Modern Mining October 2025

CRUSHING & SCREENING

Easing the crushing and screening cost burden With the recent launch of its fully electric Powertrac range of mobile crushers and screens from SRHeavy (SRH), Athos Crushing & Screening is unlocking significant cost gains for local contractors – both in terms of capital costs and cost of operation.

I n July 2025, Athos Crushing and Screening, a sister company to Pilot Crushtec International, marked a truly new era in the southern African crushing and screening industry by unveiling its fully electric range of mobile crushers and screens. The first three units to arrive are the Powertrack PT Pro J-11E mobile jaw crusher, the Powertrack PT Pro C-20E mobile cone crusher and the Powertrack PT Pro ST-08E mobile triple deck screen. The Powertrack PT Pro SP-08E mobile scalping screen is also immediately available for the local market. While these machines have dual-power versions, Athos Crushing and Screening is initially bringing fully electric units only. Going fully electric, Sales and Marketing Director Francois Marais says, inaugurates a new epoch in the local crushing and screening market. Speaking to Modern Mining, he says that while dual-powered machines have already gained significant traction in the past few years, the e-Power Powertrack offering is probably the first fully electric range to be commercially available in southern Africa, marking a major turning point in the region. Competitive capital cost One of the major reasons for going fully electric, confirms Marais, is to unlock significant cost benefits for local contractors. From the onset, the e-Power Powertrack range comes at a significantly competitive price point than comparable diesel units. This is The Powertrack PT Pro C-20E mobile cone crusher combines mobility, efficiency and low operating costs.

a complete departure from the global notion that fully electric units require a higher initial investment, although they are known to offset that quickly through savings on diesel fuel and maintenance. “One of the major cost benefits comes from the fact that these machines come at a competitive price point. With the absence of a costly diesel engine alone, we are already looking at a capital saving of 30 to 40% compared with comparable diesel-powered counterparts, which is a significant reduction to the upfront capital outlay. In such a challenging market, this gives local contractors the edge to price jobs competitively and secure contracts by attracting clients with cost effective bids,” Marais says. Central to the range’s cost competitiveness, adds Marais, is the fact that the machines are manufactured in China, inarguably the global leader in the electric revolution. The economies of scale in China, especially for electric components such as electric drives, provides for a notable cost advantage, making the e-Power Powertrack range an attractive crushing and screening solution for the local market, particularly for cost sensitive entry-level contractors. Lower operational costs Another leg of the cost reduction regime is driven by the fact that these fully electric mobile crushers eliminate costly diesel

28  MODERN MINING  www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | OCTOBER 2025