22MW POWER PLANT FOR MARAMPA, SIERRA LEONE

The Anglo Belgian Corporation has supplied a 22MW power plant composed of eight thermal power generators - full installation will be commissioned in Autumn 2023.

The Gerald Group, founded in the US and headquartered in the U.K., one of the world’s leading global metals trading houses for the trading of ferrous, non-ferrous, precious metals and related concentrates and raw materials, chose International Montage Maintenance (IMM) to provide an extension for the mine’s existing, onsite power plant at the Marampa Mines Limited site in Sierra Leone.

This extension consists of the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) site involving a 22MW power plant composed of eight thermal groups equipped with ABC motors, as well as all the auxiliaries and seamless integration with the existing power plant.

A spokesman commented: “This new mission reinforces IMM’s role as a trusted partner for mining stakeholders in Africa.”

For 100 years Anglo Belgian Corporation (ABC), with headquarters and production facility in Gent (Belgium), supplies power solutions for electricity production.

ABC’s reliable, medium speed engines, in combination with an alternator, ensure that we can offer powerful solutions to those looking for a reliable source of energy.

Generator sets based on ABC engines are widely- used in (hybrid) power plants, industrial groups and emergency gensets. As an independent power producer (IPP) or non-utility generator (NUG), you want to rely on solid and experienced partners to produce power for resale at the lowest cost per kWh.

Anglo Belgian Corporation (ABC) is an open-source manufacturer of medium speed engines with various energy outputs, operates a state-of-the-art production facility in Belgium. Our reliable engines, in combination with an alternator, offer powerful yet economical power generation solutions.

The characteristic medium speed engine (up to 1000 rpm) and cleverly-engineered distribution of loads ensure a low mechanical deterioration and therefore guarantees a long life of the engine and its components.

A spokesman comments: “Our engines are 100% mechanical, making them easier to maintain and more reliable. We call this “SMART”: Simple, Mechanical, Affordable, Reliable and Tailormade according to your requirements. The total cost of ownership and uptime of medium speed engines easily outperforms high speed engines in the long run. This is due to the low fuel and lube oil consumption, the lower frequency of maintenance interventions and general robustness of the medium speed engine. Your benefit is a much lower operating and life-cycle cost.

“ABC also has extensive experience with containerised generating sets operating in the most difficult and harsh environments.” www.abc-engines.com

ABC containerised solutions are designed according to the needs of each project, including the necessary scope of supply and tailored to the environmental requirements. ABC’s solutions include not only the power units but also fuel treatment systems and electric switchgear, all of which can be integrated in containers.

The Gerald Group-owned Marampa Mines Limited has commissioned a 3.25 million tonnes per annum expansion of the name iron ore mine in Sierra Leone.

The expansion follows a restart of mining on September 1, 2021, and ups output from 2 million tonnes per annum, producing the company’s trademarked Marampa Blue product.

Marampa Blue ore is a >65% iron content concentrate currently in high demand as the world’s iron smelters seek to reduce their carbon footprints.

Sierra Leone president Maada Bio has welcomed the restart of full-scale operations.

“Exports of high-value products such as Marampa Blue iron ore concentrate from Sierra Leone will increase year-on-year and deliver a long-awaited boost to our country’s economic growth and stability,” he said in a statement.

Gerald Group and Marampa Mines CEO Craig Dean said the expansion is part of a shared vision to optimise the 1.7 billion tonnes of compliant resources at Marampa, which combines Marampa North and South concessions.

“The venture brings additional revenues to the government of Sierra Leone and creates opportunities by developing a sustainable and resilient mining operation, so Sierra Leoneans significantly benefit from MML’s growth and success,” he said.

The 3.25 million tonnes per year expansion mainly includes the addition of a new feed point and a new product line to accommodate the additional feed and product volume, as well as the addition of a new set of spiral blocks to increase processing capacity, and an expansion of the mining fleet with large 90 million tonne capacity excavators to increase mining volume. Marampa Mines has laid out plans to expand the operation further. This will involve further options to access additional power and renewable or lower carbon-intensive energy sources.

Discussions about operational access to Pepel’s rail and port facilities are now underway and will contribute significantly to MML’s streamlining of export operations and reduction in carbon footprint, key components to ensure future competitiveness.