ADVERTORIAL
PJ TEC H
Meeting mid-tiers’ process needs Turnkey process solutions provider PJ Tech is working to establish itself as a major competitor in the supply of mid-sized turnkey coal projects.
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J TECH’S BUSINESS has evolved from small and humble beginnings to fulfil an important role in the mining sector. Construction of its first plant for Universal Coal’s, the Kangala project, is well under way and will springboard the company further into this market. In 2009, the company was approached by Tata Richards Bay to build a primary ferrochrome recovery plant using its inhouse processes and patented designs. “It was this project that enabled us to identify the need for small- to mid-sized one-stop turnkey solutions – including the design, fabrication and construction of quality, cost-effective, lowmaintenance plants that can also be easily modified and upgraded,” explains Wynand Nieman, PJ Tech’s commercial director. PJ Tech’s growing success with smalland medium-sized miners can be attributed to its modular plant design strategy, which delivers fast turnaround times and is cost effective, from design to construction and commissioning. “This enables our customers to start production in a much shorter time frame, often making capital- and time-sensitive projects viable.”
Kangala plant pre-erected at PJ Tech's facility
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Modular, plug-and-play plants can be built, pre-erected and cold commissioned off-site (at the PJ Tech facility) in a controlled environment, enabling problem areas to be addressed upfront. Modules are designed and built to conform to standard shipping container sizes, which facilitate easy transport by road, rail or sea. Modular design complements standardisation of parts and components used and designs can be duplicated, reducing design and fabrication time. The combination of these factors means plants can be erected and commissioned on-site in the shortest time possible. It is this very construction process that PJ Tech is using to construct Universal Coal’s 2 Mtpa coal processing plant (including a DMS circuit and a crushing and screening circuit) for its Delmas-based Kangala mine. “We are constructing the entire Kangala plant (in modules) off-site, meaning construction on-site will be quick and effortless. This de-risks the project extensively.”
Shipping of the first phase of the plant started at the end of August, with erection commencement ready for mid-September. This time frame will ensure that first production is achieved in February 2014, two months ahead of Universal Coal’s original expectation. PJ Tech’s business also caters to multi-mineral solutions in the mineral sands beneficiation and alloy recovery from slag sectors. “We also supply solutions in the specialised crushing and screening industry – screening dry efficiently below 200 µm.” PJ Tech’s offices and fabrication facility is situated in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, conveniently close to South Africa’s major coalfields. “Our fabrication facility comprises 3 000 m2 of space, with two overhead cranes. We have an additional 8 000 m2 of outside assembly and fabrication area. We are also constructing a new stores area, which will add another 900 m2 of covered fabrication area,” explains Nieman. The facility also includes a dedicated 120 m2 covered sandblasting facility, which is scheduled to double in size. Spraypainting facilities and several other administrative departments in the office building add another 1 000 m2 to the overall premises.
www.pjtechsa.co.za
A new exciting PJ Tech development PJ Tech is in the process of finalising a patented process for gravity separation of minerals below 50 µm. “We are also busy developing flotation solutions for coal and PGMs, incorporating new and existing technology,” Nieman notes. In order to supply a high-quality product, PJ Tech uses well-established, reputable suppliers such as Actom Electrical Machines, Rosta, Battlemax, Italvibras, Malvern Engineering, Mac’s Screens and Shumar Engineering, among others. As an added benefit, it has spares readily available when needed.