In a bid to boost its production capacity, Ghana’s wholly Ghanaian-owned gold mining major, Adamus Resources Ltd, with financial support from its parent company, Nguvu Mining Ltd, has launched 13 100 t capacity Liebherr T 236 electric drive mine haulage trucks at the company’s Nzema operation at Essiama in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region. The trucks were manufactured at Liebherr’s Colmar factory in France.
Nzema is located approximately 300 km west-southwest by road from the capital city Accra, and 80 km west by road from the port of Takoradi. It was the first mine to be owned by Nguvu Mining. The mine was acquired from Endeavour Mining in 2017. Nguvu Mining a has 90% interest in the mine, with the Government of Ghana holding the remaining 10%.
The miner said the acquisition of the haulage trucks augments its existing heavy-duty equipment and forms part of Adamus Mining’s expansion drive. Achieving this milestone which has been one of the company’s major goals, has strengthened its on the ground resources. The Liebherr T 236 Litronic Plus AC drive system enables a constant application of power to ground that is less sensitive to grade and payload variations. With a high take-off torque capability, the T 236 is designed to meet the most challenging operating environments.
The Cummins QST30-C Quantum Electronic Control System governs the high pressure pump and unit injectors for precision injection pressure and timing, while swirl-port cylinder heads optimise durability and combustion sealing. Advanced airflow improves fuel economy, low- end torque performance and emissions capability.
The colourful event was witnessed by some prominent chiefs of the Nzema Traditional Council led by the President of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli the Third. Also at the ceremony were the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the District Chief Executive of Ellembelle, Kojo Bonzoe and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of mines, amongst other players of the mining industry.
The Western Regional Minister, Okyere Darko-Mensah praised the management of Nguvu Mining Ltd for its continuous investments and immense contribution to the local economy, especially with the employment of over 1,100 indigenous people by the company. He added that without Adamus mining in Ellembelle, the local economy would have collapsed.
He said Adamus’ culture of being a company that listens to the community has led to an interesting stage where the company involves residents in responsible and sustainable community mining operations. He added that the company has made all the necessary arrangements to start community mining on their concessions, and is doing so well in supporting and supervising this project to sustain mining in the Ellembelle District.
The Regional Minister said he believes that the new arrangements are more sustainable and will ensure that the people of Nzema own some of the productive mining businesses in their district to generate revenue for themselves and their communities. “As an advocate for mining myself, I do believe that if Ghana has to grow then it means that we have to consistently support the mining sector in this country.”
He stressed that it was a fact that without gold, Ghana’s economy would have been in tatters after the COVID-19 pandemic, and for that matter, he has been pushing for increased gold production to support the economy of Ghana and all mining communities.
The CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Sulemanu Koney, commended the management of Nguvu Mining Ltd and Adamus for investing in the latest technology that is expected to help the company achieve its 120,000 oz per annum target. He said there is no doubt that this diesel electronic drive has become a benchmark in the 100 t class for off-highway mining trucks, showcasing top performance, maximising uptime and low operational cost.
The truck boasts a design that is embedded with safety considerations for maintenance technicians and operators by eliminating various hazards. Its commitment to the comfort of operators has been well considered with an ergonomic cabin to promote driver efficiency and enhanced superior performance.
“We believe that their robust design and advanced technology will undoubtedly contribute to increased operational efficiency at Adamus Mining and further set a new standard for the mining industry in Ghana,” said Koney.
The statement said that Liebherr International AG, “a renowned name in the global mining equipment industry has a history of delivering top-notch products that align with the needs of modern mining operations.” Koney said: “The Liebherr 100t T236 trucks are no exception. I’m confident that their integration into Adamus Mining Resources operations will reduce downtime with low cost and improve overall performance.”
The symbolic key to the trucks was jointly presented to the CEO of Nguvu Mining Ltd, Angela List by the Executive Vice President of Liebherr Mining, Dr Jörg Lukowski and Member of the Administrative Board of Liebherr International, Sophie Albrecht. Speaking after the presentation, Lukowski thanked the management of Nguvu Mining for their trust in them plus he assured them that Liebherr will work hard to deliver on its promises in terms of training and after-sales services.
Speaking after the launch, List said her company’s partnership with Liebherr has provided them with an excellent result in terms of top-quality mining equipment, with the latest being the first of its kind in Ghana. She said looking at various specifications of equipment, the T236, an electric truck with the superior after-sales service and training that Liebherr offers is a huge step for the group. She said the trucks will help accelerate the movement of the ore from the ground to the processing plant.
List also said the company believes in quality human resources and therefore has trained people from scratch especially the community members who had no skills at all including women. The CEO, who is committed to gender balance expressed joy about the fact that female employees who had no skills in driving, and started with the company as cleaners, have now been trained to become qualified operators. The women displayed their skills with the trucks after the launch. According to her, female operators are extremely competent and committed to safety, adding that she wants to see more women excelling in the male-dominated fields of the company.
List also said there is a cordial relationship with the host communities because community members have recognised that Adamus’ interest goes beyond personal gains. She said the company has the entire community, the various chiefdoms and all the people of Nzema land at heart. She said their doors are always opened to them for dialogue, discussions of progress, and implementation of corporate social responsibility initiatives, while efforts are made to employ more locals to make life easy for them.
On his part, the President of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli the Third, lauded the company for its contributions to the mining industry and the communities in their operational areas. While pledging the support of traditional authorities for mining activities, he said some people are only against community mining due to environmental challenges such as the degradation of forests and the pollution of water bodies. Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli the third said traditional authorities support sustainable and eco-friendly community mining for the protection of the environment for future generations.
