WEG geared to service the DRC mining sector

For over 20 years, WEG has been a strategic supplier to the mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo with its local South African manufacturing base central to reduced lead times, while a well-established distribution and service network has enhanced support capabilities and, ultimately, customer satisfaction

With a total mineral wealth estimated in the tens of trillions of dollars, the DRC is one of the most strategic mining markets for WEG. Armed with a diverse scope of products including low and high voltage electric motors, low and high voltage drives, power and distribution transformers, gensets and energy solutions, low and medium voltage switchgear, motor control centres (MCCs) and E-houses, WEG has had a longstanding presence in the DRC mining market.

Thierry Kakese, WEG’s regional manager – Central Africa, said the company operates through various links and channels in the DRC. “When it comes to capital projects, we work directly with EPCM and project houses to ensure our products and solutions are specified,” he remarked. “On the operational side, we do establish a direct link with end users, mostly via our in-country partners. Our local representation in the DRC comprises distribution and service channels.”

Premium products manufactured locally

One of WEG’s flagship product lines in the DRC is its premium IE3 and IE4 motors. The energy saving benefits of WEG’s IE3 and IE4 motors have set them apart from competitors, addressing mines’ quests to reduce energy consumption and lower operating costs.

Much of the WEG equipment for the DRC is manufactured in South Africa. The low voltage (LV) and high voltage (HV) MCCs, transformers, gensets, MV soft starters, LV variable speed drives (VSDs) and soft starter panels are all manufactured in Johannesburg, while some of the gensets come from the company’s Cape Town facility. Given the importance of quality control in mining, these facilities are ISO 9001: 2015 certified and adhere to high quality procedures and standards. WEG also complies with the relevant International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards for the various product groups.

The fact that manufacturing now takes place in Johannesburg, which is only 2,000 km away from most of the mining sites in the DRC, significantly shortens lead times compared to previously importing from WEG’s overseas factories in Europe, Asia or the Americas.

Delivering products and solutions in the DRC is not without its challenges, added Kakese. The DRC probably has one of the most challenging transport infrastructure environments in Africa. In addition, most of the mines are located in remote areas, rendering road transportation difficult.

“To address this challenge, we have over the years bolstered our local representation with service and distribution partners who carry sufficient stockholding and are the first line of support for customers in the DRC. In fact, we have recently added IPS Congo to our Value Added Reseller (VAR) network. IPS Congo is strategically located in Kolwezi, where the majority of mines in the DRC are based. On the service side of our network, we have added Lekasi-based AEMI, which services our range of LV motors,” concluded Kakese.

This article was authored by WEG Africa. Learn more about the company and its services at: www.weg.net