Bedeschi, leader in bulk material handling for more than a century, has outstanding experience in realizing complete bulk solutions for the mining sector.

The company can handle any kind of raw materials and additives and provides the design, engineering and manufacturing of integrated solutions covering every company’s needs from quarry extraction to storage, including crushing units, apron feeders, stackers and reclaimers, combined bucket wheel, shiploaders, belt conveyors and pipe conveyors. In particular, in the mining sector, Bedeschi can also offer a wide variety of apron feeders, normal-duty crushers, heavy-duty crushers, stationary units, semi-mobile units and mobile units.

In the past year Bedeschi has completed the supply of a tailor-made plant in Takoradi Port in Ghana boosting its production and revolutionizing the management of the whole terminal.

In 2019, the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA) started the upgrading and mechanization of the Takoradi Bulk Jetty Terminal to significantly increase the throughput of bulk minerals for both export and import. In 2021, Bedeschi was awarded the supply. The scope of works included the design, procurement, manufacturing, supply, construction, supervision to installation, testing and commissioning and staff training for the Cargo Handling Equipment in the Port of Takoradi.

The scope of the project was the supply of handling equipment and services for bauxite and manganese in export and clinker and other materials that are imported.

Bedeschi supplied:

Belt conveyor systems for a total length of av. 3 km;
Two shiploaders A-Frame type mod. 50/1400;
One eco-hopper.
The 2 shiploaders and the eco-hopper were delivered fully erected from the company shipyard directly to the client jetty with a dedicated heavy lift vessel after the Cold Test, to reduce site works and allow the end user to start the operations in a very short time once the machines reached the site.

Delivery of full-erected equipment
The project involves state-of-the-art equipment in terms of environmental standards (dust collection and de-dusting system specifically designed for this application). All the conveyors are closed, including the section where tippers and eco-hoppers are operating, reducing drastically dust emissions.

During the engineering phase, the company designed the machines to facilitate the operation and meet the highest health and safety standards.

The scope involved also, the provision of a computerized control system. Eventually, the machines, managed by VFD, are designed to increase the handling capacity of the bulk jetty terminal by 25%.

With Bedeschi’s proven experience and know-how, the client has complete support on the project execution, from the design to the commissioning.

Before the mechanization of the dry bulk handling, loading was carried out at the new jetty, via barges from the old Clinker jetty as well as at berth no. 2 of the old jetty. Berth 2 provided the possibility of mechanized manganese loading of vessel up to 25,000 DWT (Handy size Class). A Jetty at the north also provided the possibility of berthing vessels up to 100,000 DWT (Capsize Class) but it was not mechanized and used vessels’ own gears for berth operation and trucks for the horizontal transport between berth and stockpiles.

The historical Bulk Jetty Terminal had only the possibility to deliver the minerals from trucks to the vessels only by grab cranes, with limitations on the operational performances.

The same was for the import of clinker and other materials, with delivery directly to the trucks.

Additionally, the layout was prone to serious dust and noise pollution from loading and stevedoring activities.

The terminal before Bedeschi supply

Photo showing original plan of Bulk Handling Jetty

Area A – the new bulk jetty with the following major characteristics:

800 m Quay Wall at -16 m CD depth, divided into 3 berths of equal length, one berth for Clinker, one for Bauxite and one for Manganese ore.

Area B – Bauxite stockpile area.

Area C – Manganese Stockpile area.

The design, procurement, shipping, installation, and commissioning of the equipment covered a period of 18 months. This was a major achievement despite COVID-19 related challenges.

Belts Conveyor under construction

Upon completion of the installation of the equipment, in December 2022, the President of Ghana, his excellence Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo, participated in the Sod-Cutting ceremony with other dignitaries to earmark this ambitious effort to expand and boost the export of bauxite and manganese and import of clinker to support the industrialization of Ghana.

Opening Ceremony with the President of Ghana

Manganese storge loading hopper

Loading capacity for Manganese export now 2,000M T/H

Loading capacity for Bauxite export now 2,000M T/H

Loading capacity for clinker import now 1,900M T/H

Aerial view of the terminal before and after the supply of the conveyor lines

The Takoradi Project is a clear example of how Bedeschi can offer tailor-made solutions to meet and enhance clients’ needs providing the best solutions possible focusing on environmental protection, energy efficiency and pollution prevention.

Barberton Mines, South Africa

The mining industry in South Africa contributes R350 billion to the economy annually, with an estimated R35 trillion of resources left to mine. Mining companies in Africa and across the globe are continually reviewing their ways of working and best practices for mining safely, efficiently, and sustainably.

Barberton Mines has been operational for 130 years and is located in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Consisting of several mines, including Fairview, Sheba, and New Consort, they produce ± 80,000 oz of gold annually. In recent years, Barberton Mines has evaluated new technologies to make its mining processes fast, safe, and cost-effective.

One of the ways in which Barberton Mines investigated new technologies, was by finding ways to improve their survey workflows. They adopted static-based LiDAR solutions to produce accurate 3D models and became one of the first users of handheld SLAM solutions in 2014.
Why Barberton Mines handheld SLAM?

While static-based scanners are highly accurate, the survey team at Barberton Mines needed a quick and versatile solution.

The goal was simple; to accurately and safely capture data daily for ongoing analysis of the mining production. In addition, they needed a solution that could easily handle the rugged terrain and environment that mines are so often known for.

Barberton Mines chose to reassess their underground mapping technology to improve the speed and accuracy of their survey operations and increase productivity in the mines.

How GeoSLAM fits in at Barberton mines

Barberton Mines was the first mine in Sub-Saharan Africa to use GeoSLAM technology when they purchased a ZEB1 in 2014. The results and continued success of the system in the mine prompted them to invest in 4 ZEB Revo’s in 2019, which are still in use today.

The ZEB Revo is lightweight and accurate, making it the perfect tool for surveying. The survey team can complete scans of the mines in half the time, and the process is repeatable. These capabilities have contributed to Barberton Mines streamlining their workflows, long-term cost savings, and greater returns on investment.

The scanner’s ease-of-use only requires one person on-site to capture data. Furthermore, it doesn’t require professional training to use the equipment so operators can capture data in parts of the mine that surveyors cannot access for safety reasons. This casts a virtual eye on areas of the mine previously unseen by the surveyors and creates an opportunity to review old tunnels.

Finally, the lack of extensive training required to learn how to operate the scanner benefits new employees and the mine in general. It takes less than an hour to learn how to use the equipment and to process the final point cloud data, allowing Surveyors to spend more time assessing final deliverables and finding ways to improve efficiencies in the mining process.

Solutions

Having originally invested in handheld scanners for mapping production underground, Barberton Mines have since realized that they can use the scanners for other solutions, further increasing their return on investment. The scanners are now in operation and looking at 3 key aspects of Barberton’s mining process.

Production Progress Mapping

The original and most common use for scanning is Production Progress Mapping. Barberton Mines completes daily scans of the mines, bringing the data back for regular analysis of production progress mapping.

The scanned areas are approximately 300 m3 and using GeoSLAM technology, they can scan large areas in about 10-15 minutes. In addition, because the scanners are handheld, production at the mine isn’t compromised by having to stop miners from doing their jobs while scanning is in process.

Using the ZEBs, surveyors no longer need to be underground for extended periods, unlike previous methods. They begin their scans in a safe area, proceed to the mining faces, and finish back in the safe area while capturing the data needed – a completely repeatable and efficient process.

Stockpile Measurements

Barberton Mines has 5-6 stockpiles that make up 4000 cubic tons of material. They frequently measure the volume of these stockpiles, to ensure they have accurate and up-to-date information on their resources.

Simply walking around the stockpiles with a scanner and importing the data into 3rd party software, provides the survey team with all the information they need to produce required reports.

Health and Safety

One example of where scanning has improved health and safety is the mapping of transport shafts. To comply with safety regulations, surveyors frequently scan the shafts to look for rock movement or deformation that might require further investigation.

They found that scanning tunnels from the chairlift with a handheld scanner was quicker than previously used conventional methods, like Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TL)S or by hand. Handheld scanners only require the operator to ride the chairlift down- and back up again, without interfering with production.

The scanners are frequently used in these applications and their robust nature means they have never needed repair or maintenance.

The scanners are in use with the above solutions on a very frequent basis, but their robust nature means they have never needed repairing.

“GeoSLAMs scanners have exceeded our expectations and have helped to achieve our goals where other mapping methods could not.” Thys Smith, Chief Surveyor at Barberton Mines

Conclusion

Fast, efficient, and accurate data capture from GeoSLAMs handheld LiDAR scanners have proven to be a huge benefit for Barberton Mines. The repeatability of the scans has provided a great return on investment and the durability has meant that despite being used in challenging environments, the scanners have endured. The increased speed of data capture has led to more optimal work practices for the surveyors, and the walk-and-scan method has resulted in no disruption to the daily work of the mines.

With the scanner’s versatility, the survey team is still finding new applications where the technology can be utilized in the mining environment.

Mato is set to unveil a range of new belt cleaners at Electra Mining Africa 2022, in Johannesburg, in September, using the platform to highlight plans to expand its supply footprint.

Having been founded with a specific mandate to manufacture and supply mechanical conveyor belt fastening systems, Mato Products, a Multotec Group company, says it has become a household name in belt lacing equipment and clip fasteners. The two product ranges remain the company’s bread and butter, confirms Managing Director Benjamin Sibanda.

However, when Sibanda took the reins at Mato, initially as General Manager back in 2015, one of his immediate tasks was to diversify the company’s offering, which prompted the move into belt cleaning systems. To mark its first foray into this market, the company displayed its first units at Electra Mining Africa 2016.

In 2019, Mato landed its first major contract to supply and maintain belt cleaners for a leading colliery in the South African coal region of Emalahleni. This was immediately followed by another major contract, this time at a Botswana colliery for both the plant and underground operations. Since then, the company’s belt cleaning range has gained significant momentum in the market, particularly in the coal sector.

Going forward, however, the focus is to further grow the supply footprint into other commodities beyond the mainstay market of coal. The plan has already been put into action with a recent contract to supply a gold mine in Gauteng, South Africa. Elsewhere, the company is due to sign a major belt cleaning contract with a Botswana-based diamond mine, which will represent its largest deal to date.

“We have traditionally enjoyed major success in the coal market, but we believe that now is the time to expand into other commodity areas such as gold, diamond, iron ore and platinum,” Sibanda says. “To achieve this, we will pivot Multotec’s existing footprint into areas we have never been before.”

The market expansion strategy will be buoyed by a range of new offerings to be displayed at Electra Mining, which is scheduled to take place at the Johannesburg Expo Centre from September 5-9.

“Our main focus this year will be nothing else but belt cleaners,” Sibanda says.

One of the new offerings on display will be the MDP & MTP primary belt cleaner, which replaces the locally made MCP3-S model. Initially, it will be imported from Mato Australia, the manufacturing hub for the Mato Group, but, following Mato Products SA’s recent appointment as the group’s second manufacturing hub, the new primary belt cleaner will be produced locally.

Unlike the old MCP3-S which used the spring tensioning system, the new MDP & MTP comes with a compression spring.

The downside of the spring tensioning system is that, over time, it gets fatigued, especially in tough ores with heavy vibrations. Once you lose the spring tensioning, Sibanda says, the belt cleaner is deemed ineffective.

“Instead of pulling in the blade onto the drive pulley system as the means of tensioning, the compression spring now allows us to compress the blade onto the drive pulley,” he said. “This approach offers a longer life, even in applications with heavy vibrations.”

Another new offering making its debut is the MUS3 secondary belt cleaner, designed to fit in small and restricted conveyor areas where limited space is available. It is also suitable for reversing conveyor belts such as feeder belts or belts which have roll back.

Completing the new line-up will be the MUS2 Duro, an upgraded version of the MUS2, which has a parallelogram designed into the cushion. This facilitates a constant blade angle attacking the material flow allowing automatic adjustability within the cleaner for when belt thickness varies.

“Previously, the MUS2 had a buffer and the tungsten blade separate from each other,” Sibanda says. “This presented major problems, especially in aggressive applications with high vibrations. As part of our own local design improvements, the tungsten tip is now moulded onto the buffer as one unit and has been implemented for the range globally as the best version, making the MUS2 Duro a more robust and long-lasting belt cleaner than the previous MUS2.”

Namibia is set to increase fuel prices by 70 Namibia cents (0.04 U.S. dollar) per liter from Dec. 1 due to a hike of global oil prices, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) announced Friday.

The price of gasoline at the pump in Walvis Bay will become 16.65 Namibia dollars (1.08 U.S. dollars) per liter and the price of diesel will be increased to 15.58 Namibia dollars (about 1.02 U.S. dollars) per liter, MME spokesperson Andreas Simon said, adding that fuel prices will be adjusted accordingly countrywide.

The oil subsidy becomes a heavy burden for the government’s National Energy Fund, which paid 110 Namibian cents (0.07 dollar) per liter on gasoline and 106 Namibian cents (0.06 dollar) per liter on diesel for consumers in November, Simon said. “This amounts to approximately over 154 million Namibia dollars (10.1 million dollars).”

The government has to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fund, he said.

OPEC and other oil-producing countries are set to meet on Dec. 2 to discuss production policy for January and beyond, as the global oil prices surged to multi-year highs. West Texas Intermediate crude futures hit a seven-year high of 84.65 dollars in October.

The Federal Government said the reason it wants to unbundle the commercial operation of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is to improve its operations and improve capacity especially for freight operations and boost the private sector role.

This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Transportation, Sen. Gbemisola Saraki, at the Nigeria International Partnership Forum in Paris.

In a meeting with potential foreign investors, she stated that the unbundling will ensure competition in the space and improve service delivery, urging investors to explore investment in the sector, as the FG plans to unbundle the NRC into 4 categories.

She stated that the NRC would be unbundled into four subsidiaries, including Regulatory, Infrastructure (network creation, upgrade and maintenance) Operations and Services (the rolling stock operations, rolling stock creation and procurement and rolling stock maintenance).

“There have been renewed commitments to railway transport as a key component for socio-economic transformation.

“Of note is the 25-year strategic plan targeted at the rehabilitation of all the existing narrow gauge rail lines, construction of new standard gauge lines and connection to all seaports.

“There are also connections to state capitals, mining and agricultural clusters and technological hubs by rail, as well as their operation and maintenance in the country.

“This has led to some success stories such as the commissioning of the Abuja-Kaduna, Warri–Itakpe and the Lagos-Ibadan rail lines, as well as the wagon assembly plant in Ogun State,” she said.

She added that Nigeria’s rail projects have the capacity to generate a sustained freight growth of 7.9 per cent from 2021 to 2025.

In the Maritime sector, she told investors that Nigeria has the second-longest length of waterways in Africa, covering about 853km, she said Nigeria is also blessed with 10,000km of inland waterways and an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles as well as additional 150 nautical miles of the continental shelf in the process.

“We are a dominant player in the West and Central African sub-region and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), controlling over 70 per cent of shipping traffic in the sub-region.

“As a maritime nation, Nigeria plays important roles through its relevant agencies to check the menace of maritime insecurity and other safety challenges in the Nigerian maritime domain and the GoG region,’’ she said.

“The International Maritime Bureau has severally commended this initiative, and in one of its reports, it noted that the number of kidnappings and robberies in the Gulf of Guinea in the second quarter of 2021 is the lowest since 2019.

“While 33 incidents of piracy were reported in the last quarter of 2020, six cases were reported in the second quarter of 2021,’’ she added.

Leading brand in the motor industry, Toyota Zimbabwe has more than doubled its market share in the country over the last three years, NewZimbabwe.com can report.

According to data compiled by the motor industry, the Toyota brand has maintained a larger new vehicle market share since 2019 whilst Ford has maintained the least market share from 2018 to 2021.

The motor industry tracked the top four brands in the southern African country in terms of new vehicle market share between 2018 to 2021.

The top four motor brands in Zimbabwe during this period are; Nissan, Ford, Toyota, and Isuzu.

In 2018, Toyota’s new vehicle market share was slightly above 15%, and it was the third top brand in the country. Nissan was the top brand with its share slightly below 35%. Isuzu was the second top brand with its share slightly below 30% whilst Ford was trailing at about 4%.

In 2019, Toyota’s new vehicle market share significantly increased thereby making it to the top spot in the country with its new vehicle market share pegged at around 27%. Nissan was second with its share constituting about 24% followed by Isuzu 15% and Ford 10% respectively.

In 2020, Toyota remained on top spot with its new vehicle market share pegged at around 29%.

During this same year, Nissan and Isuzu were tied at the second position as they both registered 25% each new vehicle market share whilst Ford had about 14%.

In 2021, Toyota still remains at top with its new vehicle market share pegged at about 34%. Nissan and Isuzu are tied at second position with 24% each whilst Ford is trailing at about 10%.

The data shows that during the period between 2018 to 2021, it has been a three-horse race of Toyota, Nissan, and Isuzu for the top spot in Zimbabwe.

Toyota has enjoyed a larger portion of the cake in terms of new vehicle market share and Nissan and Isuzu have been competing for the second position whilst Ford has always maintained a smaller portion.

Speaking at a media workshop, Toyota Zimbabwe sales manager Carl Varga attributed the growth of Toyota’s new vehicle market share to aggressive marketing and pricing strategies put in place by the company in 2018.

“We have more than doubled our market share in the last three years, mainly due to aggressive marketing and some pricing strategies that we put in place lately in 2018. We are pleased to say that all the strategies we have put in place have paid off,” he said.

“One of the strategies was targeting the single cab market which constitutes the biggest segment of the market. And if you dominate this segment, you will dominate the whole market.”

Buyers of single cab vehicles have the privilege of paying duty in local currency.

The move is part of government efforts to improve the ease of doing business for small and medium enterprises including the farming, mining, and tourism sector.

“We tracked every new vehicle that was sold by model and in the past, it was predominantly a double cab market with SUVs, etc. Over the last four years the single cab has taken over as the number one selling model in Zimbabwe,” said Varga.

“That is mainly due to government policy which makes it mandatory for all vehicle duties to be paid in foreign currency except for the single cab. So every Zimbabwean is able to pay for vehicle duty in local currency only for single cabs.

“The luxury side has really been curtailed and what is necessary for businesses like single cabs are given priority. If you look at vehicles that were sold in the country, half of them are single cabs.”

Rolls-Royce and airframer Tecnam are joining forces with Widerøe – the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, to deliver an all-electric passenger aircraft for the commuter market, ready for revenue service in 2026. The project expands on the successful research programme between Rolls-Royce and Widerøe on sustainable aviation and the existing partnership between Rolls-Royce and Tecnam on powering the all-electric P-Volt aircraft.

Stein Nilsen, Chief Executive, Widerøe said: “Norway’s extensive network of short take-off and landing airports is ideal for zero emissions technologies. This aircraft shows how quickly new technology can and will be developed, and that we are on track with our ambition of flying with zero emissions around 2025.”

Rob Watson, Director – Rolls-Royce Electrical, said: “Electrification will help us deliver our ambition to enable the markets in which we operate achieve net zero carbon by 2050. This collaboration strengthens our existing relationships with Tecnam and Widerøe as we look to explore what is needed to deliver an all-electric passenger aircraft for the commuter market. It also demonstrates Rolls-Royce’s ambitions to be the leading supplier of all-electric and hybrid electric propulsion and power systems across multiple aviation markets.”

The programme will look to cover all elements of developing and delivering an all-electric passenger aircraft that could be used in the Norwegian market from 2026. Due to its topography, Norway makes extensive use of aviation for regional connectivity and has an ambition for all domestic flights to be zero emissions by 2040. Rolls-Royce will bring its expertise in propulsion and power systems, Tecnam will provide aircraft design, manufacturing and certification capabilities. Widerøe’s mission will be to ensure that all competence and requirements of an airline operator are in place for entry into service in 2026.

Andreas Aks, Chief Strategy Officer, Widerøe, added: “We are highly excited to be offered the role as launch operator, but also humble about the challenges of putting the world’s first zero emissions aircraft into service. Our mission is to have all new capabilities, processes and procedures required for a zero emissions operator, designed and approved in parallel with the aircraft being developed and certified.”

Fabio Russo, Chief Project R&D and Product Development, Tecnam, said: “It is incredible to see the interest around the P-Volt, not only coming from regional airlines, but also from smart mobility-based companies. This last year has demonstrated the importance of promoting capillary connections between small communities, while reducing the congestion of the main hubs. The P-Volt, like the P2012 Traveller today, will perfectly fit the scope of this programme. We are honoured and pleased to see the level of enthusiasm Widerøe and our partner Rolls-Royce are dedicating to this project.”

The collaboration offers an opportunity to develop an exciting solution to the commuter aircraft market. Before the pandemic, Widerøe offered around 400 flights per day using a network of 44 airports, where 74% of the flights have distances less than 275 km. The shortest flight durations are between seven and fifteen minutes. Developing all-electric aircraft will enable people to be connected in a sustainable way and will fulfill Wideroe’s ambition to make its first all-electric flight by 2026. The all-electric P-Volt aircraft, which is based on the 11-seat Tecnam P2012 Traveller aircraft is ideal for the short take-off and landing as well as for routes in the North and the West Coast of Norway.

Rolls-Royce and Widerøe announced a joint research programme in 2019. The aim of the programme was to evaluate and develop electrical aircraft concepts that would fulfil the Norwegian ambition of having the first electrified aircraft in ordinary domestic scheduled flights by 2030 and 80% emission reduction in domestic flights by 2040.

Rolls-Royce also has an existing strategic partnership with Tecnam to develop the modified Tecnam P2010 aircraft with the H3PS[1] propulsion system, the first parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system for General Aviation started together with Rotax in May 2018.

[1] The H3PS project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 769392.

For further information, please contact:

Sarah Jones – Marketing & Communications, Rolls-Royce Electrical

sarah.jones2@rolls-royce.com

M +44 (0)7968 906 469

Verity Richardson – Head of Marketing, Vertical Aerospace

verity.richardson@vertical-aerospace.com

M +44 (0)7714 325 851