Metso lands new, undisclosed contract in Africa (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Metso has won an order to provide repairs and upgrades for a bucket-wheel stacker reclaimer at an undisclosed stockyard operations site in Africa

The scope of delivery includes upgrades and modernisations of the mechanical, structural and electrical components to enhance the customer’s operational efficiency and reliability.  

“This order highlights our capability to offer comprehensive services in bulk material handling and to deliver tailored solutions as a trusted OEM partner,” said Scott Pringle, director, service technical support, Africa Metso.

“The customer not only benefits from maximised reliability but also improved safety. Metso’s parts are designed to require less maintenance, aiming for a sustainable return on investment.”

The value of the order was not disclosed, nor the customer name, nor the country or location.

Metso has a long track record serving Africa’s mining industry and, in January this year, inaugurated its new screen centre in Germiston, Johannesburg, South Africa.

In December 2024, it also secured a contract with Montage Gold for the delivery of key minerals processing equipment for the Koné Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, a deal worth over US$50mn.

This project includes delivery of a large dual-pinion premier grinding mill with an installed power of 22MW and an HRC 2400e high-pressure grinding roll (HPGR), which combines energy-efficiency and high throughput while reducing operational costs.

Danilo Caserta, product manager, stockyard machines at Metso, said the company’s extensive experience as a stockyard equipment supplier enables it to extend stacker and reclaimer service life.

“Metso has combined the best features from our industry-leading legacy brands with modern technology to bring innovative and reliable solutions,” said Caserta, following the latest undisclosed contract.

“Through the use of advanced engineering tools, we integrate technical and machine know-how with high-quality components and service to safeguard customers’ machines and maximize equipment life.”

Caserta added that Metso’s expert teams can assess and perform engineering services and execute highly complex projects.

Headquartered in Finland, the company is engaged in sustainable technologies, end-to-end solutions and services for the aggregates, minerals processing and metals refining industries in Africa and globally.

Metso Corporation is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki with close to 17,000 employees in around 50 countries and sales of about US$5bn in 2024.

Read more: Metso unveils Johannesburg screen centre

Mali is Africa's second-biggest gold producer (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Canadian mining group Robex has signed a new agreement with Mali to operate its Nampala gold mine

The company has been operating the mine since 2017, but the new agreement reflects changes to the West African country’s mining code. The new rules compel international firms to pay higher taxes and also to hand over bigger shares in assets to the state, moves which have ruffled feathers among foreign investors.

Mali is Africa’s second biggest gold producer.

In a statement, Robex managing director Matthew Wilcox said that he was grateful for getting the new deal over the line.

“I would like to thank their excellencies, the Minister of Mines, the Minister of Economy and Finance and all the parties involved for constructive discussions over the past few months, and we look forward to working alongside the government,” he said.

However, last September, the company had indicated that it was ready to sells its Nampala asset but had not received any acceptable offers.

Mali's Council of Ministers also released a statement this week stating that the company was now looking to produce 1.4 tons of gold per year for a period of eight years.

“Geological research carried out by the company has identified a deposit with mineral reserves estimated at 17,351,000 tons with a gold content of 0.70 grams per ton,” it stated. The statement added that the government had signed a memorandum of understanding with the company in September that allowed Mali to increase its stakeholding in the Nampala project, entitling the state to priority dividends.

The Nampala mine in southern Mali is approximately 300 km south of the capital, Bamako. The open-pit mine uses conventional surface mining techniques and process to recover gold. The mine is excavated using a conventional truck and shovel operation.

The widest equipment used by the contractors is a Caterpillar 773B haul truck, matched with a 385 hydraulic excavator.

Nampala first reached commercial production in January 2017, with output rising rapidly on the back of exploration work, eventually hitting peak production at 8047tpd in mid 2022.

But other mining groups, such as Barrick Gold, have yet to reach a successful resolution with the Mali regime following the change in rules. In a 12 February statement, the company stated that “ongoing issues in Mali remain an investor concern” and acknowledged that this had dragged on share prices. Barrick’s chief executive Mark Bristow told Reuters in an interview that the company still hopes to restart operations at its shuttered Loulo-Gounkoto mine as soon as local authorities allow it to resume gold shipments.

Barrick Gold is the largest single investor in Mali’s gold mining sector.

 Read more: Barrick's commitment to Mali's mining sector

Sandvik Rock Processing pilots its Remote Monitoring Service (RMS) in Africa, enhancing crusher efficiency, uptime, and sustainability. (Image source: Sandvik)

To address the increasing demand for remote monitoring of crushing operations, Sandvik Rock Processing is trialling its Remote Monitoring Service (RMS) in Africa 

At Electra Mining Africa 2024, Sandvik Rock Processing introduced RMS—a digital solution enabling remote oversight of crushing processes—signalling a new era of digital services for African mining operations.

“RMS is the latest addition to our suite of existing digital technologies,” commented Nils-Peter Ahlqvist, sales support manager of Africa & Latin America – Crushing Division at Sandvik Rock Processing. “It complements our ever-evolving Automation and Connectivity System (ACS) and SAM by Sandvik cloud-based digital assistant. RMS translates vast amounts of data acquired from Sandvik crushers into actionable recommendations, reducing operating costs and boosting productivity and sustainability.”

Optimising crushers with RMS

By analysing deviations in both crusher performance and machine health, RMS identifies issues and recommends corrective measures based on real-time data. This proactive approach enables customers to anticipate and resolve potential problems before they escalate, reducing operational disruptions.

Additionally, RMS enhances machine visibility, allowing operators to replace worn parts before they fail. Over time, the collected data helps identify frequently replaced components, ensuring that critical spare parts are always available, thereby preventing unnecessary downtime.

Mines leveraging RMS can achieve greater operational efficiency through continuous 24/7 data analysis, optimising equipment usage, and minimising unplanned stoppages. Increased uptime translates to improved machine utilisation, ultimately lowering the cost per hour of operation.

“In addition, the data gathered on crusher performance makes optimisation easier with the ultimate goal of enhancing business performance. The alerts, available 24/7, also help reduce high wearing of crusher components, which is detrimental to material consistency and has negative cost implications,” added Ahlqvist. 

Maintaining machines in peak condition not only improves cost efficiency but also reduces energy consumption, helping customers minimise their environmental footprint.

“Energy efficiency and sustainability have over the years become a key part of business decisions for mining companies, especially on the back of growing pressure for the industry to improve its sustainability performance. With RMS, we are bringing yet another set of advanced digital services to help the industry increase efficiency while reducing carbon emissions,” concluded Ahlqvist. 

Twiga oversees operations at the North Mara and Bulyanhulu gold mines. (Image source: Barrick Gold Corporation)

Barrick Gold Corporation has contributed over US$4.24bn to Tanzania’s economy since launching the Twiga joint venture with the government in 2019, injecting US$888mn in 2024 alone

Twiga oversees operations at the North Mara and Bulyanhulu gold mines.

During a media briefing, Barrick president and CEO Mark Bristow emphasised Twiga’s leadership in Tanzania’s extractive sector, highlighting job creation, local business support, and substantial community investments.

“We spent US$573mn on national suppliers and service providers last year, representing about 83% of our total spend in-country. Additionally, 75% of all our payments to suppliers and service providers went to indigenous companies, exceeding our target of 61%,” Bristow said.

Sustainable mining success?

With a strong commitment to local employment, 96% of Barrick’s 6,185-strong workforce are Tanzanian nationals, 53% of whom come from communities near the mines. The company invested over US$5mn in 2024 in potable water, healthcare, and education, bringing total community investments to US$15.8mn since Twiga’s formation in 2019.

Production guidance for Bulyanhulu and North Mara in 2024 exceeded 500,000 ounces, reinforcing the sites’ Tier One1 complex status. Additionally, both mines completed a full year without a Lost-Time Injury.

Buzwagi made significant strides in its closure plan, focusing on environmental management, water conservation, and vegetation maintenance. A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is also progressing, attracting investor interest, with one company already obtaining Export Processing Zone registration.

The Barrick Academy, established at Buzwagi in 2024, is making significant progress in developing talent. Focused on training foremen, supervisors, and superintendents, the academy has trained 1,700 individuals to date and is set to surpass its target of 2,800 trained personnel by the end of 2025.

Continued conversion drilling at North Mara and Bulyanhulu has replenished reserves, while exploration efforts have expanded Barrick’s footprint in the Nzega District. The company has secured over 2,000km² of new exploration areas to support long-term mineral reserve growth in Tanzania.

Twiga received multiple industry recognitions over the past year for its safety measures, employer excellence, environmental practices, and community engagement. In 2024, North Mara was named the largest economic contributor in Tanzania’s extractive industry and earned awards for occupational health and safety, corporate social responsibility, and compliance with local content regulations.

“Barrick’s work in Tanzania is a model for sustainable mining that balances economic, environmental, and social responsibility,” said Bristow. “The recognition we have received speaks to our commitment to excellence and the value we bring to our host countries.”