Getting the most out of things: This is the motto of the company GHH Fahrzeuge GmbH from Gelsenkirchen, the global supplier of underground mining and tunnel construction vehicles and technology. With the inauguration of its new training centre not far from the Indian town of Udaipur, the manufacturer is now putting its know-how to profitable use and entering a huge growth market. The site in the north-west of the country is a smart choice: because markets in Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan are also easy to reach. India itself is seen as tomorrow’s mega market.
Domestic demand for raw materials is high, the supply limited: “A lot of the mineral resources have not yet even been located,” says Dr Jan Petzold, Managing Director of GHH headquarters in Gelsenkirchen. However: “The Indian government knows the situation and has taken action.” Foreign investors are now welcome. GHH has been proactive and erected a base with offices, training rooms, warehouse and an outdoor training area within the space of just six months.
The inauguration took place in April 2018. GHH at that point employed 80 workers; and this has grown to over 120. The site is primarily a training centre, but also houses a supply and spare parts warehouse for the surrounding mines belonging to the company Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL). “We don’t just train customers here, we also offer courses for mine operators and our own personnel of course,” says Rajeshwar Singh, Managing Director of GHH India Mining and Tunneling Equipment Pvt Ltd, the operator of the training centre.
A large part of the training is currently taken up by the workforce of a key HZL customer. Cooperation with Hindustan began even before the contract was signed for the Mochia mine and the training centre that was erected on the HZL grounds. In 2016 the GHH group delivered several loaders, dumpers and also drilling equipment to the Indian customer. This equipment is used in the Zawar Mala mine near Mochia. Zawar is one of the oldest mining areas in the world, going back more than a thousand years. Zinc and lead are the main products. Around 10 Mt, including the excavated material, are moved every year. The HZL headquarters are also located in the Udaipur region there. The mining company is huge; it has a 7,000-strong workforce and belongs to the Vedanta Group. HZL is the second largest zinc supplier in the world.
“We work with German thoroughness,” emphasises Petzold. Training takes places in lecture halls and also on-the-job with the equipment. To this end, GHH has stationed several of its special mining and tunnel construction vehicles on site. “Learning with actual equipment is much more effective than on a simulator,” says Petzold. This concept had already successfully been implemented in Zimbabwe where there has been a training center for the region for many years. Mochia is a ‘million-dollar project.’”
Students that pass the final exam leave the ‘GHH Mining Academy’ with a diploma. The equipment and use of the vehicles takes up a lot of space, says Petzold. GHH is one of very few manufacturers who focus on made-to-measure machine solutions. “Efficient vehicles plus in-depth user know-how are the key to productivity.” GHH attaches great importance to ensuring that any purchases made by the customer are worthwhile. If the concept in Mochia proves successful, other training centres will follow. GHH develops and manufactures, directly and in cooperation with subsidiaries, special vehicles such as loaders, dumpers, miners, mixers and drills for mining raw materials. The machines are also used to build roads, railways and hydraulic plants when developing sites. The company is part of the global Schmidt-Kranz Group that supplies a full range of mining machines, treatment plant and automation equipment for mines.
