Delivering mining solutions safely

Meticulously observing only the highest standards in safety and environmental practice, specialist logistics services group Unitrans has established itself as a leading service provider to the Southern and East African mining sectors.

With proven, mining-sector, materials-handling capabilities, the company has operated road trains in Africa for more than 35 years, continuously developing safer high-payload combinations using performance-based systems (PBS), while having a positive impact on the regions it operates in and its partners. 

“Having operated bulk handling equipment for most of the large mining groups on the continent, our pit-to-port capability has been our major strength and where our focus has been,” explains John Kettlewell, COO: Mining at Unitrans, highlighting that the success of current operations offers the ideal springboard for the business to grow mining operations across Africa.

Range of service

Services include on- and off-mine load and haul activities, the clearing and stripping of sites, performing specialised pit area preparation, removing overburden to access ore, and handling all excess material to waste dumps. The company also offers specialised in- and outbound logistics – be it the transport of bagged products on flat decks, or dry bulk products in pressurised tankers – as well as aggregate and raw bulk products in tippers. Unitrans boasts an extensive fleet of PBS vehicles that reduce costs and environmental impact, while improving efficiencies. Other services include staff transport solutions in support of mining operations, the transport and distribution of explosives, the supply of ancillary mining equipment, road maintenance at mining sites, the rehabilitation of post-mine landscapes, and stockpile management – allowing for the provision of a total mining service. 

According to Kettlewell, safety is deeply ingrained in the day-to-day operations of all Unitrans employees. “At Unitrans, there is a firm belief in the power of doing. We have a responsibility towards our customers, employees and the communities we operate in, to do so responsibly and safely.”

Understanding the importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) in mine design and development, Unitrans is aligned to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Ongoing investment into the use of performance-based road train technology, reducing net fleet size and emissions, as well as research into electric mining vehicle capabilities, underlines its commitment to do its utmost towards sustainability and the environment.

Kettlewell says that a proactive approach is taken towards sustainability and safety at Unitrans – with training being a critical factor in achieving the goals set. An in-house training academy delivers ongoing training, showcasing the commitment towards the development of people. “The Mining Business Unit has always strived to be the safest and most innovative operator in the industry, and we have a proud track record to prove this,” he adds.

Expanding footprint

With an expansive fleet of PBS vehicles and yellow equipment, as well as extensive on-the-ground experience, Unitrans plans to grow operations extensively in Africa, focusing particularly on above-ground mining operations.

“We have built up experience in a variety of countries where we have been operating for several years,” adds Kobus Burger, operations executive: Mining, Unitrans. This includes Madagascar, where Unitrans is responsible for the bulk transportation of products in road trains traversing a 14 km long lead distance for Rio Tinto. Operations include the load and haul of containerised monazite and zirsil, feeding the factory with front-end loaders, as well as stockpile management. In Botswana, Unitrans has expanded its fleet over the years to service the copper industry, where it currently loads and hauls 3.65 Mtpa of copper ore, while in Namibia it handles 80 interlink truckloads daily from a salt mine to the Port of Walvis Bay.

This article was first published in Inside Mining’s Smart Mining issue

The post Delivering mining solutions safely first appeared on Mining News.
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