Leone’s diamond mining To say that Sierra Leone is rich in resources would be an understatement. Rutile, bauxite, imately 12 km long, 1,5 m wide, and runs deep underground. Meya employs over 200 people at the

Booyco delivers 5 000 th PDS As one of South Africa’s leading companies in the deployment of proximity detection systems (PDS) in the mining sector, Booyco Electronics has celebrated another massive landmark: its 5 000 th PDS installation. Getting to this point has taken years of commitment to customers, and a dedication to developing leading edge products that are reliable and fit-for-purpose, according to MD Anton Lourens. “Our stature in this market is demonstrat- ed by having the most deployments of any original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or supplier, and we are proud to have delivered and installed this latest unit at a coal mine in the Witbank area,” says Lourens. “Since the company was established in 2006, our focus has been on developing top quality products backed up by skilled technicians who are close to customers for rapid response times.” Booyco Electronics now boasts a wide service infrastructure, located strategically to cover South Africa’s platinum belt, coal- fields and gold mining areas, as well as the mining sites in the Northern Cape and in the gold and iron ore all number among the country’s abundant minerals. However, its diamonds the country is most famous for. Since diamonds first became a girl’s best friend in the early 1930s, it is estimated that Sierra Leone has produced over 500 million carats (100 tonnes) of the precious mineral. The diamond fields in the east of the country are equally gigantic, estimated to extend over 7 770 km². Prior to the civil war in 1991, mining was easily the most important economic driver for the West African country, accounting for around 80% of export earnings and 20% of GDP. However, during the conflict, the trade in Sierra Leone’s diamonds became contro- versial. When the war ended in 2002, the government needed to reassure its overseas customers that all elements of its diamond trade were ethically acceptable. Meya Mining, based just outside Koidu, is committed to responsible and ethical diamond mining. It mobilised in October 2016 and holds a four-year exploration licence for a 130-km² kimberlite reserve that spans from the Kamara Gbense to the Tankoro chiefdoms in the diamond-rich Kono District. Within Meya’s licenced area, 16 kimberlite dykes have been identified. Each dyke is approx-

mine, including around 40 machine operators. 90% of the employees have been recruited locally; the other 10% are experienced mining specialists who help to train the main bulk of the workforce. “We are keen to prove that diamond mining can be good for the local communities,” says Dino Coutinho, chief operating officer at Meya Mining. “We take corporate social responsibility seriously, and we have put many ecological and economic plans into motion to demonstrate this.” To mine and help process the kimberlite, Meya is using a fleet of Volvo excavators, articulated haulers and wheel loaders, which were purchased when operations began in 2016. “As far back as I can remember, we have always used Volvo machines at our mines,” says Coutinho. “The fuel efficiency, uptime and performance are unmatched. Our opera- tors are particularly fond of the manoeuvrabil- ity of the machines, as it means they can navigate through the tight spaces of the mine with ease.” The machines were provided by Volvo dealership A. Yazbeck And Sons, based in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown. Joseph Yazbeck, the owner of the dealership, along Richards Bay area. “This allows us to have well over 100 technicians – well trained, experienced and resourced – to be constantly on the move responding to customer requirements,” he says. “This fully equipped support infrastruc- ture of seven branches, carrying extensive stocks of parts and components, is vital to service our products and customers wherev- er they are – and now represents a distinct advantage over our competitors who have only recently entered this market.” He highlights the importance of Booyco Electronics’ proximity to its customer base, which allows regular and detailed interac- tion to ensure that the performance of its PDS offerings always meets the customers’ expectations and operational demands. “We value the in-depth engagement with customers as a key input in our prod- uct development and evolution,” he says. “Working closely with customers, we are able to ensure our PDS meets all the requirements across a broad spectrum of commodities and different types of mining operations.” b

with his brother Assad, has maintained a close relationship with Meya Mining CEO Jan Joubert since 1997, helping him with mining ventures in the region. “We have always had good support from Yazbeck and Volvo, who, in my opinion, is the best earthmoving supplier in Sierra Leone,” says Joubert. “They supported us with a cred- it line, brought us the new earthmoving fleet and enabled us to achieve our timeline.” b To mine and help process the kimberlite, Meya is using a fleet of Volvo excavators, articulated haulers and wheel loaders.

Anton Lourens, MD of Booyco Electronics.

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