Having previously experienced incessant issues with its old processing plant, City of Tshwane’s Bon Accord quarry has taken delivery of the first locally manufactured FastPlant from Sandvik Rock Processing. Commissioned in May this year, the fully automated 220 tonnes per hour capacity plant has ushered in a new era of efficiency, boosting the quarry’s production by almost 80%, writes Munesu Shoko.
With its complex geology, characterised by five rock types, predominantly amphibolite, PPC’s Laezonia Quarry has traditionally been deemed one of the most expensive operations to run in South African quarrying circles. However, a number of cost-cutting initiatives are helping the quarry win the cost control battle. Munesu Shoko was recently on site and filed this report for Quarrying Africa.
Despite the ongoing supply chain challenges, newly appointed MD of Scania Southern Africa, Erik Bergvall, is encouraged by the state of the local trucking market. In a one-on-one with Quarrying Africa, Bergvall envisages a 10-15% growth for Scania this year. A customer-centric approach and the rollout of innovations designed to increase customer profitability and operating efficiencies, will be key to the company’s growth. By Munesu Shoko.
The capital cost of hybrid crushing and screening technology has traditionally been prohibitive to the take-up of these solutions in Africa. Amid record high fuel prices, Bell Equipment, the Finlay distributor in southern Africa, has, however, seen renewed interest in hybrid solutions because fuel savings help offset their premium price and also improve their value proposition. By Munesu Shoko.