TAKRAF builds on West Africa success with new crushing, screening & conveying system for SNIM

TAKRAF Group has announced the signing of a major contract with Societe Nationale Industrielle et Miniere (SNIM) for the supply of a complete iron ore crushing, screening, and material handling system, along with a train loading station for the F’Derick project in Mauritania.

It is TAKRAF’s second major contract award in West Africa recently following the signing of a contract with Rio Tinto in November 2023 for an integrated in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) service for the Simandou iron ore complex.

The F’Derick iron ore deposit, known for its natural richness in haematite, is part of SNIM’s iron ore complex in Mauritania. With current production of approximately 12 Mt/y, SNIM aims to increase this to 18 Mt/y through the development of the F’Derick project, thereby contributing to the country’s iron ore production.

The contract, signed at the end of 2023, marks a key milestone as SNIM begins development work on site. An inauguration ceremony was held in the presence of Mauritanian President of State Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, underscoring the importance of this collaboration.

Highlights of TAKRAF’s scope of supply include for Lot 1 a primary crushing plant; apron feeder; belt conveyor CV-1; secondary crushing plant with pre-screening; belt conveyor CV-2 and transfer tower TT-1 and required auxiliary systems and accessories. Lot 2 includes belt conveyor CV-5; a train loading (loadout) station plus wequired auxiliary systems and accessories. TAKRAF designed the system in order to feed the train load-out station with an average loading rate of 100 wagons per hour. Delivery of the equipment to the port of Nouadhibou is expected to be completed within approximately two years.

Commenting on the award, Thomas Jabs, CEO of TAKRAF Group, said: “This project is of paramount importance to the country of Mauritania and is a testament to the excellent cooperation and expertise of SNIM and the TAKRAF Group. Our teams from Europe, South Africa, North America and Asia will work seamlessly to leverage their skills and knowledge. We would like to thank SNIM for their trust in our capabilities, the State of Mauritania for their support and all the planning and design teams involved. This award underlines our global strength in delivering complex bulk handling systems.”

Norbert Neumann, TAKRAF Group Sales Manager responsible for securing the project, adds: “The F’Derick project deepens our longstanding partnership with SNIM, which began over a decade ago and further strengthens TAKRAF’s commitment to contribute to the growth and prosperity of the region. SNIM remains an important client for TAKRAF, and we expect many more success stories to come. Our collaboration, dating back to the early 2000s, demonstrates our reliability, successful project implementations, and service-oriented approach. We would like to thank SNIM for their continued trust and constructive collaboration.”