First Mining Drc-Zambia March_April 2023

EDITOR’S COMMENT

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Anthony Kiganda

Contributing Writer

Oscar Nkala, Mfuneko Jack

Lindani Mkhize

Caroline Thomas

Anthony Kiganda

Anita Anyango

COVER STORY: PG 14

SRK Consulting’s Congo practice has seen considerable progress over the ten years since its establishment, with mining activity in the Democratic Republic of Congo picking up

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Mining licensing system a right direction for South Africa

Although Africa is endowed with huge deposits of minerals, the continent has not been able to fully utilise the natural resources. Part of the problem is inadequate technical knowhow and few qualified personnel.

But there is another problem. Inefficiency and lack of transparency in the sector. Largely, Africa lacks efficient accurate and transparent systems that could help streamline the mining industry.

South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) and the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) has issued a request for bids to design, implement, maintain and support a mining licensing system.

The new mining licensing system, which will be customised to South Africa’s needs, is expected to improve efficiency and transparency in the application, granting, and management of prospecting and mining rights or permits.

This is a step in the right direction and a move that should be emulated across the continent.

Having an online application forum is a positive step towards establishing transparency as far as the application process is concerned so that regardless of whether one is a foreign or local investor, there is certainty on the process of seeking mining licenses and permits.

Anthony Kiganda

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Cover Image: A mine in the DRC

Comsol and Ericsson partner to accelerate digital transformation in South Africa’s mining sector

Ericsson has signed a reseller agreement with Comsol at Mobile World Congress 2023, Barcelona, Spain to provide the Ericsson Private 5G solution that will enable Comsol to expand its enterprise business within South Africa’s mining industry.

With Ericsson’s high-end connectivity solution and Comsol’s expertise in mining and systems integration, this collaboration is set to help the nation’s mining industry improve worker safety, increase operational efficiency, and realize its sustainability goals.

Ericsson Private 5G is Ericsson’s next generation private network solution providing secure and reliable 4G and 5G connectivity through its single server dual mode core. Built for business operations, the solution comes pre-integrated to ensure rapid time to use and turning on advanced and intelligent operations in any environment.

Taking the nature of a reseller agreement, Comsol will receive the right to resell the high-speed wireless networking solution to customers across South Africa’s mining industry. Helping the mining industry gain robust 4G/LTE and 5G Standalone (SA) connectivity, the solution will also

help Comsol’s customers optimize and simplify business operations through data creation, collection, and analysis. This solution will enable Comsol to provide reliable and secure communication while connecting people, industrial sites, and devices.

Gary Woolley, Comsol Executive: Private Networks says: “As a leader of guaranteed, dedicated, high-speed, last mile connectivity in South Africa, we pride ourselves on exploring the best ubiquitous connectivity solutions to enhance our very own business as well as that of our customers. Being a highly efficient solution, we are confident Ericsson’s Private 5G solution will drive digitalization and further enhance the low latency, high throughput network we offer, to increase operational efficiencies and develop safer work environments.”

Todd Ashton, Vice President and Head of Ericsson South and East Africa at Ericsson Middle East and Africa says: “We are thrilled to offer Comsol our prepackaged and pre-integrated, private network solution, Ericsson Private 5G. With its reliable, fast, and secure connectivity, Comsol’s customers will have the platform to enable innovative smart solutions for better operational

efficiency and safety. Installed in minimal time, Ericsson Private 5G offers Comsol the reliable and complete coverage on both indoor and outdoor sites.”

Ericsson successfully delivered a proof of concept (PoC) implementing the Ericsson Private 5G solution as a prepackaged standalone implementation of the Ericsson Dual Mode Core, which supports end-to-end cellular data-only services focusing primarily on enterprise applications.

The Ericsson Private 5G solution enables 5G standalone (SA) connectivity with a low carbon footprint and low lead-time. Comsol will utilize the PoC solution to experiment and test various use cases for mining and other industries, including Augmented Reality, Autonomous Vehicles, and Fixed Wireless Access.

Built on 4G/5G radio and dual mode core technology, Comsol’s customers in the nation’s mining industry will significantly benefit from improved productivity, infrastructure, and simplified operations. The solution will also support Comsol’s customers in accelerating their digital transformation.

Epiroc wins large order for mining equipment in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Epiroc says it has won a large order from JCHX Mining and Construction Ltd. for equipment to be used at an underground mine that is reopening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

JCHX, a mining contractor, has ordered several Epiroc loaders, mine trucks and drill rigs, including service support, for use at the Kipushi zinc, copper, germanium and silver mine in the HautKatanga province in southern Democratic Republic of the Congo. After decades of production the mine closed for care and maintenance in 1994. Construction started last year to re-open the mine, with late 2024 as target to start production.

The equipment order is valued at about MUSD 17 (MSEK 175) and was booked in the first quarter 2023. “We look forward to supporting JCHX in making operations at

the Kipushi mine as safe and productive as possible,” says Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO.

“JCHX has been a customer of Epiroc for many years, both in Africa and Europe, and we are pleased to continue delivering innovative solutions that will help to optimize operations at Kipushi,” says Sami Niiranen, President of Epiroc’s Underground division.

JCHX International Division President

Mr. Youcheng Wang comments: “From the Group headquarters to the front-line team, Epiroc sets the highest priority on this equipment order, also when it comes to on-site technical support.”

The ordered equipment, manufactured in Sweden, includes Scooptram ST14 loaders, Minetruck MT42 haul trucks,

and Simba production drill rigs. The Scooptram and Minetruck machines will be equipped with Epiroc’s telematics system Certiq, which allows for intelligent monitoring of machine performance and productivity in real-time, and with Epiroc’s Rig Control System, RCS, which makes them ready for automation and remote control.

The Kipushi mine is owned by Kipushi Corporation, a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines of Canada and Gécamines, a DRC state-owned mining company. The mine will be powered by clean, renewable hydro-generated electricity. Delivery begins soon and will continue into early 2024.

HCV AFRICA is a group of African based environmental and social specialists with a current footprint spanning 20 African countries.

Gold Fields and AngloGold create Ghana Joint venture

Gold Fields and AngloGold Ashanti have agreed the key terms of a proposed joint venture in Ghana between Gold Fields’ Tarkwa and AngloGold Ashanti’s neighbouring Iduapriem mines (the “Proposed Joint Venture”).

The Tarkwa Mine is held by Gold Fields Ghana, in which Gold Fields currently owns a 90% share and the Government of Ghana (GoG) holds 10%. The Iduapriem Mine is currently 100% owned by AngloGold Ashanti. Both mines are located near the town of Tarkwa in the country’s Western Region. The Parties have agreed in principle on the key terms of the Proposed Joint Venture.

The Parties have commenced with preliminary, high-level and constructive engagements with senior government officials in Ghana and will continue engaging with the GoG, relevant regulators and other key stakeholders, with a view to implementing the Proposed Joint Venture as soon as practically possible.

The Parties have agreed to mutual exclusivity during this engagement. It is intended that the Proposed Joint Venture will be an incorporated joint venture, constituted within Gold Fields Ghana and operated by Gold Fields. AngloGold

The Parties do not anticipate that any material, additional capital injection will be required by either company to establish the Proposed Joint Venture and is expected to materially improve its capital intensity once operational. Excluding the interest to be held by the GoG, Gold Fields will have an interest of 66.7%, or two-thirds, and AngloGold Ashanti will have an interest of 33.3%, or one-third, in the Proposed Joint Venture. The Proposed Joint Venture would create the largest gold mine in Africa and one of the largest in the world.

It will be a high-quality operation, supported by a substantial mineral endowment and an initial life spanning almost two decades. Operational synergies will be achieved by optimising mining of the combined ore bodies and consolidating the infrastructure of the immediately adjacent mines for the longterm benefit of all shareholders and stakeholders.

Martin Preece, Interim CEO Gold Fields says that the Proposed Joint Venture is an exciting opportunity to combine mining operations that are essentially part of the same mineral deposit and is something

that Gold Fields and AngloGold Ashanti have discussed many times before over the years.

“The ability to optimise mining and the use of shared infrastructure across the combined operation will result in significant flexibility in mine planning, materially enhancing the economics of the mine and ensuring quality and scale of operation that will be world class. That unlocked value will underpin the Proposed Joint Venture’s continued contribution to our host communities and Ghana for decades to come. For Gold Fields, it will also significantly enhance the overall quality of our portfolio,” explains Preece.

“This combination puts together two parts of the same world-class ore body, allowing us to share skills and infrastructure to significantly enhance every aspect of this mining operation, from exploration and planning, to mining and processing. By creating one of the world’s largest open-pit gold operations, in a pre-eminent mining jurisdiction, we will create longer-term value not only for AngloGold Ashanti and Gold Fields, but for the combined stakeholders in our local host communities and for all of Ghana,” says Alberto Calderon, CEO AngloGold Ashanti.

Ashanti will contribute its 100% interest in Iduapriem to Gold Fields Ghana in return for a shareholding in that company.

Kansanshi mine signs MoU with NW water utility

the project would have not been implemented soon.”

“It was against this premise that we got into some discussions in which North Western Water Supply and Sanitation Company requested that we help fund the project which they would implement, they provided us with the Bill of Quantities of around ZMW 6.6 million, which the mine has undertaken to sponsor as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, this is with an understanding that the project will be executed in 90 days,” he added.

Meanwhile, North Western Water and Sanitation Company Limited Director Finance, Austin Mungo said, “The need to provide water to various communities around Solwezi cannot be overemphasised. We have the mandate to provide clean, safe drinking water in North Western Province and this gesture will go a long way in achieving this dream.”

Kansanshi Mine, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the North Western Water Supply and Sanitation Company Limited (NWWSSCL) to ensure the provision of piped water to the Mushitala community located on the Old Congo Road in Solwezi District.

As part of the MoU, the mine has pledged to provide a grant of ZMW 6.6 million to NWWSSCL, in the form of both material and financial support. In return, NWWSSCL will be responsible for planning and implementing the project which will provide piped water to over 150 households and public facilities, within the span of 90 days.

This grant, which is a Kansanshi Mine Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, aims to create a conducive environment for the surrounding community by providing safe and clean water. This is because the mining company believes

that access to clean water is a priority for social development and is a basic necessity for life. When the water supply is improved and sustainable, it can significantly enhance a community’s economic growth.

Kansanshi Mining PLC Environmental Manager, Arnold Malambo, signed on behalf of the mine while Austin Mungo, Director Finance, signed on behalf of the water utility.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Mr Arnold Malambo said the project is intended to improve the welfare of the southern community, adjacent to the mine lease. “The project is to benefit the community adjacent to the Mine Lease around the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF), we collaborated with our partners North Western Water Supply and Sanitation Company Limited who initially had planned to take water to the community but due to lack of resources,

“We want to thank Kansanshi for coming along as a partner with North-western Water and realising the fact that the provision of this service to the community is a necessity. We are grateful that this partnership will continue from here until the project is finished. We are also grateful for the fact that Kansanshi has provided funding towards this project,” he concluded.

Currently, through the help of Kansanshi Mine, the utility company is providing water to the Mushitala Community using a water bowser.

Investing in African Mining Indaba has been a staple of the Cape Town calendar for 28 years. It started as a low-key event in a local Cape Town hotel and brought together investors and mining houses. Fast-forward today, it hosts the entire mining supply chain from Heads of States, government officials, mining houses, financiers, lawyers, and consultants.

In 2022, the event contributed R156m to the South African economy. The contribution to Cape Town and the Western Cape, being subsets, was R105m and R127m respectively.

Mining firm Marula hires PwC Kenya to help in regional expansion plan

London listed mining firm Marula has hired consultancy firm PwC in Kenya to provide advisory services as it looks to expand into East Africa, as well as other markets across the region.

PwC is expected to provide the company with the transaction, legal and tax advisory services to support its growth and mine development activities in the regional market. The scope of PwC’s work also includes transaction-specific work, which will include potential new acquisition and investment opportunities and also dual listings of the company’s shares on regional stock exchanges.

As demand for battery metals-focused projects rises, Marula will continue to build and expand its interests in other high-quality projects in Africa, supported by PwC.

Marula Mining is an African-focused battery metals investment and exploration company and has interests in several mine projects across the continent. These include the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine in South Africa, the Nkombwa Hill Project in Zambia, and Kinusi Copper mine and Bagamoyo Graphite Project in Tanzania.

“The appointment is considered important to support the company’s increased activities and new mine acquisition and project development work underway in East Africa,” a statement from Marula Mining said.

“PwC Kenya will assist in optimising the company’s corporate structure throughout Africa and will assist with legal and tax advisory services.”

East Africa has become a major mining hotspot in recent years. Recently US company Titan Lithium Inc announced discovery of lithium deposits south of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with enough potential to make the country a global market leader for the increasingly popular mineral.

And UK-based gold mining company Caracal Gold PLC revealed that it had discovered gold worth millions of dollars at Kilimapesa Hill in Narok, Kenya.

Making the announcement in March, Caracal Gold PLC Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Robbie McCrae, stated that the gold discovered was a new highgrade that would expand their shares by 23%.

Zambia Commends FQM for North-western development

In its quest to complement government’s efforts in providing access to clean and safe drinking water and improved sanitation, First Quantum Minerals (FQM) through its Kansanshi Mine has handed over an ablution block and a solar water system to Kyafukuma Secondary School in Solwezi District of North-Western Province.

Kansanshi mine handed over an ablution block of five boys’ toilets, five girls’ toilets, a shower, as well as two staff toilets for the 20 staff. These toilets are waterborne and have running water, and are solarpowered with a 10,000 litres PVC water tank, a mud filter, and a security wire fence built at the cost of K1,286,956.

The mining firm believes access to safe, clean water is the number one priority for community development, and that water is a basic human need, and should always be prioritised over other forms of development work. Speaking at the handover ceremony, North-Western province Permanent Secretary, Col Gladson Wishikoti Katambi (Rtd) said that proper sanitation plays a critical role in creating a safe and healthy environment where children can focus on learning. “A conducive environment and good sanitation are very important to all the people found in a school environment; therefore, it gives me much pleasure to see companies like

Kansanshi supplementing government efforts by providing much-needed sanity in schools.

Kyafukuma school has had poor sanitation from the time it was established in 2016, with a population of 319 pupils and 20 teachers, the school only had 2 toilets for pupils. One catering for 161 boys and another catering for 158 girls. This is way below the World health organisation recommended standard,” he continued.

He added that the lack of proper toilets in schools threatens the lives of many children in Solwezi who risk getting sick

due to poor sanitation and hygiene and may subsequently miss school.

“Improving school environments and sanitation is a mammoth task requiring all like-minded development partners and businesses to work with the government to create the conducive environment we all want. It is in this context that I wish to appreciate most sincerely the investments that Kansanshi Mining Plc makes in the lives of our people. Today is a further testimony of that responsive corporate citizenship by the company. We salute you,” he said.

Speaking at the same event, Kansanshi Mining Plc Corporate Affairs Manager, Kyansenga Chitoshi said water management is a vital, ongoing area of the mining firm’s corporate social responsibility, as it strives to ensure it creates a conducive environment for neighbouring residents. “We also believe that proper sanitation and toilets are key to reducing the spread of diseases in the communities, and we hope that this facility will help to protect the health of the pupils through promoting a cleaner and safer environment.

First Quantum Minerals has aligned its community initiatives with every one of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a move that puts the mining giant at the forefront of best practice in private sector social investment locally and globally,” she explained.

First Quantum has spent over US$100 million on its sustainability and community development programmes to improve the health and quality of life for its employees, their families, and their immediate communities. The company has invested heavily in the communities in which it works. This has included health programs including HIV, malaria, and the construction of clinics; conservation farming; education and scholarship programs; infrastructure and gender equality programs. The overall objective of FQM’s socio-economic development programmes is to improve the quality of life for its employees, their families, and their immediate communities.

From left to right_ Western province Permanent Secretary_Col Gladson Wishikoti Katambi _Rtd_ _left_ and Kansanshi Mining Plc Corporate Affairs Manager Kyansenga Chitoshi centre.

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Senegal’s emblematic 130 MW Malicounda power project now fully operational

The 130 MW Wärtsilä Flexicycle™ power plant is now fully operational in Malicounda. The plant has been officially inaugurated by President Sall on the 11th of February. Matelec, one of the leading energy companies in Africa, operates the plant, and a 10-year maintenance agreement with Wärtsilä will guarantee its high availability and reliability. Located in Mbour, 85 km south of Senegal’s capital Dakar, the plant is anticipated to deliver 956 GWh of power per year, which represents a 17% increase in the country’s power generation capacity.

Matelec, who was the plant EPC contractor, selected Wärtsilä for the delivery of its energy efficient 130 MW Flexicycle™ power generation technology. The Malicounda power plant comprises seven 18V50 engines and a steam turbine, combining the advantages of a simple-cycle operation with the high efficiency of a combined cycle plant. Its fast load-following power capability means that the plant is ideally

suited to maintain system reliability, and able to offer the flexibility needed as intermittent renewable energy is progressively added to Senegal’s power grid.

The plant will initially operate on heavy fuel oil, however, there is an option to convert the plant to run on locally supplied gas from the GTA field once it becomes available, further lowering the cost of energy.

The Malicounda power plant is a central part of the government’s Plan Sénégal Emergent (PSE) to strengthen the country’s emerging economy and provide electricity access to everyone by 2025. It was one of the first public private partnership (PPP) projects in West Africa, involving the Africa Development Bank, Africa50, the Infrastructure Development Fund for Africa, and Senelec, Senegal’s state power utility, setting a model of cooperation to meet the continent’s growing energy needs.

“We are grateful to our partners for having entrusted us to deliver our cutting-edge Flexicycle technology for this very important project. We have a well-established footprint in Senegal, and it is extremely satisfying to see yet another emblematic power plant equipped with our technology now in full operation. We are confident that that this highly efficiency plant will enable Senegal to reduce electricity production costs, ” added Marc Thiriet, Director, Africa at Wärtsilä Energy.

Wärtsilä is Senegal’s leading provider of power generating equipment, and already has 543 MW of installed capacity in altogether 20 power plants in the country. With the Malicounda power plant included, 458 MW of this capacity is under Wärtsilä long-term maintenance agreements.

Commit Works Launches My Shift Resourcing The Next-Generation Solution for Simplifying Shift Planning

Commit Works, a leading software provider of integrated work management solutions, launches My Shift Resourcing, a powerful new feature of CiteOps that is specifically designed to cater to the needs of shift supervisors responsible for executing operational shift plans.

Building upon the existing weekly and 24h plans in CiteOps, My Shift Resourcing provides shift leadership with an easy way to allocate planned tasks to locations, equipment, and personnel. The easy-to-use web-based shiftlineout tool supports drag-anddrop task assignments, providing real-time feedback on the expected utilisation of locations, equipment, and personnel.

Shaun MacRae, Head of Product says “My Shift Resourcing is a

game-changer for shift supervisors. The feature is designed to streamline the process of managing and executing shift plans, providing real-time feedback on resource utilisation. This simplifies shift planning and optimises operations by ensuring that work is assigned to the appropriate resources when needed.”

My Shift Resourcing is fully supported by CiteOps’ powerful personnel rostering capabilities, as well as the recently released skills and qualifications management capabilities. This ensures that the right resources are allocated to the right work at the right time. All work assignments appear automatically on custom or out-of-the-box shift plan printouts, as well as on mobile tablet and phone interfaces for digital field operations.

My Shift Resourcing has undergone onsite testing and development to deliver a measurable impact on operations. It simplifies the detailed shift planning process and boosts overall operational efficiency by streamlining workflows.

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Flexible power technologies will make Africa’s energy leapfrogging a reality”

Africa’s ability to leapfrog traditional power systems and adopt renewables on a massive scale is not a fantasy. In-depth studies from Wärtsilä have demonstrated that with the adequate support of flexible power technologies, ambitious renewable energy objectives in Africa are not only achievable, they also represent the soundest and cheapest strategy for the successful electrification of the continent.

By Marc Thiriet, Director, Africa, Wärtsilä Energy

and solar energy resources on the planet, which means that the renewable energy plants built here boast some of the best productivity rates in the world. Almost anywhere in Africa, renewables are the cheapest power generation option available today by a significant margin.

Although relatively ambitious renewable energy targets have been set by most governments across the continent, there is still widespread scepticism that renewable energy, which is intermittent by nature, can provide a reliable source of baseload power. This scepticism is unjustified.

With the appropriate deployment of grid balancing technologies like gas engine power plants or energy storage, huge amounts of renewable energy can be built in the system while at the same time ensuring a stable and reliable network. Energy experts at Wärtsilä, who have built 76 GW of power plant capacity in 180 countries around the world, certainly know a thing or two about that.

Building reliable power systems

A new power generation paradigm perfectly suited for Africa

There has been much discussion about Africa’s ability to ‘leapfrog’ the way power systems have been built in the western world. For over a century, traditional power systems have been based on centralised power generation, with a limited number of large thermal power plants providing baseload electricity through a massive transmission network.

This way to generate power is however coming to an end: the climate emergency is calling for a 180-degrees paradigm shift in which renewables replace thermal power plants as the baseload source of energy.

This new power generation paradigm is, in many ways, a perfect fit for Africa. The continent enjoys some of the highest wind

Yes, renewables are intermittent, but it’s a challenge that we have long known how to solve, providing the need for flexible power capacity is not underestimated.

As intermittent renewable energy becomes the new baseload, the system will have to cope with a large amount of variable power that can disrupt the grid. Flexible power must therefore be available to ramp up production at the same rate that wind or solar production fluctuates, but also to match the fluctuating energy demand within the day. System imbalances can be at times huge, but the system will stay safe as long as renewable energy deployment is matched with corresponding levels of flexible power capacity.

Flexible engine power plants are the only technology designed to work hand-

Marc Thiriet - Director, Africa - Wartsila Energy

in-hand with renewables, as they can efficiently cope with multiple daily start and stops. They also offer the significant advantage of being able to run on different fuels, from natural gas and heavy fuel oil today, to locally produced hydrogen and biofuels tomorrow as they become competitive and broadly available.

Thanks to this muti-fuel capability, not only do engine power plants provide a great hedge against fuel supply risk, but they are also the ultimate “future-proof” technology for energy leapfrogging, as the gas engines can simply be converted to run on green fuels like hydrogen to reach 100% renewables. Engine power plants offer a solid, long-term foundation on which African countries can build modern and resilient clean power systems.

Energy leapfrogging requires a tailormade approach

Delivering on energy leapfrogging is going to be a complex, multi-decade process. Each country in Africa features its own unique mix of natural resources, geographical opportunities and constraints, population density, alongside a myriad of other parameters. Each country will therefore require its

own tailormade and optimal power system expansion plan to accomplish its leapfrogging.

What would such a plan look like in practice? Let’s take Nigeria as an example. Using advanced energy system modelling techniques, Wärtsilä’s analysts have designed a detailed roadmap showing how Nigeria could proceed to build a 100% renewable energy power system and meet its 2060 net zero target.

According to our models, by 2060 Nigeria’s power capacity should consist of 1,200 GW of renewable energy and require a total of 283 GW of energy storage and 34 GW of flexible engine power plants for grid balancing purposes. On the other hand, inflexible sources of power like coal, oil or gas turbine power plants have now become the exception rather than the norm.

For this plan to succeed, Nigeria’s domestic gas must still play a crucial transition role: It will be mobilised as an inexpensive bridging fuel for engine power plants, in support of intermittent renewable energy generation, until these plants can be converted to run purely on

green hydrogen in the early 2040’s. This is the soundest power system from both an environmental and economic standpoint. Our research indeed shows that investing in renewable energy and flexibility from gas engines and energy storage is the most cost-effective way for Nigeria to reduce energy costs, increase energy access and improve grid reliability. For the plan to succeed, however, the country will have to greatly improve its power transmission infrastructure, develop a strong and dependable policy framework, and attract significant investment.

The global shift to renewable energy provides Nigeria, and Africa as a whole, with a unique opportunity to leapfrog the carbon-based power systems that have been the norm in the West. Delivering on this opportunity would represent a giant step forward in the country’s development. But an adequate and carefully planned deployment of flexible power technologies to balance the intermittency of renewables is the sine qua non condition for energy leapfrogging to succeed in Nigeria, as anywhere else on the continent.

DRC mining on the up, but with hills to climb

SRK Consulting’s Congo practice has seen considerable progress over the ten years since its establishment, with mining activity in the DRC picking up

The positive climate for mined commodities – and battery minerals in particular – is giving the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) great opportunities to leverage its resource wealth; however, there are a number of burning issues that mining companies there are facing. These range from social and environmental impacts, mine closure, mineral resource

and reserve estimates and skills development, explains Wouter Jordaan, partner and principal environmental scientist at SRK Consulting.

“The DRC has long been an exciting mining destination, and our SRK Consulting Congo practice has seen considerable progress over the ten years since its establishment,” said Jordaan.

“Among the issues we are working on with clients is the relationship between mining companies and communities.”

An important aspect of this is the regulatory requirement for a social development plan that is developed in consultation with communities and stakeholders. SRK Consulting Congo was instrumental in developing the first

such Cahier de Charge (Social Term Sheet) to be approved by government for a mining client in the country.

“There is often a cultural and communication gap between mines and communities that makes the necessary levels of collaboration difficult,” he said. “We have seen that the industry often needs expert local support in building appropriate relationships with communities and stakeholders. SRK is well positioned to do this, due to our established presence in the DRC – as well as in countries like China who are very active on the DRC mining scene currently.”

Compliance focus

Mine closure is also a growing issue, which is broadening to include the need for ‘social transitioning’ to a post-mining phase. In this regard, the DRC industry’s current focus tends to be on compliance with the environmental aspects of closure, through the establishment of a fund to be drawn on for rehabilitation at closure. Jordaan noted that mines start to provision for such a fund at a conceptual level during the feasibility stage.

“This approach ensures that the financial guarantee is in place, but the closure plan itself is often not very detailed,” he said. “Moreover, these plans do not currently pay much attention to the practicalities of social transitioning towards closure. Good practice today encourages mines to start very early in their engagement with communities about closure, as the resilience of livelihoods cannot be built in just five to ten years.”

He points out that increased exploration work in the country, both for new projects and to expand existing operations, has also heightened the need for independent and accurate mineral resource and reserve estimations. Various codes are used in the DRC, depending mainly on where the project owner is located or listed.

Tailings dams regulation

International standards are increasingly being applied in tailings dam management globally, and there is expected to be greater attention paid to these in the DRC. The Global Industry Standards for Tailings Management (GISTM) have set

a compliance deadline of August 2023 for all facilities with ‘extreme’ and ‘very high’ potential consequences of failure.

“There are quite a few tailings dams in the DRC which can be classified as ‘extreme’ and ‘very high’ in terms of the potential environmental and social consequences of an incident,” he said. “This means that they will be under some pressure in coming months to finalise their compliance measures, while other

tailings dams in lower categories will have to conform with the GISTM within two years.”

He highlighted that DRC regulations focus mainly on environmental aspects such as water management, dust emissions and air quality – while global standards have gone much further. As the mining industry progresses down its sustainability journey, mining companies are increasingly embracing international best practice to maintain their social licence and avoid reputational risk.

Fast paced adaptations

Andrew van Zyl, SRK Consulting managing director, emphasised the pace at which mining was adapting to new challenges and expectations in recent decades. As the sector better understands its impacts, it is continuously improving the way it runs operations – including the development of local skills.

“Local regulations around Africa are now making the localisation of skills and supply chains more of a priority,” said Van Zyl. “Like all the practices in our global network, SRK Consulting Congo is locally staffed and owned, and builds its skill levels and disciplines on an ongoing basis.”

The office’s depth of experience in mining engineering and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues gives it one area of focus – but it is also involved in other fields and is always looking to boost its geotechnical and geohydrological capacity. The SRK business model facilitates intense knowledge sharing between its global offices, based on collaboration on various projects. This leads to the building of specialised skills to strengthen the local capacity of the mining industry.

Wouter Jordaan, partner and principal environmental scientist at SRK Consulting

Andrew van Zyl, SRK Consulting MD

Innovation in electrical termination products for the mining sector

The global mining industry is facing complex challenges due to changing regulations, resource depletion and environmental impact concerns. To remain viable, the industry must adapt to new technologies, practices, and operational efficiencies. Pratley, a leading producer of electrical termination products, has acquired extensive expertise in its 75 years of existence. Much of this expertise is specifically related to demands placed on electrical termination equipment used in the mining industry.

According to Pratley Marketing Director Eldon Kruger, electrical termination products used in the mining industry should be developed with durability, safety, reliability, and innovation in mind. “We have developed a range of worldclass electrical termination products that offer quality, value, and a high degree of innovation to the mining industry, many of which are ‘world-first’ products.”

Mining operations can be in harsh environments, such as extreme temperatures, high humidity, and

corrosive conditions. Innovations that improve the durability and reliability of electrical termination products can help ensure they function correctly in these conditions. “The current priority for senior mining stakeholders is to keep pace and continue investing in innovation and technology where the efficiency, value and productivity gains are proven,” continues Eldon.

Pratley pushes the boundaries in what can be achieved in terms of design engineering and safety. Cable glands

and electrical junction boxes are safety-critical elements in any electrical reticulation setup. Designing these products by merely looking at the cable design can result in a near-sighted approach when a holistic one is needed. Pratley remains dedicated to providing the mining industry with innovative solutions that meet their electrical termination needs.

“A great example of this is Pratley’s recently launched Taper-Tech® Flameproof Gland range consisting of four separate glands in two unique categories,” explains Eldon. The unique feature of this range is that all versions are fitted with Pratley’s Taper-Tech® flame seal technology, consisting of tapered seals made from superior, Pratley-developed, high-temperature, and low compression-set elastomers. The seals all have a taper on the leading edge that abuts against the gland nipple taper on the inside. The taper on the

bush and the one on the cable gland’s nipple are angled differently.

This means that, under thrust or pressure from the front, when it is tightened, this differential taper allows the bush to slide down the taper easily, reducing the force needed to achieve radial compression.

“We use customer feedback as a basis to see what the market is looking for. We also draw on our own expertise to find gaps in the market and how we can fill these gaps. A parallel and agile development process allows us to push the boundaries of what can be achieved in terms of the most optimal solutions and products,” continues Eldon.

Pratley operates two test and research laboratories at its Krugersdorp manufacturing facility, which places it in the top league of electrical-equipment manufacturers globally. The fully equipped laboratories are staffed by

world-class scientists and technicians, who are regarded as global experts in the science and standards of electrical equipment for hazardous areas. The electrical testing laboratory has the distinction of having state-of-the-art equipment to the extent that other accredited laboratories approach the company to make use of its advanced equipment.

Overall, innovation in electrical termination products for the mining industry is essential to ensure safety, efficiency, compliance, and costeffectiveness in mining operations. “As such, Pratley will launch new products this year ideally suited for the everchanging mining sector, at least one of which will be a world-first and game changer for electrical termination products,” concludes Eldon.

Tailing management: The role of technology

Tailings are simply a by-product of mining. They are produced after ore containing an economicallyrecoverable commodity is mined from the earth. After the commodity of value is extracted from the ore material, the resultant waste is called tailings. Typically, mill tailings range from sand to silt-clay in particle size.

In order to safeguard the environment and people it is imperative that a high standard of Tailings management is observed. Tailings management involves storing the mining waste in speciallydesigned impoundments called tailings facilities (TSF).

The first step in designing a TSF is to identify potential sites and define the environmental compliance criteria and measurement points. Significant factors that influence the design of a TSF are the climate, geology, potential seismicity, topography, proximity to areas of human

habitation, forest reserves, freshwater or marine ecosystems, and downstream infrastructure. The site criteria may influence the selection of an appropriate TSF site and or the configuration of the TSF, and or the method of tailings deposition and management.

The appropriate design of a TSF requires a high degree of sophistication and rigour. The ultimate capacity of a TSF is determined by the expected production over the life of mine. There is usually a negligible difference between the ore milled and the tailings that are generated. The life of mine is determined by the size of the ore body and the rate of mining or processing. Typically, this ranges between 5 and 50 years.

Commonly, the life of a mine is extended as additional resources are discovered. Therefore, the size of the TSF and its ability to be expanded should form part of the layout considerations.

All TSFs require deposition planning and modelling, but the level of rigour associated with these is site-specific. The deposition modelling typically builds upon stage capacity relationships developed to assess the rate of rise and total storage capacity requirements of the TSF.

At the early stages of design, key aspects considered include pond location and management, deposition points, numbers of spigots, and beach profile. Storage of tailings typically requires confining embankments of various types to form impoundments that retain the tailings solids, supernatant water, and rainfall. The construction method is named based on the direction the dam’s crest moves as additional levels (dikes) are added.

In Upstream Construction, the dam crest progresses upstream as the height of the tailings facility increases. Tailings

adjacent to the dam must be welldrained and may therefore be used to support subsequent levels as the dam is raised. Downstream Construction on the other hand requires the dam crest to progresses downstream as the height of the tailings facility increases. The dam is constructed and supported on top of the previously placed material. And with Centerline Construction, the dam crest is raised vertically. The dam’s crest is maintained as the height increases.

The upstream portion is constructed on top of previously placed tailings while the downstream portion of the dam is constructed on previously placed materials.

Globally, there are thousands of mine tailings facilities that hold billions of tons of mining by-products. These tailings storage facilities pose significant environmental, social, and financial risks to mine operators and the communities in which they are located. Mine operators take these responsibilities seriously and are investing in new technologies to manage their tailings more effectively.

In response to recent events and the continuing risks, the Global Tailings Review has released the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management

dubbed the “Standard.”

The plan entails developing a design for each stage of construction of the tailings facility, including but not limited to startup, partial raises and interim confi gurations, final raise, and all closure stages.

Also designing the closure phase in a manner that meets all the Requirements of the Standard with sufficient detail to demonstrate the feasibility of the closure scenario and to allow implementation of elements of the design during construction and operation as appropriate. The design should include progressive closure and reclamation during operations.

The aim is to achieve the ultimate goal of zero harm to people and the environment with zero tolerance for human fatality. It requires Operators to take responsibility and prioritise the safety of tailings facilities, through all phases of a facility’s lifecycle, including closure and postclosure. It also requires the disclosure of relevant information to support public accountability.

In response mining companies have turned to technology to help then navigate the required standards of tailing management. Remote sensing

for example can play a critical role in the monitoring of tailings facilities and includes satellite, aerial, and groundbased platforms. Satellites can capture Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar for early detection of structural changes, and multispectral platforms can quantify surface water content for quickly calculating beach lengths that can be compared against Trigger Action Response Plans (TARPs).

Using collected data, advanced analytics (i.e., AI and machine learning) can be performed to generate key business insights, indicate TSF risk levels and provide recommendations for mitigating actions. The TSF management workforce can view intelligent and intuitive visualizations to enable effective and timely decision-making processes for dam maintenance. Recording corrective actions and updating models accordingly help to further minimize risks.

Overall, improving TSF management practices, organizational approaches and corporate governance are achievable goals for the ongoing success of a mining operation—and for the mining industry to meet its societal and regulatory responsibilities.

SRK’s integrated teams put heads together over tailings

Part of the complexity of designing and operating tailings facilities is the wide variety of material that the industry encounters in tailings. Being man-made rather than natural, its characteristics and behaviour can differ considerably from site to site.

Some of the world’s leading mine tailings experts gathered in South Africa recently in an SRK Consulting workshop to further raise the bar in best industry practice. The Global Industry Standards on Tailings Management (GISTM) framework provided a key backdrop for the workshop. Industry is committed to meet the new GISTM requirements, which include taking an integrated approach to tailings dam management.

Responsible tailings management is really all about people – particularly the protection of vulnerable communities. The GISTM emphasises the integration of disciplines, and the SRK workshop represented a wide range of expertise.

Over 60 SRK experts attended the meeting, which was held over two days. These included specialised tailings, water and civil engineers, as well as practitioners in fields such as water, geochemistry and environmental and social impact assessment. Bruce Engelsman, principal engineer at SRK Consulting emphasised the highly technical nature of tailings management, requiring that many issues of scientific principle and measurement be robustly debated on an ongoing basis.

Within the guidance provided by the GISTM, there are still many questions

to be answered and challenging areas to explore. These relate to diverse fields from soil mechanics and water management to ESG and legal liability.

Engelsman said there was a relatively small pool of available expertise in tailings management, as it was a niche field. “With the growing focus on the safety and sustainability of tailings dams, the skills base is currently being stretched to its limits. It takes decades to build adequate levels of experience among practitioners, so there is no quick fix to the skills shortage,” he notes.

The mining sector is in a hurry as it works towards GISTM compliance, placing immense pressure on the capacity of consulting firms who deal with tailings. Developed by the Principle for Responsible Investment, the International Council on Mining and Metals , and the United Nations Environment Programme, the ICMM has allowed for a three-year implementation period for the GISTM, deadline in August 2023 for extreme and very high consequence facilities, and an additional two years for other facilities, in August 2025.

In addition, all tailings storage facilities that are not in a state of safe closure will be conformance with the GISTM by August 2025.

“As we raise the bar in line with GISTM, this workshop was an important opportunity for experts to share their innovations and insights – thereby continuously improving knowledge, understanding and practice.”

The workshop was deliberately structured to facilitate learning, and key take-away messages were carefully documented. SRK ‘champions’ in their fields would introduce certain topics, guiding break-away groups who could interrogate these in more detail.

These in-depth discussions ensure that SRK continually aligns the quality of its service offerings throughout the group, while pursuing innovation across the board. The active inclusion of younger engineers and scientists in these meetings also builds SRK’s talent pipeline, which is increasingly vital in tailings management.r more information contact: bengelsman@srk.co.za

Bankers upbeat on First Quantum Minerals’ investment plans

are falling, solutions such as S3 are there to ensure that production is maintained and improved,” she noted.

We are extremely impressed,” added Absa Head of Corporate Credit, Kingstone Ngulube, underscoring the general consensus of the group of lenders as the visit came to an end. “As you know, Zambia is heavily dependent on mining and as a bank, we want to participate in sectors that are contributing to our country’s GDP growth.”

With the S3 expansion and the beginning of production at the Enterprise nickel project, FQM is set to remain Zambia’s largest mineral producer and contributor to the country’s tax revenue.

First Quantum Minerals’ investments and expansion projects in Zambia have drawn the interest of financiers in the region who recently toured its mine sites in Kalumbila and Solwezi to familiarise themselves with its operations.

The visit showcased the economic significance of the investments to the country’s industrialisation and diversification agenda within the mining sector and beyond.

Representatives from Stanbic Bank, Rand Merchant Bank, Absa Bank and Nedbank relayed their optimistic outlook of country’s mining landscape that followed as a result of government’s policy and investment pronouncements made over the last two years as well as the renewed interest in positioning Zambia as a regional mining hub.

Stanbic Bank with affiliate Standard Bank South Africa, recently announced that it has invested over USD$2bn in mining over the last decade.

“We are proud to have our bank partner with the First Quantum Group,” said Stanbic’s Head of Corporate and Investment Banking Helen Lubambe.

“This is an amazing development that contributes so much to our country, and even as ore grades [at Kansanshi Mine]

“We are using the opportunity of the S3 project to really move forward as a business, both from an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) perspective and making sure that our productivity numbers are high,” said Kansanshi Mining Plc General Manager, Anthony Mukutuma.

SAMUKELO MADLABANE Event Director – Mining VUKA Group

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Why is there so much interest in the DRC’s mining sector?

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has some of the biggest mineral deposits in the world. It is the world’s biggest producer of cobalt – it exported 2220 tonnes last year (70% of global production), a 54% increase from 2021.

Additionally, it also has substantial untapped gold, high-grade copper, and lithium reserves, amongst many other minerals.

It is for this reason that there is so much interest in DRC Mining Week.

What is the DRC Mining Week?

DRC Mining Week is a purpose-led event, it actively promotes the sustainable growth of the DRC and Copperbelt’s mining sectors. The event brings together mining stakeholders, decision-makers, and investors together for conversations about the best strategies and breakthroughs that support the sustainable expansion of the sector.

DRC Mining Week promotes mining as a significant engine of economic growth and development in the DRC and the Copperbelt,

while ensuring that the region’s natural resources are managed sustainably and responsibly.

What are the expectations and objectives of DRC Mining Week 2023

DRC Mining Week is the largest mining and infrastructure exhibition and conference in the DRC and Copperbelt region with 5900+ attendees over 3 days.

The theme of the conference is: “Recognising DRC mining’s triumphs and victories, on and off the field.”

The 2023 edition will recognise all the outstanding accomplishments made by the DRC and Copperbelt’s mining industry in recent years.

While celebrating the achievements of the industry, the hardhitting agenda does not shy away from difficult conversations including ‘how mining operators perceive the allocation of the 0,3% of their annual turnover to communities’ and so much more!

WHY ATTEND

Technology helps achieve ‘Water for All’

Isotopes has proven to be a valuable and cost-effective technology to help resolve contamination issues

This year’s National Water Week drives the agenda of ‘Water for All’, an objective which SRK Consulting has supported in many ways – one of which has been through its application of isotope technology.

Ismail Mahomed, principal hydrogeologist at SRK Consulting, has recently used isotopes to identify the source of water contamination, as a first step in resolving this threat to water security. South Africa is classified as a semi-arid country, emphasised Mahomed, and cannot afford the pollution of its scarce water resources.

In a recent address to the conference of the Network for Industrially Contaminated Land (Nicola), he explained how isotopes had proved a valuable and cost-effective technology

to help resolve a contamination issue at a metals processing plant.

Fingerprinting

“A particular environment will acquire a characteristic isotopic composition or signature by virtue of the hydrogeochemical processes involved,” he said. “We can use this isotope signature for ‘fingerprinting’ – giving us clues to trace the source of water, and hence of the contamination.”

In his case study, he explained how spatial variations in deuterium and Oxygen-18 occur in the hydrological cycle – leading to a lower proportion of these isotopes in rain that falls inland than in rain falling at the coast.

“These are among the variables we can use to identify whether the source of water is from surface dams or from

Ismail Mahomed, principal hydrogeologist at SRK Consulting

groundwater – as the signature from the rainfall will be retained in groundwater,” said Mahomed. “Evaporation also has an impact on this signature as preferentially lighter isotopes will evaporate from the oceans and surface water.”

Tracing groundwater

One of the aspects of the case study was considering the evaporation signature of some of the ponds on the client’s site –a signature which was different to the groundwater. Data analysed during this project suggested that there was some mixing of water from different sources in the underdrain of one of the ponds. He explained that hydrology can benefit greatly from using isotopes in the tracing of groundwater, to help determine the vulnerability and sustainability of water resources.

“The technology helps hydrologists to determine factors affecting water quality such as sub-surface processes, geochemical reactions and reaction rates,” he said. “It can also be used to better understand the relationship between surface and groundwater, and even to detect leaks.”

The United Nations’ World Water Day is also being celebrated in March, with the organisation warning that countries are not making enough progress in meeting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. This goal aims to ensure safely managed water and sanitation by 2030 for all the world’s population. The UN has said that there is an urgent need to accelerate change, by going beyond ‘business as usual.

Must move faster

“The latest data show that governments must work on average four times faster to meet SDG 6 on time, but this is not a situation that any single actor or group can solve,” reported the UN. It has called upon global citizens to “be the change you want to see in the world” – by taking action on how they use, consume and manage water.

Among the approaches for accelerating action in water management that SRK Consulting has promoted in its engagements with clients is water stewardship. With water management becoming a key risk for industries like mining, consulting firm EY has rated water as the leading environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk in mining for 2023. SRK Consulting principal

consultant Fiona Sutton explained that water stewardship offered a practical process for companies in mining and other sectors to collaborate more closely with partners and stakeholders in managing their shared water resources.

“This approach is also supported by valuable best practice tools like the International Water Stewardship Standard from the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS),” said Sutton.

“The AWS Standard offers a globally applicable framework for major water users to understand their catchment and their own water use and impacts, with practical guidance on how to effectively manage these impacts.”

Water security

Growing concerns about South Africa’s water security saw Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announce – in his recent Budget Speech – planned expenditure on national water infrastructure of R121 billion over the medium term. This included R3,7 billion in municipal water infrastructure, through the National Budget facility for infrastructure.

SRK Consulting has been extensively involved in water infrastructure, including facilities for rural water supply points. Gert Nel, principal hydrogeologist and partner at SRK Consulting, explained that these water points were vital in providing water to communities, schools and clinics which could not be reached through bulk water supply systems.

Rural support

“However, there is a need to provide more support for these stand-along supply points, to ensure they are reliable and sustainable,” said Nel. “After the installation of these facilities – such as boreholes and water treatment systems – there is seldom any backup support or funding to sustain their continuous operation.”

When such facilities are planned, it is necessary to also include aspects such as training, awareness raising, mentoring and on-going support. For instance, there needs to be ready access to technical support for breakdowns, and training on how to regularly maintain or service the equipment. This will extend the life of the installations and improve their value to the community – while reducing the risk of water-borne diseases.

SRK Consulting works with both the public and private sectors in their water management interventions, and applies a range of scientific and engineering disciplines to help achieve the goal of ‘Water for All’.

Fiona Sutton, principal consultant at the global firm of consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting

Gert Nel, principal hydrogeologist and partner at SRK Consulting

SRK offers holistic solutions for mine decarbonisation

Decarbonisation on mines featured high on the agenda of a recent SRK Consulting global partners meeting in Johannesburg, with a special workshop being dedicated to this topic.

Mining is currently responsible for 4% to 7% of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions globally. Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO2 emissions from the sector, those incurred through mining operations and power consumption, respectively amount to 1%, and fugitive-methane emissions from coal mining are estimated at 3% to 6%.

The significant level of these emissions reflects the potential for mining to create a positive legacy, and many of the world’s major miners have already set demanding targets for themselves. However, this rapid transformation is

not without its challenges, and mining companies are reaching out proactively to find relevant and sustainable paths to decarbonisation.

The industry has committed to invest many billions of dollars implementing solutions. Identifying suitable solutions and designing the operation around these requirements will need both innovative thinking and extensive experience in mining operations.

SRK’s September workshop on decarbonisation strategies was therefore another step in its continuous process of integrating its response capabilities. Leveraging its global network of experienced engineers and scientists, SRK brings clients a holistic approach involving various facets of mining.

David Pearce, Principal Mining Engineer SRK Consulting

Electrifying mines’ truck haulage systems is a potential strategy to decarbonise, as haulage can represent between 30% and 50% of emissions

There have been pioneering efforts by mines to switch their energy supply from fossil-fuelled sources to renewable energy. This will have a particular impact where a mine’s energy is currently being generated by burning coal, diesel or gas. Several remote mines have commissioned a combination of solar and wind power systems with battery capacity to extend utilisation. Some mines in Australia are generating up to 60% of their power from renewable sources and are looking to increase this to ~80% through adding additional renewable capacity.

Electrifying mines’ truck haulage system is another potential strategy to decarbonise, as haulage can represent between 30% and 50% of emissions. Each large truck in an open pit application

typically consumes 800,000 to 1 million litres of diesel a year, translating to between 2,200 and 3,000 tons of carbon dioxide. Available technologies include the trolley assist system, which was largely pioneered in South Africa, and in-pit crushing and conveying systems. These can reduce diesel consumption by 60-80%. However, implementing such solutions requires changing mine designs and plans. This is where SRK can provide the necessary insights, advice and designs – to ensure that any technological changes will be suitable and effective.

Underground mines are adopting battery power in their trackless machinery as the haul distances underground tend to be shorter and flatter. An added benefit of battery power over diesel is the

reduced energy needed for ventilation. Consequently, to obtain the full benefit of any investment in battery vehicles requires looking at the whole operation. Underground coal mines have always been conscious of methane levels due to the safety risk though the traditional solution of diluting any emissions using ventilation now means the methane is too dilute to burn. SRK’s ventilation specialists in California are working on projects to develop solutions to cost effectively destroy this methane. Other specialists are working with clients to measure emissions so that solutions can be targeted.

Ongoing reductions in emissions will require mine teams to work together in a more integrated way, so that the solutions extend across different mine functions. For example, ore can be blasted finer to reduce the energy needed for crushing and grinding or concentrate grade can be increased to reduce Scope 2 emissions from smelters. Alternative technologies such as preconcentration and high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGRs) are available but may only be feasible at the outset of a new project or expansion. Optimal haul road design and maintenance can also contribute to efficiency by minimising rolling resistance and travel distances –all of which reduce diesel consumption.

Mine waste can also sequester carbon – tailings from nickel, platinum and diamond mines extract CO2 from the air to create inert carbonates which are then buried. Understanding the weathering mechanism and how changes may be required to the tailings deposition process without impacting either tailings stability or water use requires a team of specialists, which we have.

In summary, the mining industry has embraced the challenge to reduce emissions and is investing significant amounts of money and effort in new solutions. The “low hanging fruit” of switching from coal and diesel to renewables are being plucked. However, this will not achieve the targets mining companies have set themselves and further efforts are planned. SRK is ready to play its part in helping clients evaluate the opportunities to evolve their operations and reduce emissions.

ERG’s Frontier mine commissions water reticulation system in the DRC

The reticulation system is designed to provide the Sakania Municipality and its approximate 20,000 households with a reliable

As the global community celebrates World Water Day, Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) is pleased to highlight the commissioning of its Amenshi E Bumi (meaning Water is life in Bemba) water reticulation system in Sakania.

The commissioning of Amenshi E Bumi was celebrated in a ceremony attended by his Excellency the Governor of the Province of Haut-Katanga, Mr Jacques Kyabula Katwe, various provincial ministers, local representatives, community groups and Frontier mine management in December 2022.

Frontier mine initiated the project in 2020 to address the water supply issue that had arisen due to the population of Sakania surpassing the original town water supply capacity. Amenshi E Bumi project kicked off with short- and mediumterm solutions including the repair of water pumps, drilling of additional wells, rehabilitation of boreholes in the Sakania vicinity and the installation of solar pumps to deliver water to the community in the interim.

During the commissioning ceremony, Xavier Thérin, General Manager at Frontier mine, spoke, saying: “We

take great pride in this project for its contribution to the sustainable development and welfare of our communities. The residents of Sakania now have a constant supply of water, and with the reticulation system’s many access points, no one in the community needs to venture further than 250 metres to gain access to clean water.”

The Amenshi E Bumi water reticulation system comprises three large-diameter, high-flow boreholes as its supply source and two water tanks with an aggregated capacity of 3,300 cubic metres. This provides a total flow of 411 cubic metres of water per hour transported through a network of pipes spanning 21,452 metres, to provide the town of Sakania with an ample, sustainable, and continuous water supply.

His Excellency the Governor of the Province of Haut-Katanga, Mr. Jacques Kyabula Katwe commented: “We are grateful today and always for the support we receive from the mining community and in this case from Frontier. Today we are witnessing first-hand the fruits that stem from mining companies, Government and the local population working together to correctly identifying the needs of a community and then implementing initiatives that truly meet them.”

The Digital Oilfield is Going Solar ...

From wellhead to pipeline, operators are using solar to power a range of applications: injection pumping, security monitoring, data and communications, RTUs and PLCs, Þ eld instrumentation (temperature, pressure, ß ow, level), actuated valves, cathodic protection, and much more. With no moving parts, no fuel needed, and little maintenance required, solar works out to be a reliable, cost-effective solution for upstream and midstream systems.

...and the solar brand it’s going with is Morningstar

Used in over 100 countries and with over four million sold, Morningstar’s reliability and technology has been tested and proven in missioncritical installations for nearly 30 years. Now with comprehensive hazardous location certiÞcations— UL/CSA (North America) and IECEx/ATEX (International/Europe)—Morningstar has the widest, most dependable line of HazLoc solar controllers in the industry.

line of ProStar™ and SunSaver ™ charge controllers, UL/CSA and IECEx/ATEX rated for use in hazardous locations (ProStar HazLoc models available September)

“…We standardised on using Morningstar MPPT solar controllers in our Hazardous Area Zone-certiÞed solar power systems for use in safety critical power systems for offshore oil and gas assets. Their highefÞciency is uniquely suited for our needs… Most important, with Morningstar, we know we won’t have to go back for expensive service calls in the Þeld.”

--Remco Vonk, General Manager Asia & PaciÞc, Orga BV, a global provider of offshore power, helideck lighting, and marine & aviation navigation marking systems for safety critical infrastructure assets

“Morningstar’s high-quality, reliable controllers make them JCE’s No. 1 partner when supplying power to many of the world’s most remote, harshest environments.”

-Lukas Geider, Business Development Assistant, JCE Group, provider of (Ex) electrical control systems for hazardous and safe area environments

“We have chosen Morningstar products for our off-grid solar photovoltaic solutions deployed at about 2000 sites in the Middle East… [they have] proved to be a reliable source of power supply even in the harsh desert conditions”

Morningstar SunKeeper™ UL/CSA rated controller, for single-module systems

Morningstar’s Get the free guide to Solar Powered Industrial Systems and see how operators around the globe achieve solar success with Morningstar HERE:https://www.morningstarcorp.com/getindustrialguide

Orica introduces automated used oil recycling service for emulsion explosives manufacture

Orica (ORI:ASX) has successfully commissioned an automated used oil recycling service that enables treated used oil from mine sites to be used in the manufacture of quality emulsion for bulk explosives, reducing waste, cost and risks for customers and impact to the environment.

Mine sites where Orica’s site-based emulsion plants are located can now realise the benefits of Cyclo™ – a process which allows customers to transform used oil from heavy machinery into raw material for the manufacture of high-quality bulk explosives. When used in combination with Orica’s proprietary emulsifier technology, Cyclo™ offers customers a high-quality bulk explosive product, while reducing cost and risk associated with the disposal of used oil.

Delivering environmental and commercial benefits to customers, the fully containerised and automated Cyclo™ system is capable of treating up to 1000 litres of used oil per hour and is estimated to reduce up to 800,000 litres in diesel consumption annually per site for customers.

Orica’s Chief Technology Officer, Angus Melbourne said: “Cyclo is an example of how we are constantly looking for ways

to reduce the carbon footprint for our customers and Orica, while creating value to stakeholders. The benefit of the Cyclo service is its ability to fully integrate into

our onsite emulsion plants, enabling used oil from the mine to be directly recycled without leaving the site.”

Locations where Cyclo™ has been implemented have realised a reduction in diesel consumed in the production of bulk explosives by up to 50 per cent. Additional environmental benefits to customers are delivered by reducing heavy vehicle movements through local communities, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions through transport.

Cyclo™ units are currently installed across several customer sites in Africa and Asia/Oceania. Further installations in Latin America and more sites across Africa are slated for completion by the end of the year, while a version to suit arctic conditions is being developed for Canada, China and Mongolia.

For more information, visit orica.com/ Cyclo

A Cyclo™ service, fully integrated on a mine site, delivering environmental, cost and productivity benefits.

Bulk emulsion manufactured with Cyclo™ processed used oil

Canada and the Democratic Republic of Congo in prime position for private sector collaboration

To promote Congolese small and medium enterprises (SME), companies of all sizes and sectors are invited to take advantage of the opportunities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Chamber President Garreth Bloor commended businesses in both Canada and the DRC: “Following today’s program at PDAC in which the country took centre stage - I applaud and encourage the hundreds with us in-person as well as all investors who joined the livebroadcast, provided by 6ix.com.”

The ARSP ), the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Regulatory Authority for Subcontracting in the Private Sector, underscored major opportunities for market-solutions, driven by Canada’s private sector, at the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business VIP reception, held during PDAC – the annual convention in Toronto attended by approximately 24,000 mining industry delegates.

Prudence Djamboleka - Founder and Director of the DRC Outsourcing SME Yearly Fair - noted the following: “With the strategic vision of the Regularization Authority to promote Congolese small and medium enterprises (SME), companies of all sizes and sectors are invited to take advantage of the opportunities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on top of the already significant investments underway - alongside major trade opportunities.”

Speaking on behalf of the DRC delegation, Djamboleka added that the private sector investment and trade agenda “aligns with the message of His Excellency, President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi on the need to create a middle class in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

Presidential representatives and DRC business leaders were welcomed by Canadian executives and investors. The case for the DRC was set out by Mr.

Rock Bashala Kubindia of the Business Climate Unit in the Presidency as well as President Félix Tshisekedi’s newlyappointed Director General of the Congolese Council for Battery, Denis Lecouturier.

“Given the endowment in the country, it is no surprise the keynote speaker address at the world’s largest Africa-focused mining event earlier today was the DRC,” said Bruce Shapiro, a founder of MineAfrica Inc. and President Emeritus of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, who hosted the 24th Annual African Mining Breakfast in the hours preceding the VIP reception. “We have seen over many years - in the case of Ivanhoe Mines - how a Canadian company can have a presence and partnership in the DRC to the benefit of all,” he added.

Goodmans LLP, a top law firm who have supported the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, hosted the reception at their offices in the heart of Toronto’s Financial District. Randy McAuley, a leader in business law and partner at Goodmans LLP, said he was proud of the firm’s nearly 30-year association with the Chamber, while looking forward to a long and fruitful future to come - supporting and accelerating trade and investment through world-class networking and information-sharing events.

Next Steps - Join us in October at ‘Africa Accelerating’

From 10 to 12 October 2023, the CanadaAfrica Chamber of Business looks forward to welcoming African business leaders and entrepreneurs to Canada once again.

This year, the DRC’s Elephant Trade, who provide technical support in engineering, construction, and maintenance, have taken the lead as the first major sponsor of the annual 3-day forum. In recent years, Africa Accelerating has been opened by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and joined by African private and public sector leaders, who meet Canadian business executives.

Annual African Mining Breakfast with MineAfrica

Hitachi Energy high-voltage technology strengthens northern Namibian electricity backbone

Hitachi Energy’s leading high-voltage solutions will play a significant role in ensuring reliable power sup-ply in Oshakati, Ongwediva, Ondangwa and surrounding areas

As a pioneering technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, Hitachi Energy ,is delivering a comprehensive range of high-voltage equipment to leading hydropower construction company Sinohydro Corporation Limited, to enhance NamPower’s Kunene and Omatando substations in northern Namibia.

In order to meet Namibia’s rising electricity demand, NamPower, the country’s bulk electricity supplier, is implementing the two substations as part of the utility’s Transmission Master Plan , with the support of Sinohydro. The project will strengthen and expand the country’s transmission network and ensure reliable power supply throughout Namibia.

The development of the Kunene and Omatando substations will significantly increase electricity supply and reliability to Oshakati, Ongwediva, Ondangwa and

surrounding areas. The construction of these two substations is crucial to strengthening the northern Namibia transmission backbone. For this project, Hitachi Energy collaborated with Sinohydro for the supply of a comprehensive range of reliable highvoltage products including circuit breakers, instrument transformers, surge arresters and disconnectors to NamPower.

“We are proud to be collaborating with Sinohydro and NamPower in this key infrastructure expansion project that will contribute towards addressing Namibia’s electricity supply challenges. As a leader in high-voltage technology, our wellproven solutions enable our customers and partners to achieve uninterrupted power supply while enhancing the safety, reliability and efficiency of power networks,” said Malvin Naicker, Managing Director for Hitachi Energy Southern Africa.

“At NamPower, we strive to provide innovative electricity solutions in the South African Development Community (SADC) region. The Kunene and Omatando substation projects, which are in the implementation phase, form part of the NamPower Transmission Master Plan that is critical for improving energy reliability in the country. We are pleased to collaborate with Hitachi Energy on these projects that will help us achieve our goal of a more resilient power network in Namibia,” said Kahenge Haulofu, Managing Director of NamPower.

This cross-stakeholder collaboration is a solid commitment to bring solutions that advance national electrification in Namibia. In doing so, Hitachi Energy plays a critical role in transforming the world’s energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure.

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