Australia-based commodity transport and storage solutions provider Intermodal Solutions Group’s (ISG’s) trading arm, Pit to Ship Solutions, will showcase its efficient, cost-effective and green solution systems – available to the West African market – at this year’s West African Mining and Power Exhibition (Wampex).

The exhibition will take place at the Accra International Conference Centre, in Ghana, from May 28 to 30, says ISG CFO and Australia representative Julie Boden.

Boden tells Mining Weekly that this will be the first time Pit to Ship Solutions attends Wampex, adding that the company hopes to inform mining companies and other industry stakeholders in West Africa about its innovative containerised bulk-handling systems.

ISG has a presence in Southern Africa and Europe, with four of its Australia-, South Africa- and Europe-based representatives attending this year’s Wampex.

“We have a global reputation which we want to make known in West Africa,” says Boden, citing by way of example a project ISG completed in 2012, in the Republic of the Congo (RoC), for JSE-listed South Africa-based mining group Exxaro, which involved the transport of iron-ore out of Point Noire off the coast of the RoC to the end-user.

The project required 1 350 of Pit to Ship Solution’s specialised containers, which delivered six weeks ahead of schedule, resulting in a “very happy” client.

“We believe Wampex will introduce us to the very different demographic that is West Africa. We are very eager to gain greater market exposure for our containerised bulk-handling system in the region and we want potential users to understand the massive productivity and financial benefits offered by our container system,” explains Boden.

Pit to Ship Solutions has designed specialised dust-free containers to transport commodity products directly from mining sites to bulk ships’ storage hulls. The system features a 40 t payload – compared with the 32 t payload of most bulk mining containers – a patented waterproof and dust-proof lid-lifter design, and the ability to deliver products dust-free. The containers can also be used as storage sheds.

“Gatherings like Wampex are extremely important for us to make contact with other businesses on a more personal level and to be exposed to a vast range of exhibitors worldwide,” says Boden.
“In my experience, when participating in similar global gatherings, it is very gratifying to have someone come up to you and say that he or she knows your company and products and that they’ve noticed your working in Africa.

“Further, without gatherings like Wampex, mining companies, consultants, geologists and logistics suppliers would not get direct opportunities to contact companies like Pit to Ship, which may have the exact solution they are looking for,” she adds.

Boden tells Mining Weekly that the company will exhibit at booth CG10, featuring a video stream of its systems, which will run for the duration of the expo.

“We are hoping that the event is even more successful than in previous years, as it is also Wampex’s twentieth anniversary. We hope that this will mean more companies will attend and that we will get an opportunity to meet with key mining houses and potential customers in West Africa,” concludes Boden.