In line with global trends, mines and quarries in southern Africa are increasingly pursuing energy efficiency due to the significant financial benefits of reducing energy consumption, which is generally a major operational cost. The move simultaneously allows operations to meet their sustainability goals by lowering their carbon footprint. Essentially, by using less energy, the industry can save money and operate in a more environmentally responsible way.
Consequently, there is an apparent growing uptake of electric mobile crushing and screening solutions, particularly hybrid solutions. To meet the growing need for these solutions, Sandvik Rock Processing and its southern African distributor, S&R Enterprises, have delivered their first dual-powered unit to a customer in southern Africa.
“We are excited to bring our first dual-powered machine into southern Africa,” says PC Kruger, Business Line Manager Crushing at Sandvik Rock Processing. “We have seen a growing appetite for hybrid mobile crushing and screening solutions in the region, particularly driven by the need for cost savings, reduced environmental impact and increased operational flexibility. These solutions offer the best of both worlds – the ability to connect to the electrical grid or renewable energy sources and also run them with an on-board generator.”
Straight to site
Upon its arrival, the machine was straightway headed to its first project. Stephen Smith, MD of S&R Enterprises, says the prompt sale of the first unit highlights the immediate need for these solutions in southern Africa.
“The machine has been deployed on a major dam and related road infrastructure project in Lesotho, where it will specifically be used to produce G2 and G5 material. It will be paired with a refurbished Sandvik QJ240 jaw crusher that we have also supplied to the customer,” says Smith.
On this particular project, the customer will power the unit using an on-board generator. Given the high altitude on site, S&R Enterprises has specified a 130 kVA generator, instead of the standard 90-100 kVA generally ideal for this size of a machine. Smith explains that altitude affects generators by reducing air density, which contains less oxygen, leading to inefficient fuel combustion, lower power output and a risk of overheating.
For every 300 m above sea level, naturally aspirated engines typically experience a power loss of 3-4%, so a generator’s output is significantly derated at higher elevations. To compensate, one must use a larger, higher-rated generator, which is exactly what S&R has done in this particular instance.
Major talking point
A major talking point on the Sandvik QA452e screen is its hybrid “e” drive option, which provides the flexibility to operate in diesel or electric mode for lower operating costs and reduced carbon emissions.
When connected to an external power source, the cost of electricity is often lower than diesel, leading to significant savings. To provide context, says Kruger, the QA452e requires 54 kW of power to run it. “Using a diesel engine, the machine will consume about 14 litres of diesel per hour, which in South Africa translates to about R300 per hour. Conversely, electricity comes at R1,80 to R2,40 per unit (kWh), which translates to about R100 per hour to power this unit,” he says.
While the machine comes at a significantly higher capital cost than its traditional diesel-powered counterpart, Kruger says the massive operational savings offer a quick return on investment. Given the high diesel prices, particularly in South Africa and other neighbouring countries, the savings on diesel help offset the premium capital price of the machine within a short period.
In addition, says Smith, the electric motor drive reduces the need for diesel engine servicing and hydraulic oil, thus increasing machine availability and reducing costs. In fact, the machine consumes up to 50% less hydraulic oil over 10 000 hours of usage. Consequently, hydraulic service intervals have been increased from 2 000 to 4 000 hours, subject to oil sampling. In addition, the standard Sandvik mobile equipment warranty has gone up from the traditional 12 months/1 000 hours to 24 months/3 000 hours, with extended warranty options up to six years.
Other key features
The QA452e features Sandvik’s patented Doublescreen technology for high throughput and efficiency. It is a revolutionary design that utilises two high velocity screen boxes that work independently of each other; the primary screen works as a fines extractor, while the secondary screen operates as a grader.
Doublescreen advantages over competing products include greater material control, greater adjustability, increased accuracy and higher screening efficiencies, making this unit ideal for producing massive volumes of high specification products, without compromising on productivity.
“The patented Doublescreen design features three independent 20’ x 5’ (6 m x 1,5 m) screens, each providing a screening area of 9 m³/ 9,3 m², with the bottom deck being 11% longer for more screen area and fines extraction. Compared to conventional 20’ x 5’ screen boxes, the Doublescreen technology typically outperforms traditional screens by up to 30%. It also allows up to 42 screen angle options due to the two screen boxes,” explains Smith.
Several features of the machine speak directly to increased safety. The mandatory audible and visual warning ensures safe operation during tracking and start-up or shut-down of the machine. The emergency-stop buttons and conveyor pull-stop cords around the plant offer easy access during operation. The wireless radio handset and two-speed control ensure safe tracking on site. The wrap-around, hydraulically-operated maintenance platforms provide safe access for service and maintenance. The oversize conveyor features both hydraulic raise lower and slew functions, eliminating the need for a crane on site.
With productivity in mind, the new oversize cross conveyor handles more oversize material. The integrated hydraulic conveyors offer large stockpiling capability. The machine also comes with a user-friendly PLC control system with sequential start-stop for speed and ease of set up. It is also connected to Sandvik My Fleet with a 7-year data subscription, 24/7 fleet management, geo-fencing and remote support.
Towards fully electric
As the move towards electric mobile crushers and screens in southern Africa continues apace, Sandvik Rock Processing is expanding its electric offering with the launch of the fully electric UJ443E mobile jaw crusher. At the time of writing, the first unit in southern Africa was expected to arrive in October 2025.
Aligning with Sandvik’s “make the shift strategy”, the UJ443E has been designed with an increased focus on sustainability, productivity and durability, while retaining the look, feel and value proposition that customers demand. The fully electric UJ443E is said to provide customers with up to 30% reduction in fuel consumption and up to 30% increase in throughput, versus previous generation products.
The machine is built on a new, fully electric track platform. It features electric final drives and an on-board genset, which can be operated more sustainably, either by an external electricity supply, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) or diesel. The fully electric track drives provide better control and agility when tracking and loading and significantly reduces the need for hydraulics on the plant and long-term service costs.
“Powering the machine using an external electric source can bring several advantages, including lower running costs, extended drivetrain service intervals, reduced onsite emissions and noise levels. Using fully electric track drives and final drives, the unit reduces the use of hydraulic oil by up to 91%,” explains Kruger.
“We believe there is a notable appetite for this technology in southern Africa, particularly in South Africa. Central Africa will follow closely when it comes to the uptake of the technology. While many UJ440 diesel powered units have been sold in the region, it is significant that the UJ443 is a fully electric version of the reliable UJ440, and the arrival of these units marks a significant step towards a more sustainable and cost-effective future for the local mobile crushing and screening industry,” concludes Smith.
