TLT-Turbo Africa has been awarded the contract for the supply and installation of a turn-key solution for underground ventilation and fumes extraction for Kamoa Copper SA, located 25km outside of Kolwezi, DRC.

Kamoa Copper SA forms part of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project, which is a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin Mining Group and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Kamoa-Kakula Group Project has been independently ranked as the world's largest, undeveloped, high-grade copper discovery. It is located within the Central African Copperbelt, approximately 25 kilometres west of the town of Kolwezi and about 270 kilometres west of the provincial capital of Lubumbashi.

TLT-Turbo Africa is designing, manufacturing and supplying a Bifurcated Axial Flow Fan Station for the extraction of mine fumes as well as Auxiliary and Booster Fans for Kamoa’s underground operation. They will also oversee the installation of the fans and will provide assistance with commissioning. The Kamoa Copper ventilation project is the first of many projects of strategic importance within the Sub Saharan Africa region that the company is involved in.

The contract was secured in October 2018, with commissioning due to begin in July 2019. TLT-Turbo Africa was appointed by DRA Projects, who are handling EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management) on the project. DRA managed the tender process and are currently overseeing the execution phase.

According to TLT-Turbo’s Madeleine Pretorius, the project presents unique challenges from a logistical point of view. The site is remote, and it involves multiple border crossings and often poor road conditions. Pretorius states that; “This means complicated logistic solutions. TLT-Turbo has the benefit of a broad suite of options to minimise the need for abnormal or complex loads.”

She adds that the TLT-Turbo Africa offering and approach positions them as a preferred supplier for ventilation solutions in challenging locations. “We provide an energy efficient solution where power costs are high, and availability can be erratic. Our product is designed for long-term reliability and durability, with simple maintenance requirements and minimal down-time, which is critical for our remote clients.”

Mike van Oerle, Sales Manager at TLT-Turbo Africa says that TLT-Turbo’s approach will provide several benefits to Kamoa’s operations. This includes standardised equipment that is designed for simple installation and maintenance, which means that TLT-Turbo’s fans can be maintained by the client on site, without the need for costly expert inspections. “TLT-Turbo is providing highly efficient products to meet Kamoa’s interim ventilation and power requirements, with flexibility for future re-deployment at an alternative ventilation position.”

Both van Oerle and Pretorius assert that TLT-Turbo Africa’s delivery of the scope of work on this specific project speaks to TLT-Turbo Africa’s capabilities and expertise. The collaboration with DRA has paved the way for excellence in service delivery. “Working with an experienced EPCM company such as DRA, our project team is able to draw on their unparalleled knowledge of the Sub Saharan African mining environment. Both teams work together to provide solutions that address the challenges experienced by our customers,” says Pretorius.

“Our ability to understand our customers’ requirements led to a cost-effective solution, focusing on total cost of ownership. Combining this solution with an experienced projects execution team, means that we can ensure Kamoa receives high-quality products and on-time delivery,” Oerle concludes.