Modern Mining May 2016

MODULAR PLANTS

South Africa has a number of companies designing, manu- facturing and supplying modular process plants, some of themwith world-class reputations. Among them is Johan- nesburg-based DRA, which has been supplying modular plants to the minerals industry since being founded in the 1980s. Over the past couple of years, the group – which now operates globally – has put a fresh focus on its modular plant business, in the process reinvigorating its modular plant range. Modern Mining recently spoke to DRA’s Grant Westcott, GM – Modular Division, and Paul Hopwood, Man- ager Turnkey Projects, to learn more about the benefits and capabilities of DRA’s modular offering. DRA puts a fresh focus on its

A ccording to Westcott, the ben- efits of modular plants are well established. “Being pre-engi- neered, the manufacturing lead time is much shorter than with conventional fixed plants and the time span from a client placing an order to the plant be- ing erected on site and commissioned can be as little as 12 to 16 weeks compared to per- haps a year to 18 months, or even more, for a conventional facility,” he says. “This is with- out a doubt one of the key benefits of modu- larisation as most juniors – who constitute the prime market for modular plants – are usually working with limited budgets and need early access to cash flow. Moreover, the capital cost of modular plants is normally much less than with fixed plants and the operating costs are generally lower.” Westcott adds that modular plants are per- fect for the modern mining scene, where small and/or marginal deposits with limited lives are increasingly being exploited. “If you have a deposit with a limited life, you naturally want to limit your capex and build a lean, fit- for-purpose plant that maximises your return – and which can also be relocated, if neces- sary, to a fresh deposit or a new project,” he observes. “Another point is that one can start small and slowly build up capacity in stages by adding modules to the original installation. Fixed plants simply don’t offer this type of flexibility.” He also notes that modular plants are well suited to remote locations, as the plant modules – which would normally have been tested prior

to dispatch – can be trucked to site in contain- ers and assembled, Meccano-style, by a small team of erectors with only minimal earthworks and civils being necessary. “Compare this to the situation with a fixed conventional plant, where you will need to put in substantial pre- paratory earthworks and civils and where the workforce needed could well number hun- dreds of people; specialist skills may need to be sourced from neighboring countries given that engineering and trade skills tend to be limited in remote, undeveloped areas.” DRA’s modular plants are frequently sup- plied as part of a lump sum turnkey (LSTK) package – which is where Hopwood, who runs DRA’s Turnkey Projects Division, comes in. “Frequently, clients want more than just a plant – they want an entire turnkey package that can assist them in making the transition from a ‘greenfield’ site to commercial produc- tion,” he explains. “Our LSTK business does precisely this. We are even able to help with project financing and – through sister company, Minopex – with plant operation.” As an example of this approach in action, Hopwood points to a current contract that DRA has with an emerging junior miner who has secured the rights to an iron ore deposit north of Brits. “We are supplying a package which includes a 160 t/h processing module, as well

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38  MODERN MINING  May 2016