Message Ven 7 Déc 2012 09:19

Key projects advancing

Aveng Engineering & Projects Company (E+PC), a subsidiary of infra- structure and development company Aveng Group, continued work on three significant projects this year – the recapitalisation of the Ndola lime plant, in Zambia; the additional coal processing facility at the Exxaro Grootegeluk coal mine, which will serve State-owned Eskom’s Medupi power station, in Lephalale; and the Kenmare Moma Sands Phase 2 expansion project, in northern Mozambique.

Aveng E+PC projects director Dion Tappan says the projects have been both challenging and rewarding and he expects the company to continue making good progress on them going into 2013.

Tappan states that the work on the Ndola lime plant is aimed at increasing its production capacity, which is currently 875 t/d of saleable lime, while reducing operating costs in an environment-friendly manner.

“For example, the current mining practice produces a waste material that is not suitable for producing lime; however, Aveng E+PC installed a new cement plant so that the waste product can be blended into a usable cement,” he says.

Tappan explains that the provision of the complete engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for the lime process plant expansion will increase the volume of saleable quicklime and hydrated lime and will improve the overall efficiency of the existing operation.

“This project has required the installation and commissioning of equipment for crushing, screening and materials handling, a vertical kiln and feed stockpile, a coal pulverising plant, a coal handling plant, a hydrating plant with packing and bagging, support infrastructure, as well as roads and substations,” he says.

Tappan notes that a major challenge the company has had to overcome during this project is the lack of skills and general resources in the local construction workforce.

“This places additional responsibility on our site supervision team, which has to play a more hands-on role in daily construction activities,” he says.

He adds that this issue was suitably mitigated using an integrated project-management team approach.