By Sharyn Macnamara
Despite the challenging global and local headwinds hitting the mining and power industries currently, MTE and its valued industry solution providers who exhibit at the tradeshows have enjoyed a good start to 2024.
The pressure on mines and power-providing operations to perform in Africa is growing at pace with the race to decarbonise and offer power solutions to mitigate global warming woes and with local power, rail, port and crime crises and growing world water and ESG (Economic, Social and Governance) concerns. Mining and Technical Exhibitions’ (MTE’s) philosophy to offer mines solutions to their challenges that enable greater efficiency and safety in a world where production targets are of paramount importance is one that is working well in this climate.
New to the MTE calendar
For the first time ever, MTE hosted an expo on the Moab Khotsong Gold Mine itself on 22 February 2024 in the Free State, after last touring the area in 2017 – and the day was a resounding success for both visitors and exhibitors. The total number of visitors over the 4-hour duration of the show was 245. The operation’s Engineering, Mine and Minerals Resource management teams and foremen and Health and Safety and Plant executives came through to network with 40 exhibiting companies.
Harmony’s Moab Khotsong had requested to see solutions in the following key focus areas on the day: Underground support technology; Fire suppression for conveyor belting; Safety locking systems for conveyor belting; Safety locking systems for conveyor belting; Latest in PPE and survey technology.
The successful expo reflects Harmony Gold’s recent trading statement and operating update for the six months ended 31 December 2023 (H1FY24). “Our stellar H1FY24 results are a result of our ongoing investment in safety, higher quality ounces, a stable and predictable cost structure and operational excellence across the entire group. This has placed us in a very good position to take advantage of the strong gold price and generate excellent operating free cash flows,” said Peter Steenkamp, CEO.
For the first time ever, MTE hosted an expo on the Moab Khotsong Gold Mine itself on 22 February 2024 in the Free State, after last touring the area in 2017. All images by ©MTE
Botswana trilogy – ‘great expectations’ met
In the company’s first over-border shows of 2024, MTE hosted its popular ‘Botswana combo’ tour in the mining and power sectors from 4–8 March. The tradeshows in Letlhakane, Palapye and Jwaneng yielded close to 800 visitors over the week, with an average of 68 exhibitors at each event over the three show days. This is what BTV had to say: https://youtu.be/ihPcJnSnpZI
Andrew Macnamara, operations director at MTE said, “On the Botswana mining front, some of the key highlights and drivers of positivity on tour, among others, were the fact that Karowe mine and Jwaneng mine are expanding underground. Mining in general has, however, slowed down and operations are focusing on maintenance of machinery and plants, and condition monitoring to improve efficiencies.
“We found that the major challenges experienced by operations are both in the diamond and coal industries. Diamond demand is currently diminished and prices are low, while coal exports to South Africa are impacted by Transnet challenges, and road transport comes with additional cost, risks and damage to infrastructure.
“On the other side of the coin, Morupule coal mine and the power stations are doing fairly well all things considered as Botswana ramps up its power production.”
The Debswana Jwaneng team showcased a predictive analytics project, reaching out to a wider
audience at the MTE Jwaneng expo.
Future focus
MTE’s offering to the coal and power sectors extends into May. The Emalahleni (Witbank) show on 22 May 2024 in Mpumalanga – focused on mining, power stations, contractors and smelters – is a major draw card for solution providers. This is MTE’s main annual coal exhibition as new mines and major rehabilitation is taking place in the area continuously, despite coal pricing not being where the industry would like it to be. There are already 77 suppliers booked for this expo.
In Macnamara’s recent conversations with the operations in the area, challenges in pumping and related to acidic water, production efficiency and logistics are high on the list of priorities for operators. “Opportunities to improve production with condition monitoring, pumping and digitalised solutions; connectivity options, tyre innovations and predicative maintenance are high on the agenda for this tradeshow.”