August will see the Mining and Technical Exhibition (MTE) team visit three areas and three vastly different industry sectors over the course of the month – showcasing the company’s agility and versatility. Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo will be visited with a combo tour homing in on the gold sector at Mponeng on 1 August and Kusasalethu on 3 August, a focus on the paper and pulp industry at Ngodwana on 24 August, ending up with a spotlight on chrome, platinum and vanadium at the company’s popular Steelpoort expo on 31 August, respectively.
Mponeng/Kusasalethu: gold – first focus of the month
A global survey of professional investors has revealed that the price of gold is expected to surge as investors boost their allocations to it. Professional investors including pension funds, private equity and venture capital firms, family offices and sovereign wealth funds are set to boost allocations to gold and gold miners over the next 18 months as the metal’s price rises.1 Gold has and will always be a reliable investment, and the South African mining environment reflects that in no uncertain terms. MTE will therefore always include expos in this sector in its annual plans.
MTE’s first stop is Mponeng on 1 August 2023 at West Wits Cricket Club from 13:00-17:00, moving on to Kusasalethu Mine in the second leg of the combo-show tour, on 3 August between 13:00-17:00. If you, as a valued supplier to this sector, miss MTE’s first local gold push – do not forget that the company will return to Johannesburg’s heart of gold where the Sibanye Stillwater: Gold Division Mining & Industrial Expo will take place on 19 October 2023 at the Kloof Rec Club between 13:00-17:00.
MTE’s Mponeng expo in 2022. Image credit: ©Mining and Technical Exhibitions
Ngodwana: paper & pulp industry is pumping
The MTE Ngodwana 2023 Expo will take place at the Sappi Ngodwana Training Centre on 24 August from 12:00 to 16:30 – taking solutions to paper and pulp to increase efficiencies and impacts that will benefit all stakeholders. The Ngodwana Mill has been in operation since 1966 and entered the dissolving pulp (DP) market in 2013 with the conversion of part of the mill’s paper grade pulp production to DP production.2 The mill produces paper pulp for its own consumption, as well as newsprint, kraft linerboard and DP. Situated amidst Sappi’s commercial forestry operations, the mill produces approximately 320 000 tons of paper pulp, 255 000 tons of DP and 380 000 tons of paper (newsprint and kraft linerboard used for packaging) per annum. 70% of the mill’s production is exported and the balance is used locally – so if you are a supplier to this industry, be sure to book your expo stands in time.
The paper and pulp industry are making an impact in South Africa on many levels, and this is why MTE services the industry. The industry recently asserted its role in greener products and the circular economy at a round table discussion hosted on 5 July by the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA). In fact, experts at the roundtable revealed: the perception that reducing paper consumption will save the environment is both unsubstantiated and misleading.
The environmental and socio-economic aspects and benefits of forests and wood products, as well as the importance of our planted forests, were emphasised and several myths and misunderstandings about the sector were debunked. “Trees in South Africa are farmed to make timber, pulp and paper – rather, they are audited, certified and sustainably managed,” said Jane Molony, executive director at PAMSA. Planted forests represent just 7% of the planet’s forest area but provide about 50% of the wood for global industrial use such as pulp, paper, and timber for construction. In South Africa, some 30% of the forestry-owned land is also set aside for biodiversity and are homes to thriving biospheres.
Dr Tracy Wessels, group head of Sustainability and Investor Relations at Sappi, added, “Trees need three things to grow: sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. Just like children, younger trees need more energy to grow, and thus absorb more carbon dioxide.” Farming trees, therefore – harvesting the older ones as their growth slows and planting new trees – helps to mop up more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The socio-economic benefits of the forest and harvested wood products sector and the vital role it plays in providing employment and supporting local communities is noteworthy. Through sustainable forest management practices, the industry strikes a balance between economic growth and environmental conservation, fostering a green economy that benefits all stakeholders.
MTE’s Ngodwana expo in 2022. Image credit: ©Mining and Technical Exhibitions
Steelpoort: chrome industry booming, vanadium interest grows
MTE’s annual visit over the past +20 years to Steelpoort answers the call of operations like Eastern Chrome Mines (ECM), Tubatse Ferrochrome, Lion Ferrochrome, Dwarsrivier Chrome Mine; Two Rivers Platinum; Thorncliffe Chrome Mine, Helena Chrome Mine; Magaren Chrome Mine; Mototolo Platinum Mines; Booysendal Platinum Mine; Mototolo Concentrator; Modikwa Platinum Mine; Marula Platinum Mine and TAS Samancor Smelter offering new innovative tech solutions to assist in driving efficiencies and productivity in an energy, logistics, and water constrained economy – with addition illegal mining and security woes in the region adding more complexity to an already challenged industry.
MTE will be in Steelpoort and fully focused on platinum and chrome tech solutions on 31 August at the Winterveld Rec Club from 13:00 to 17:00. While one of the team’s newest interests in the area is the Steelpoortdrift (SPD) vanadium project, which is an open-pit mining development by Vanadium Resources (formerly Tando Resources) and one of the biggest and highest-grade vanadium deposits in the world3, the importance of this area mainly lies in its rich chrome base.
MTE’s Steelpoort Expo 2022: The tented area, on the left. On the right – the freestanding supplier exhibition stands. Image credit: ©Mining and Technical Exhibitions (MTE)
The importance of chrome to SA
Chrome, known for its hardness and corrosion resistance, is essential in the production of stainless steel and is a particular focus for miners in the area. The Minerals Council South Africa says that, nationally, the mining of chrome ore supplied almost 19 000 direct jobs in 2022. “From 2021 to 2022 production volumes of the resource were expected to have increased by 5.6%, while the value of total sales is expected to have soared by 50.3% on account of higher international commodity prices, while comparing 2019 to 2022, production would have increased by 9.9% to 19.4 million tonnes.”4
Global significance of vanadium
The vanadium in the area is adding to the importance of this region, based on the fact that the automotive industry’s need for higher strength steel, specifically advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) and high-strength low-alloy steels (HSLA) has resulted in an increase in demand for the resource.5 Vanadium contributes to the strength and economic efficiency demanded in materials for vehicles, offering the most economical and highest strength-to-weight ratio to minimise fuel consumption.
The vanadium in the area is adding to the importance of this region. Supplied www.nsenergybusiness.com; courtesy of Vanadium Resources
So, if you have solutions that fit the bill for these areas and sectors call the MTE team to book your spot in the limelight.
Contact the MTE Team!
Andrew Macnamara: +27 (0)82 720 0083 | andrew@interactmedia.co.za
Sheldon Greybe: +27 (0)84 569 3516 | sheldong@interactmedia.co.za
Cathylene Labuschagne: +27 (0)11 579 4940 | cathylene@interactmedia.co.za
References:
- As at the time of writing, 26 April. Research conducted for Tresor Gold among 100 metals and mining investors working for sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds and family offices responsible for USD307.5-billion assets under management in Canada, Australia, the US, UK, UAE, France, Germany, Switzerland, Qatar and Saudi Arabia by independent research agency PureProfile during April 2023.
- https://www.sappi.com/ngodwana-mill#:~:text=Ngodwana%20Mill%20has%20been%20in,newsprint%2C%20kraft%20linerboard%20and%20DP.
- https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/projects/steelpoortdrift-vanadium-project/#
- Minerals Council South Africa, Facts & figures pocketbook 2022: https://www.mineralscouncil.org.za/downloads/send/18-facts-and-figures/1996-facts-and-figures-2022-pocketbook
- Vanitec press release titled: Demand for vanadium in the automotive industry, a double-edged sword.