Modern Mining December 2020

BULK MATERIALS HANDLING

Bulk materials handling: the state of the market, demand drivers and trends

Reportlinker finds that the global bulk material handling products and technologies market is expected to grow by a CAGR of 1,5% over the forecast period 2018 – 2024, driven largely by the expanding demand for bulk material handling products in the mining industry. In this feature, we focus on the state of the bulk material handling market, demand drivers and some new trends in the sector. By Mark Botha .

A ddressing the growing demand for bulk materials handling equip- ment in the mining sector, Major Wire Industries business develop- ment manager for Africa and Australia John Pelser says there has been a paradigm shift in recent years to bulk

mine owner buys the coal from the contractor at a guaranteed price per tonne or price per metre for either a fixed duration or life-of-mine. “An increased emphasis on plant utilisation is a key factor here and mining contractors are achiev- ing, at the very least, comparative plant utilisation results from mobile equipment, compared to more traditional means.” The analysis validating the reduced operating costs has also steered a growing acceptance within mining houses and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) towards mobile equipment as the sector moves increasingly away from what would be considered the “traditional” means to move dry bulk material. “The ability to meet safety and environmental requirements using bespoke mobile solutions is also a substantial gain for the mobile sector.” BLT World MD Ken Mouritzen says the COVID-19 pandemic has “changed the way we do business” and will permanently alter how production plants operate and how all industries function.

material handling products and technologies that focus on safer working conditions while optimising overall production. “In my opinion,” he says, “the need for this equip- ment is a significant challenge for many African mining end-users compared to users in developed countries because the cost of importing bulk mate- rials handling equipment inflates operating costs significantly.” Astec Industries marketing manager Mairead McCrory concurs. She says mobile equipment has increased in popularity across all sectors due to the need to increase flexibility, productivity and effi- ciency, and to minimise Capex investment where possible. “The reduced need for planning or civil infrastructure is another factor contributing to the growing trend towards mobile equipment, as is the ability to use the same equipment along several parts of the logistics chain from pit to port, pit to plant or port to plant.” She says the mining industry, like many others, is susceptible to variable factors such as political insta- bility and volatile commodity prices. “For some, the true benefit of mobile equipment lies in the ability to disassemble, remove from the site or country and relocate or resell globally into another mine or quarrying application.” For others, she says, the benefit lies with the ability to obtain third-party funding more easily for mobile equipment compared to static equipment. Mobile equipment also often lends itself better to finance programs such as leasing. “The initially lower outlay is a much more attrac- tive risk, given the number of variables in the industry.” Mining trends have also shown a rise in contract mining, which works on a fixed price whereby the

John Pelser, Major Wire Industries business development manager for Africa and Australia.

Ken Mouritzen, MD of BLT World.

16  MODERN MINING  December 2020