Modern Mining May 2019

COUNTRY FOCUS: BOTSWANA

Skyriders inspects smokestack at Sua Pan

S kyriders Access Specialists recently completed a fast-track smokestack in- spection for the Sua Pan operation of Botswana Ash (Botash) in preparation for a plant shutdown. Owned jointly by the Botswana government and Chlor Alkali Hold- ings, Botash produces natural sodium prod- ucts such as sodium and soda ash. The Sua Pan operation is about 180 km north-west of Francistown in northern Botswana and exports its products as far afield as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and the DRC. The plant has a nameplate capac- ity of 300 000 tonnes a year of soda ash and 650 000 tonnes a year of salt. Skyriders Marketing Manager Mike Zinn explains that the South African rope access, maintenance and inspection specialist was approached due to its extensive experience in visual inspections for smokestacks in particu- lar, having completed similar projects as far north as Mali. “We have a good footprint in the African mining industry. This includes a successful

10-year relationship with Resolute Mining’s Syama gold mine in Mali, for client Goudhurst of Australia, for example.” The Botash project was carried out by a two-person Skyriders team, with the senior technical manager carrying out the initial visual inspection. Based on this inspection, Skyriders anticipates being called upon to carry out fur- ther routine maintenance work at the Sua Pan operation during the official shutdown. “This was purely a visual inspection that required no rope-access work, due to the pres- ence of an extensive ladder network at the smokestack section. While being well within our scope of expertise, what stood out on this project was the thoroughness and the speed at which we were able to finalise the visual inspection work,” Zinn points out. Commenting on the continued scope for work in the mining industry in Africa, Zinn says that many mines are accelerating their maintenance and inspection programmes so as to optimise their production processes, in order to cut costs and streamline production. 

May 2019  MODERN MINING  41