The African mining market is faring better than its counterparts in Australia and South-East Asia and, as a result, project management services company Tenova Mining & Minerals subsidiary Tenova Delkor Sub-Saharan Africa has seen an increase in service enquiries from the continent’s mining sector.

“We are receiving enquiries from across the African continent and more projects seem to be getting the green light to go into execution,” says Tenova Delkor Africa/Australia/South-East Asia regional sales manager Grant Millar, adding that the mineral processing specialist is being contracted not only by existing customers but also by new market entrants.

Recently completed contracts include the delivery of a 22-m-diametre tailings thickener for the Marampa iron-ore project, in Sierra Leone, which is owned by high-specification iron-ore concentrate producer London Mining.

Millar says this was the third order that Tenova Delkor received for Marampa. “The two previous contracts covered the design, supply and delivery of two 85 m2 Delkor belt filters; the first was installed in 2011 and the second in 2013.”

Meanwhile, Tenova Delkor recently received its first order from Liberia, for exploration company Aureus Mining’s New Liberty gold project. “The contract called for the delivery of one 21-m-diametre Tenova Delkor high-rate thickener, two Tenova Delkor belt linear screens and a Tenova Delkor flocculant plant,” says Millar, adding that the scope of work covered the design, supply, delivery and supervision of equipment installation and commissioning.

“New Liberty is a new mine and expects its first gold pour to take place at the end of the first quarter in 2015,” he says.

Millar adds that the company has received repeat work from existing clients, such as nickel- cobalt mining and processing services provider Dynatec Madagascar, which contracted Tenova Delkor to design, supply, deliver and supervise the installation and commissioning of an additional 80-m-diametre ore thickener.

The company’s high-rate thickener is a proven performer in a variety of different applications worldwide. Millar believes Tenova Delkor’s wealth of experience and large database of results means it can add significant project value in terms of the design and sizing of the various types of thickeners and clarifiers that clients require.

Tenova Delkor is an industry specialist in solids/liquids separation and mineral processing applications for the minerals, chemicals and industrial markets. The company offers flotation, sedimentation, filtration, screening and gravity separation systems. Its service provision ranges from testwork, process trade-offs and flow sheet design to installation, commissioning and aftermarket support.