Weir says it has invested in training and skills development to establish local expertise and capacity in West Africa to meet increasing demands for efficiency, sustainability and technological integration in the mining industry.

With its focus on customised solutions, the company supports a range of commodities mined in West Africa including gold, bauxite, iron-ore and lithium and it is also transitioning to configured-to-order systems to further reduce lead times while improving efficiency and stability of supply chains.

“Our operations in Ghana and Senegal are fully managed by local teams, with an active presence in Mali, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria,” says Weir regional manager: West Africa Andrew Ayirebi.

“We partner with customers throughout the mining lifecycle, supporting our sustainable mining and processing solutions with on-site services and fast response times,” he says. He points to the range of operational areas supported by Weir, including comminution, classification, slurry handling and dewatering.

“In terms of comminution, grinding is one of the most energy-intensive steps in mining,” he explains. “Our ENDURON high-pressure grinding roll (HPGR) technology reduces energy consumption in comminution applications, saving up to 40% in energy consumption compared to traditional SAG mill technology.”

Weir notes that it provided its HPGR technology to Endeavour’s Lafigué openpit gold mine in north-central Côte d’Ivoire, helping to save energy, reduce the mine’s carbon footprint and reduce the consumption of grinding media – aimed at lowering operating costs and ensuring a more consistent throughput.

The company says it also enhances equipment with its WRT technology which reduces energy usage in its Warman pumping systems. Its GEHO range of positive displacement pumps, which transport high density slurries over long distances, are also designed to minimise energy consumption. Its classification solutions aim to ensure optimal particle size distribution to maximise the efficiency of downstream processes. Weir says it also leverages digital technology to further enhance the value of its equipment, by applying its NEXT intelligent solutions.

“This gives mining operators real-time insights into equipment condition and performance,” says Ayirebi. “Our acquisition of digital mining solutions leader Micromine earlier this year further strengthens our ability to optimise customers’ operations.”