As contractors in southern Africa seek to reduce operating costs to remain competitive, the recent arrival of the fully electric Powertrack range from Athos Crushing and Screening unlocks a new era in crushing and screening. A contractor operating outside South Africa has placed an order for two units, heralding the industry’s keen interest in the technology.

July 2025 marked a new era in the southern African crushing and screening space as Athos Crushing and Screening, a sister company to Pilot Crushtec International, took the wraps off what is believed to be the first fully electric line of mobile crushers and screens in southern Africa.

The launch event saw the arrival of the first three units – the Powertrack PT Pro J-11E mobile jaw crusher, the Powertrack PT Pro C-20E mobile cone crusher and the Powertrack PT Pro ST-08E mobile triple-deck screen, which will be joined by the Powertrack PT Pro SP-08E mobile scalping screen at a later stage.

“Ahead of the launch, a contractor operating outside South Africa placed an order for two machines, a Powertrack PT Pro J-11E mobile jaw crusher and a Powertrack PT Pro ST-08E mobile triple-deck screen. The machines will be deployed to crush aggregates for the maintenance of haul roads at a mine,” confirms Sales and Marketing Director Francois Marais.

While there is a general trepidation to go the fully electric route among some quarters of the industry, Marais says there is another school of thought that recognises the immediate cost benefits of adopting this technology, especially where grid electricity supply exists.

“The fully electric Powertrack range ushers in a new era in cost efficiency. Firstly, the range comes at a competitive price point. The absence of the diesel engine alone shaves off 30 to 40% of the capital cost compared to comparable diesel units,” Marais says. “Secondly, the elimination of diesel fuel expenses provides significant reduction in operating costs. Based on our own calculations, we expect operators to realise a 40 to 50% cost benefit by running these machines on grid electricity versus diesel,” he says.

Another cost benefit of the e-Power Powertrack range stems from the reduced maintenance requirements due to the absence of a diesel engine. Jorge Abelho, Technical Support Director at Athos Crushing and Screening, says electric motors by their nature have far fewer moving parts than their diesel counterparts, reducing the need for frequent servicing, oil changes and replacement of components cush as filters.

“Simplicity is another key feature which makes these machines easy to fault find and maintain, maximising uptime. The simple nature of these fully electric units also means that there are no specialised skills required to look after the machines. Most existing technicians who have worked on static plants will easily service these machines,” Abelho says.

Marais says the e-Power range comes at a time when the incentive for contractors to reduce costs is very high. This is driven by the dire need to remain competitive, enhance profitability and ensure sustainability by lowering major expenses such as capital costs, fuel and maintenance.

“By managing costs effectively, contractors can stay resilient against market volatility, while meeting the increasing demands for environmental responsibility, thus securing their long-term success in such a competitive market,” Marais concludes.