Security, Stability crucial to thriving mining industry -Chamber of Mines boss

By Eugene Davis

Speaking at the opening of the three-day 5th Edition of the Ghana Mining and Energy Summit in Accra, Dr. Koney said “Security stands as a critical pillar in the success of any mining operation. The safety and well-being of our workforce and host communities, the protection of our assets and investment, as well as the preservation of the environment, are paramount.

We, therefore, recognize the indispensable role that e ective security measures play in fostering a conducive environment for

Request for Expressi ons of Interest – Minerals Process Plant Electrical, Instrumentation and Communications Construction

(For Firms Strictly Incorporated in Ghana with Exclusive Ghanaian Directors and Shareholders )

Newmont Africa , a subsidiary of Newmont Corporation (the world's largest gold mining company ) and operator of the Ahafo South and Akyem mines, is requesting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from eligible, capable, and suitably quali ed companies for the provision of electrical, instrumentation and communications (EI & C ) c onstruction s ervices for a m inerals p rocess p lant for its Ahafo North Project The Project is located in the Ahafo Region of Ghana, near Afrisipakrom, approximately 20km S outh -east of Sunyani.

General

(For Firms Strictly Incorporated in Ghana with Exclusive Ghanaian Directors and Shareholders)

(For Firms Strictly Incorporated in Ghana with Exclusive Ghanaian Directors and Shareholders)

T he scope of the s ervices includes electrical, instrumentation and communications (EI & C) c onstruction and installation services for the minerals process plant and associated infrastructure The process plant includes primary crushing, live stockpile, semi autogenous grinding (SAG), ball milling , pebble crushing), pre -leach thickening, carbon - in -leach (CIL) circuit, elution circuit, gold smelting facility, tailings disposal pumping system , and all associated reagent, water and air services

The non -process infrastructure scope includes EI & C installation for o ces, workshops, warehouses, bulk fuel storage and distribution facility, mine workshop , and other mine maintenance facilities

The Project is to be executed over a 1 5 -month period and will cover the following:

High Voltage (HV), Low Voltage (LV), instrument ation and communications cabling installation (150 km of cable)

Cable terminations including cable glanding and lugging.

Cable supports / ladder installation (4 km of cable ladder)

Instrumentation installation

Electrical equipment installatio n – includes installation of free -issued outdoor motor control cabinets ( MCCs ) for remote pumping stations, eld control panels, remote IO panels, eld instrument junction boxes, brackets, xings, and cable supports 8 o free -issued prefabr icated switch room buildings – work includes t ie -in, testing and pre -commissioning

5 o d istribution transformers – installation, termination and testing of HV and LV power, and earth cabling

Mechanical equipment – EI & C installation, testing and pre -commissioning of all mechanical equipment installed by others

Electrical eld devices installation.

Lighting and small power installation , testing and pre -commissioning of distribution boards, general area lighting , general p ower o utlets (GPO) an d three phase outlets.

Earthing installation including ladder, structural and equipment bonding.

I nstallation of underground buried EI & C services

Testing and pre -commissioning

Minimum Criteria

Interested o rganizations must demonstrate that they can meet the following minimum criteria:

Company is registered with the relevant regulatory and professional bodies. This includes but is not limited to the Ghana Minerals Commission We require all appropriate company documentation to meet this requirement

Capability statement and proven records of successfully providing similar previous minerals process plant EI & C construction services within the mining industry We require an experience statement with veri able references for the last three projects to support this capabilit y

References provided must include customer organization name, customer name/contract number, date contract was awarded, contract reference with brief description, country/location, value of contract , and date contract was completed

Details t hat demonstrate the company has current capacity and capability to perform the EI & C construction services in addition to oth er current projects and any projects tendered but yet to be awarded I nformation to include labour, equipment , and temporary facilities resources available within the company

Financial strength and ability to provide uninterrupted EI & C construction s ervices for a minimum of two years We require supporting document ation to demonstrate this capability including the company’s turnover in the last two years, pre -tax pro t (or los s) for the past two years, net worth / shareholders’ funds (or net liabilities) at the date of the latest accounts , present cash/credit position , and the company’s normal means of funding major contract works

Full compliance with all applicable health , safety, environmental, and any other relevant and/or applicable standards We require health and safety management plan, and environmental management plan to suppor t this capability. Provide safety and environmental performance records for the past ve years, indicating workplace injury, disease, and envir onmental incident statistics Details must include year, period of record, hours worked, fatalities, rst aid i njuries, medically treated injuries, restricted work injuries, days lost , and lost time injury rate per 200,000 man -hours worked.

Robust quality management system (Quality Assurance/Quality Control – QA/QC) to e ectively execute the EI & C construction services. Well de ned company structure and veri able evidence of competency of employees.

Please express your interest by submitting an e -mail to AhafoNorthTenderBox@Newmont com indicating the name of your company, contact person , and telephone details You shou ld also include all the requisite documents demonstrating your ability to comply with the above minimum criteria.

All e xpression s of interest should be accompanied by a formal letter on the interested service provider’s letterhead (submitted to the above e -mail address), with subject “A HN _RFI -1 7 00 -2023 – Electrical, Instrumentation and Communications Constru ction Services ” by close of business (5:00 p m GMT) on Wednesday , 13 th June , 2023 broad-based socio-economic development and investment through responsible mining investment. Through collaborative e orts, deployment of appropriate technology, and adopting a holistic and integrated approach to development, we can create a secure and stable environment that allows our industries in various sectors to co-exist and leverage the presence of each other to create the synergies that undoubtedly create value for our country.”

He also called for the empowering of local communities and creation of opportunities for employment, skills development, and entrepreneurship, which he reckons can unlock the true potential of natural resources for broad-based socio-economic development. For him, the Ghana Chamber of Mines remains committed to driving initiatives that enhance local capacity, promote social inclusion, and nurture a sense of shared ownership of the value generated from our natural resources.

Green minerals policy

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor on his part said Cabinet will soon give its nod on a new policy on Green Minerals that is before expected to guide exploitation of the emerging green minerals sector,

It is anticipated that the policy will end the exportation of critical minerals including lithium, bauxite and iron among others in their raw state, which denies the country opportunity to add real value to the economy.

He maintained that the goal is to ensure that, as much as possible, the country retains the value chain of these and other minerals in the country’s future.

The minister said “Indeed, as at today, we have before Cabinet for its consideration a policy on the green minerals of our country, which, hope- fully, will jettison the age-old exportation of raw minerals in favour of value addition.”

The convergence of these two sectors, mining, and energy, presents us with a unique opportunity to shape our destiny and build a sustainable and prosperous nation using clean energy and responsible mining practices. We must unlock the full potential of our mining and energy sectors for local industrialisation. And do so in a manner that ensures energy eciency, environmental protection, and responsible ecosystem management for climate action.

Further, he indicated that the country must prioritise sustainable practices and adopt an approach that balances economic growth, social equity, and environmental stewardship. It is through this approach “that we can ensure the preservation of our natural resources for future generations while reaping the maximum bene ts for our pres- ent population.”

He also called for the diversi cation of the country’s energy mix and reducing reliance on fossil fuels,in order to mitigate the impact of climate change, and create a resilient energy infrastructure, and provide a ordable and reliable power to all citizens, regardless of their location.

Newmont Ahafo North Mine progressing

The Director, Communications and External Relations at Newmont Ghana Gold, David Ebo Johnson said the summit was signi cant given the conversations around energy transition, green technology, which he says provides a platform for companies to demonstrate the steps they are taking towards energy transition.

He also touched on the Ahafo North Mine which he said “we making a lot of progress, as a I speak to you now, we have about 96 percent of the required land for construction, we have a few outstanding land take issues which we are sorting through but construction has begun, and the exciting thing about it is that this work is going to be done by locals.”

The Mine is expected to be completed in the next ve years and when operational is expected to generate an average of 300Koz in the rst 5 years of its initial 13 year-mine life. After over 100 years of mining, Ghana’s mining industry continues to be dominated and controlled by foreign interest, with over 99 percent of mining companies being foreign, owning 90 percent of the shares, with government left with a paltry 10 percent carrying interest.

The Ghana Mining and Energy Summit and Exhibition is a biennial conference organised by Ghana Chamber of Mines and is under the theme “Harnessing Mining and Energy Potential for Sustainable National Development”.