When ash-producing fuels burn, combustion by-products accumulate on boiler heating surfaces – including tube banks, walls, screens, superheaters, reheaters and economisers. This buildup creates an insulating barrier that forces boilers to work harder, consuming more fuel and generating higher emissions to achieve the same output. Clean heating surfaces help boilers function more efficiently and reduce a power producing facility’s environmental footprint.

“Getting the most out of critical boiler-cleaning equipment like soot blowers requires proper lubrication,” says Gavin Ford, National Marketing Manager at Lubrication Engineers (LE) South Africa.

Soot blowers are used to keep combustion particles from sticking to boiler tube tanks. They can be retractable or rotary and help to clean heating surfaces of boilers fired with ash producing fuels. Several soot blowers are usually found on each level of the boiler tower.

In addition to soot blowers, many boilers have cleaning elements like retractable systems and water wall deslaggers to remove heavier slag deposits that accumulate on heating surfaces; air heater cleaners to keep air preheater surfaces clean for optimal heat transfer and combustion efficiency; and gunblowers and furnace probes that target specific problem areas where manual cleaning isn’t feasible.

Bühler Southern Africa is gearing up to exhibit its materials handling solutions at four upcoming Mining & Technical Exhibitions (MTE) taking place between July and October 2025. Known for its robust conveyors, chains, and customised process equipment, Bühler continues to support mining clients with solutions designed to thrive in Africa’s most demanding production environments.

The first stop will be Steelpoort in Limpopo on 31 July 2025, followed by two exhibitions in Zimbabwe – Ngezi on 19 August and Gweru on 21 August. The final leg of the series will take place in Lephalale, Limpopo on 16 October.

With decades of local expertise and access to global innovation, Bühler Southern Africa delivers complete conveying systems, spare parts, refurbishment services, and shutdown support for the mining and minerals processing industry. These systems are engineered to perform in harsh environments where reliability and uptime are critical.

Bühler’s conveying technology is built for durability in high-temperature, abrasive and corrosive applications. Whether moving hot clinker, chrome, cement, or dust-laden coal, the equipment on display is designed to reduce maintenance intervals, lower operating costs, and extend service life helping clients minimise downtime and maximise throughput.

Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe says Government will be relying on partners such as Non-Ferrous China Africa (NFCA) mining to actualise its dream of ramping up copper production to three million tonnes by 2031.

Speaking when he officiated at the NFCA’s 25th anniversary in Zambia at a ceremony in Chambishi on Monday 25th September 2023, Mr. Kabuswe said Government will continue levelling the playing field in the mining sector so as to encourage investments from giants such as NFCA.

He said NFCA’s presence in Zambia in the last 25 years in no mean achievement or coincidence but a confirmation that the country is a good investment destination.

The Minister praised NFCA for investments exceeding US$1.5 billion as at the end of 2022 and contributing over US$350 million to the treasury though taxes.

“I am confident that the planned expansion of the South East Ore Boady, which will result in increasing copper production to 110,000 metric tonnes, will come along with an employment boost and technological transfer, looking at the level of automation,” he said.

NFCA Chief Executive Officer Zhamyan Li said the company’s investment has culminated into the creation of about 5,600 local jobs over the years.

Mr. Li also said the company plans to invest another US$400 million that will create 2,400 jobs and increase annual copper production to 110,000 tonnes.

NFCA Group Chairperson Xi Zhengping said President Hakainde Hichilema’s recent visit to China will inject new impetus into Zambia’s social and economic development agenda.

ZCCM-IH Board Chairperson Kakenenwa Muyangwa said the company appreciates NFCA’s level of commitment to Zambia as evidenced by the payment of US$10.1 million in dividends to ZCCM-IH in 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2022 respectively. Mr. Muyangwa said the board appreciates the level of commitment by NFCA in expanding the mine and creating jobs for the local people.

The rescue of 246 surviving illegal miners from the Stilfontein shaft in less than three days was enabled by a locally designed and manufactured Mobile Mines Rescue Winder (MMRW), equipped with world-first capabilities – including the ability to operate to a depth of 3 km.

“The MMRW performed flawlessly. Our MMRW demonstrated South Africa’s capacity to develop world-class solutions and contribute to a safer global mining future,” says Gauteng-based Tech Edge Group executive chairperson Russell Moore.

Tech Edge was responsible for the winder’s conception, design and manufacture.

On January 10, the Gauteng High Court ordered the rescue of illegal miners who had refused to exit Shafts 10 and 11 of the former Buffelsfontein Gold Mine, at Stilfontein, in the North West, for more than three months. The mine had closed in 2013 when its operations were no longer financially viable.

Mines Rescue Services (MRS) South Africa, the owner and operator of a Tech Edge MMRW, led the rescue operation.

According to Tech Edge MD Bannister Erasmus, he received a phone call just before 20:00 on January 12 from MRS CEO Mannas Fourie, asking Erasmus to have a team on site at the mine early the next morning.

Erasmus says the ground around the shaft had been somewhat cleared over the weekend and that, after on-site tests of the MMRW, the first cage of people was brought to the surface at about midday from a depth of 1.4 km.

The MMRW’s live camera feeds, from below the cage, inside the cage and on top of the cage, gave the surface team three different views of the interior of the shaft, while the communication system allowed messages to be relayed between the miners and the rescue team.

Although the cage’s recommended passenger count is six, Erasmus says most of the miners were so emaciated that about 11 people could be accommodated per trip.

Emergency workers were on site to treat the rescued illegal miners. Those healthy enough were arrested while the frail were sent to hospital under police guard.

Moore and Erasmus agree that, had it not been for the MMRW, which was designed to move on both national roads and extremely rough terrain, the rescue would not have been possible.

Despite site preparation being done over the weekend, the area remained rugged.

“For any other machine to have operated on the site, a concrete foundation would first have had to be laid,” Moore says.

Tech Edge support staff, including a mechanical and an electrical engineer, were on site 24/7 to monitor the rescue system.

“The immense time spent on research and development in bringing the MMRW to fruition paid off,” Erasmus says.

The rescue operation ended late on January 15.

The MMRW’s development was inspired by the 2010 Chilean mining disaster, where a lengthy rescue operation highlighted the need for more efficient and mobile rescue equipment.

When 33 miners were trapped in Chile’s San Jose mine after a massive rockfall, a standard Tech Edge winder was airlifted to the disaster site as part of Murray & Roberts’ response to the Chilean government’s call for assistance.

“Despite several countries with expert mining skills being involved in the rescue operation, it took 69 days to eventually retrieve the miners, who initially survived on emergency rations and water from a spring and radiators.

“The incident got me thinking about how a comparable situation would be handled in South Africa. I realised we needed to develop better equipment, and that this equipment would need the capabilities to go anywhere, and to do so quickly,” Moore says.

Once Moore’s ideas for the MMRW were fleshed out by Tech Edge’s team, he took the design to MRS, which commissioned the company to complete the MMRW project.

Moore explains that the winder needed to operate under extreme conditions and that human lives would depend on its flawless performance.

“To mitigate any risk, every component is designed with redundant systems,” he says.

The winder was tested and commissioned at one of the world’s deepest mines, Gold Fields’ South Deep Twin Shafts, near Johannesburg, in January 2021. It was then licensed by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).

Subsequently, Tech Edge developed another winder for shallower mines, with 1 km depth capabilities, which MRS also acquired.

“A similar machine was delivered to a company sinking a diamond mine in Botswana,” Moore says.

Following the events in Stilfontein, Moore and Erasmus believe South Africa needs more licensed mobile rescue units.

To ensure rapid deployment, the rescue winder needed to be easily transportable, capable of navigating diverse terrains, and road-legal without requiring special permits.

In addition, it needed to be a self-contained system, with a power supply and sheave wheel deployment.

The winder drive and control systems are considerably more complex and sophisticated than similar machines because of the significantly increased depth of wind.

India has dispatched a team of geologists to Zambia to assess copper and cobalt deposits, a strategic move aimed at securing a stable supply of key minerals essential for its energy transition goals. The initiative underscores India’s accelerating efforts to forge government-to-government agreements for raw materials amid tightening global markets.

The Zambian government has allocated a 9,000 square-kilometer area to India for a three-year exploration project, according to two Indian government sources familiar with the plan. The focus will be on cobalt, a vital component for electric vehicle batteries and mobile phones, and copper, a cornerstone of the electronics, construction, and power generation sectors.

This development comes as India grapples with increasing import dependency. The country’s copper imports surged to 1.2 million metric tons in the fiscal year ending March 2025, a 4% increase year-on-year. This rise is partly attributed to the 2018 closure of Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper smelter. Meanwhile, cobalt oxide imports climbed 20% to 693 metric tons in 2024/25, highlighting India’s almost total reliance on foreign supply for the metal.

The exploration team, which will conduct most of its analysis in Indian laboratories, is expected to make multiple trips to the region. Following the assessment, the Indian government plans to seek a mining lease from Zambia and may open the door for private-sector participation.

The move in Zambia is part of a broader strategy by New Delhi to secure critical mineral resources from resource-rich nations. India has been in discussions with several African countries and is also exploring opportunities in Australia and Latin America. In March, it was reported to be negotiating an initial agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo for cobalt and copper supplies, with an Indian delegation having recently toured mines in the country.

This renewed push reflects India’s growing vulnerability to global supply chain pressures and its determination to build a domestic industrial base for electric vehicles and renewable energy. Securing these assets is seen as crucial for the country’s long-term economic and strategic interests

Critics have recently argued that Zambia is being left shortchanged by mining giant Barrick, as the country has failed to secure equitable benefits compared to its regional peers.

In 2024, Barrick generated US$1.063 billion in revenue from its Tanzanian operations, recording an EBITDA margin of 52% and paying US$95 million in income tax, equivalent to nine cents in every dollar earned. In stark contrast, Zambia’s mines produced US$855 million in revenue but only contributed US$1 million in income tax, a mere fraction of a cent in the dollar.

Observers question how Barrick could report an EBITDA of US$379 million in Zambia yet declare a gross profit of only US$36 million. They argue that weak policies, including tax concessions, have left Zambia with little to show. “Whilst in Tanzania they asked Barrick to contribute to infrastructure development, here in Zambia we were grovelling, even making royalties tax deductible. Even the US$2 million they spend annually on community relations is expensed,” explained a critic.

The disparity has sparked debate on whether Zambia is prioritising external approval over national interest. “Whilst Tanzanians are fighting for equitable mining and trying to mop up as much from internal resources, here in Zambia we are fighting to be the poster child of the IMF. We behave as if someone has promised us the trophy of being the most ‘reasonable’ nation on earth. We willingly take food out of our mouths to feed others but wonder why our people remain malnourished, sickly and stunted,” concluded the critic.