Modern Mining December 2017

COVER STORY

of the Bateman group before it was acquired in 2012 by Tenova. “Such longevity of operation has not only given us an extensive track record of projects, but also provides our clients with the peace of mind that we will be around to support our projects and products over their complete product lifecycle,” Späth emphasises. “In 2017, for example, we replaced a TAKRAF dynamic scrubber that was installed at a dia- mond mine in Botswana in 1998 but which had reached the end of its economic life due to normal wear and tear.” A further advantage that TAKRAF Africa brings to the marketplace is its experience. While the company has a young and energetic team, it has also managed to attract and retain well-known specialists in the fields in which it operates. Investing in upliftment Other major developments in the year included TAKRAF Africa’s accreditation as a level 2 Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) company, with the company having received particularly high scores in terms of Black ownership and enterprise and supplier development. “While we are proud of this achievement, which is relatively unique in our market sector, for us empowerment is so much more than sim- ply a regulatory or legislative requirement. For TAKRAF Africa, empowering and uplifting our communities is a philosophy – a way of doing business that we carry through to all our proj- ects beyond the borders of South Africa. “The end goal for us is not the B-BBEE grad- ing but the contribution that we can make to the social and economic transformation of the communities in which we operate – a means to give back and address historical and social disparities.” Delivering the best “Of the projects completed in 2017, the design and supply of an in-plant conveyor system for the new milling/crushing facility at a gold mine in the Republic of Guinea is indicative of the growing demand for the company’s prod- uct offering from Central and West Africa,” says Späth. The contract forms part of the expansion to the plant and comprised the supply of eight new in-plant conveyors and modifications to the existing conveyors. Two semi-mobile Bradford Breakers were also delivered in 2017, within a year of TAKRAF Africa unveiling these innovative machines.

The machines, supplied to two junior open- cast coal miners operating in Mpumalanga, Overlooked Colliery and Black Wattle Colliery, offer the benefits of the traditional breaker in a more compact machine. “Equipment offering low capital cost and ease of transport, installation and mainte- nance is crucial to the junior and small miners who are increasingly exploiting the small coal resources that remain,” adds Späth. TAKRAF Africa’s solid/liquid separation specialist, Delkor Sub-Saharan Africa, deliv- ered two Delkor high rate thickener drives and internals to site for a coal mine in Limpopo.

TAKRAF Africa is nearing the conclusion of the second phase of the Boiler Emis- sions Abatement (BEA) plant project at Impala Platinum Refineries in Springs.

Two rapid train-loading stations were supplied for a coal project in Mozambique.

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