Local Mineral Processing Mired In Upkeep, Development Languishing

While South Africa’s crushing, milling and screening sector is in maintenance and operation mode, projects in countries such as Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Madagascar and Mozambique are experiencing capital growth, owing to greenfield developments which are contributing directly to the gross domestic product (GDP) and sectoral diversity of these countries’ economies, says independent process industry consultant Santosh Gunpath.

- Tasneem Bulbulia

He expounds that, in these countries, projects necessitate an increase in manufacturing; tax is generated for the host country from operational revenue when the product is sold/exported; and there is increased infrastructure development around the project’s geographical location.

In contrast, local crushing, milling and screening participants do not have projects underway that could contribute directly to the country’s GDP.

Instead, these form part of the overall contribution the mining industry makes to the economy. Gunpath highlights, moreover, that, while crushing, screening and milling service the mining industry primarily, they also play a role in the industrial and manufacturing industries.

“It must be understood, however, that the mining sector cannot function without the essential part of the process flowsheet of crushers, screens and mills. It will always have a place in the industry as an indirect contributor,” he adds.

Gunpath emphasises the value of crushing, screening and milling to the mining industry, as collectively, these processes form an integral part of most mineral processing applications.

Extracting valuable minerals from mined ore requires a combination of crushing and milling – also known as grinding and comminution – whereafter the ore is sized using screens, he notes.

He indicates that these three processes are used to process the country’s major commodities, namely gold, platinum, coal, manganese and iron-ore, while coal uses only screening.