• MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS African process engineering firm SENET intends to reinforce its materials handling focus within the mining sector. The company was founded and developed on the success of its materials handling capabilities, which remain a key strength within the company today, SENET’s head of materials handling JAAP SMIT tells LAURA CORNISH. Thus, SENET is fully equipped to deliver complete, large-scale materials handling packages to clients across Africa and beyond, together with the flexibility to offer EPCM or turnkey projects, customised to the client’s specific requirements. A well-established portfolio In addition to the successful completion of a 9 Mtpa iron ore materials handling plant for Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen project in the Northern Cape in late 2010, SENET was responsible for the delivery of a massive off-shore conveyor package project in the United Arab Emirates between 2009 and 2013. This included design, procurement, fabrication, SENET was responsible for the delivery of a massive off-shore conveyor erection assistance and package project in the United Arab Emirates between 2009 and 2013 commissioning of both Phase 1 and Phase 2 for SENET went ong before SENET Emirates Aluminium on to complete developed its minerals Company’s smelter several processing plant complex. It comprised impressive capabilities, it became well a series of interplant and large- known in the industry as a bulk materials conveyors to transfer scale materials handling firm,” says Smit. 900 tph of alumina from handling projects “Interestingly, we started delivering and the quayside to storage including the growing our processing skills through silos situated within the main detailed design, our materials handling capabilities: more plant. The conveyor system SENET is fully equipped to deliver complete, large-scale materials handling procurement, specifically our front-end comminution was comprised of three packages to clients across Africa fabrication, and conveying circuit designs, which in conveyors carrying material erection and our early days were largely for heap leach for a total distance of commissioning of nine new 10 000 tph operations. This also led to the design of 5 334 m; and included three transfer overland stockyard stacking/reclaiming our own proprietary range of heap leach towers, dust collectors, and a fully conveyors between 2003 and 2006 at the equipment: specifically mobile heap leach automated sampling building. Saldanha iron ore export facility. stacking equipment and agglomeration The first 675 m long conveyor interfaced “Despite our current successes and drums, which remain a core offering today.” with two travelling ship unloaders and ever-growing track record in delivering As a result of this competence, SENET included a roof sealing belt to maintain an process plants in the mining sector, we acquired the full heap leach equipment enclosed structure. The second 4 200 m have never moved away from or lost our supply contract (Phase 1 in 1997 and Phase long conveyor negotiated a distance of core, predominantly turnkey, materials 2 in 1999 ) for AngloGold Ashanti’s Siguiri 1 640 m alongside the causeway from the handling skill sets. Consequently SENET has operation in Guinea, which ultimately led quayside and was elevated above the sea an in-house department comprising highly to SENET’s involvement and successful by means of supports placed in the sea and competent and experienced materials completion in 2003 of its first major process spaced at 40 m intervals. The final conveyor handling technical and mechanical experts. plant – a 10 Mtpa carbon-in-pulp (CIP) covered a distance of 600 m and included a Importantly, it still constitutes relevant project. 220 m horizontally curved section, thereby portions of work required to execute our eliminating the need for an additional process plants as well,” Smit highlights. transfer point. MRA “L SENET’s proprietary range of heap leach equipment includes mobile heap leach stacking equipment 50 MINING REVIEW AFRICA | FEBRUARY 2017