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PRODUCT News
January 2015
MODERN MINING
75
The growing scale of Africa’s mineral and
infrastructure projects is demanding expert
skills and fit-for-purpose equipment to lift,
transport and install heavy plant in remote
and often inhospitable sites, according to
SA-based heavy-lift specialist Vanguard.
“Recent figures indicate that, despite
low commodity prices, a new gold mine is
opening in Africa every quarter, indicating
that there are many thousands of tonnes of
plant and machinery to be moved into and
around the continent,” says Vanguard General
Manager Craig Pace.
A further sign that exploration and mine
development remains a busy sector, he says,
is the estimate that about 30 important mine
feasibility studies have been underway –
together reflecting a potential investment of
almost US$7 billion.
Having provided engineered solutions
in countries including Angola, the DRC,
Kenya, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Madagascar,
Mozambique and Uganda, Vanguard recently
completed the heaviest strand-jacking lift
yet seen on the Zambian Copperbelt. At
First Quantum Minerals’ Sentinel mine near
Mwinilunga, the company lifted two pre-
fabricated conveyor trusses – each weighing
1 200 tonnes – to their working positions
50 m above ground in May last year.
According to Pace , mining developments
in other African countries have tended to shift
investor interest away from South Africa: “Of
the top ten gold mines in Africa, only two or
three are in SA; and while SA dominates in
the coal sector, it has only one copper mine
in Africa’s top ten.”
Over half of exploration funding in African
mining projects tends to be gold-focused, he
says, but there is huge potential for large iron
ore mines in West Africa to kick-start a new
era of mineral-driven growth in that region –
a boom that would draw in substantial inputs
from service providers globally.
He argues that mining growth, especially
in bulk commodities, is an important spur
for infrastructure development – which is
another vital sector relying on quality ser-
vices in the field of heavy lift and abnormal
transport.
“The energy sector in Africa is attract-
ing increasing attention as a fundamental
building block for economic growth, and we
are regularly involved in lifting, moving and
installing heavy components for power gen-
erating projects, for instance,” says Pace.
Having recently acquired
a specialised GTK1100 crane
– the only unit in Africa –
Vanguard has also been kept
busy erecting wind turbines
at wind farm projects in vari-
ous parts of South Africa.
The company has been
a leader in heavy lift, reloca-
tion, rigging and installation
services for 40 years.
Vanguard, tel (+27 11) 616-1800
Growing need in African mining for heavy-lift skills
The first 1 200-tonne prefabricated conveyor truss in position at
First QuantumMineral’s Sentinel copper mine near Mwinilunga in
north-west Zambia.