Tag Archives: Sasol

Sandvik LS312 LHD makes its way to Sasol underground operation

Coal technology, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

Less than a year after announcing the introduction of the flame-proof LS312 underground loader, Sandvik Mining and Rock technology has dispatched its first South African unit to Sasol’s Sigma underground coal mine, near Sasolburg in Free State Province.

Sandvik said earlier this month that the first LS312 unit was signed off and ready for delivery, with IM later discovering the machine was destined for Sigma.

Earlier this year, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technologies’ Product Support Manager, Richard Hickson, said the first active units would start rolling off the local production line in the June quarter.

“The LS312 loader is an enhanced 12 t high-capacity heavy-duty utility vehicle, building on the best features of our 10 t LS190 and 12 t LS190S models,” Hickson said. “This raises the bar once more in terms of better performance, reduced emissions and lower total cost of ownership.”

Powered by the C7.1 mechanical engine, the new generation LS312 complies with Tier II emission standards while ensuring quieter and more efficient operation, according to Sandvik. The integrated exhaust after-treatment systems also reduce personnel exposure to harmful diesel emissions.

“Customers’ productivity will benefit from increased engine performance, with 20% higher torque and 8% more power,” Hickson said at the time. “The lower rpm at which the machine can run also translates into less engine wear and lower emission levels.”

Hickson highlighted that the new design continues to include a focus on reliability and maintenance, with the drivetrain enhanced with a 12 t axle, and the structural integrity of the front frame strengthened.

Maintenance crews will have easier access to hydraulic test points, which are now located in a panel on the side of the machine, making for safer working practices, Sandvik says. In addition, the improved cooling system will further reduce maintenance time.

The product also offers an optional electronic shutdown system, providing easier fault diagnosis and reducing the mean time to repair.

With the industry-driven need for the collection of machine and operational information, the Sandvik LS312 LHD offers an on-board data monitoring capability allowing for transfer of information via the mine’s Wi-Fi network and management through the My Sandvik Cloud platform.

“Safety is paramount in all our designs, and a proximity detection interface is now provided as standard,” Hickson says. “The lower frame design – facilitating improved visibility for the operator –has been retained in the LS312.”

Enaex and Sasol start up Southern Africa explosives joint venture

Explosives and blasting, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , ,

Integrated chemicals and energy company Sasol and Enaex, a subsidiary of the Sigdo Koppers Group, have announced the start of operations in Southern Africa.

The new explosives joint venture, Enaex Africa, started operating today on July 1, 2020.

In 2017, Sasol commenced with an asset review to ensure all assets in its global portfolio delivered against financial metrics and were aligned with the company’s growth strategy, the company said.

“In line with this review, Sasol’s explosives business was identified as having substantial growth potential that could be unlocked through collaboration opportunities, including the possibility of partnering with a world-class explosives brand,” Sasol said.

In June 2019, after the evaluation process, Enaex SA was selected as Sasol’s preferred strategic partner to create an explosives business on the African continent.

The new company will operate under the name of Enaex Africa. Enaex will be the majority shareholder and will take over management and operational control of the entity from July 1. Enaex, in association with Sasol, will comprise certain assets and associated activities spun off from the current explosives and rock fragmentation value chain of the base chemicals business of Sasol South Africa. This joint venture includes the associated business activities in both South Africa and other countries in Southern Africa.

Sasol President and CEO, Fleetwood Grobler, said: “We are delighted to announce that on July 1, 2020, Enaex Africa in association with Sasol, will officially start operating in South Africa and on the African Continent. Enaex is a Chilean company celebrating 100 years of history and leadership in the explosives business in South America and together with Sasol will be a force to be reckoned with in the mining industry.”

Founded in 1920 in Chile, Enaex’s core business is ammonium nitrate production – Enaex is the third-largest industrial grade ammonium nitrate producer in the world – explosives production and blasting services, according to Sasol.

“Enaex is also one of the few explosives companies in the world that can produce and offer the entire spectrum of products and solutions to execute the blasting process,” Sasol said. “The company has subsidiaries in 11 countries, including Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, France, the US, Mexico and Australia, and exports to more than 40 countries all over the world.”

Enaex, provides blasting services to some of the major mining companies in the world, such as Anglo American, BHP, Codelco, KGHM, Glencore, Vale, Yamana Gold and Teck Resources.

This deal is part of the strategic plan of Enaex to continue strengthening its international presence in the most important mining regions of the world, according to Sasol.

Francisco Baudrand, CEO of Enaex Africa, said: “This is truly an incredible day for Enaex with a new venture on a new continent. This joint venture is a platform of growth for Enaex not only in Southern Africa, but also for us to become the leaders in explosives and blasting services for the mining industry on the African continent.”

Meaningful participation for BBBEE has also been catered for in the shareholding structure in line with South Africa’s transformation agenda, which is fully supported by both Sasol and Enaex.

ENAEX and Sasol sign explosives and rock fragmentation JV to service southern Africa

Comminution of minerals, Explosives and blasting, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, , , , , ,

ENAEX, a subsidiary of the Sigdo Koppers Group, says it has reached an agreement with integrated energy and chemical company, Sasol, to become a strategic partner of its explosives and rock fragmentation division.

The agreement, signed this week after a negotiation process initiated last July, considers ENAEX to take part in the business as the controlling partner of this firm, it said. This would be formed by spinning off certain assets and associated activities within the current explosives value chain of the Base Chemicals business of Sasol South Africa.

The new joint venture company will include the associated business activities in both South Africa and the rest of the countries in Southern Africa, with the explosives division having over 1,000 employees, producing more than 350,000 t/y of explosives and generating around $250 million of revenue annually, ENAEX says.

Sasol was founded in 1950 and is today a participant in the explosives industry in South Africa, with a presence also in Namibia and Lesotho.

Juan Andrés Errázuriz, ENAEX CEO, said: “Having successfully completed the process to become a strategic partner of Sasol is a very relevant milestone for Enaex. By this, we have taken a big step in consolidating our company in international markets and expanding the value offer for our customers.”

Errázuriz said, because of its size, Africa was currently the third largest explosive market in the world, with significant growth potential.

“Towards its progress, we can contribute with the extensive knowledge, technology and innovation that we have been developing in the rock fragmentation industry for mining,” he said.

This joint venture is part of the strategic plan of ENAEX to continue strengthening its international presence in the most important mining regions of the world and is subject to any necessary approvals from public authorities, it said.

Africa’s longest single flight conveyor up and running at Sasol’s Shondoni coal mine

Bulk handling, Coal technology, Energy minerals, Mineral commodities, Mineral project development, Mining project news,

Sasol has inaugurated its new Shondoni coal mine in Mpumalanga, South Africa, as part of a ceremony attended by Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe.

Shondoni is part of the company’s ZAR14 billion (US$1.03 billion) mine replacement programme, which is geared towards keeping its southern African power facilities operational until 2050.
Meaning ‘a place of wealth’, Shondoni replaces Sasol’s Middelbult mine, which has reached the end of its life.

The mine is modern in many respects, according to Sasol, and is differentiated from the rest of its other five coal mines in its use of renewable energy, which includes the use of solar geysers to heat pumps.

The mine also holds the record of having the longest single flight conveyor without an intermediate booster drive in Africa, at 21km. The whole mine site has seven conveyors with a total approximate length of 30km, which require some 5MW of energy, according to one of the project contractors ELB Engineering.

Over the next 30 years, Shondoni is expected to deliver between 8-9 million tonnes of coal per annum.

Sasol Mining is South Africa’s third largest coal producer and runs one of the world’s largest underground coal-mining complexes. It produces over 40Mt of coal annually of which more than 90% is used as critical feedstock for the production of Sasol’s high quality synthetic fuels and a wide range of chemicals.