Neemba, the Cat dealer for 11 countries across West Africa, has become a distributor for the innovative FuelActive fuel pick-up system, which ensures that fuel is taken from the top of the fuel level rather than from the bottom of the tank, where over 95% of contaminants reside.
By using only the cleanest fuel, sensitive engine components are protected and operators can achieve a 3-5% fuel economy improvement, with a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions. Using clean fuel also maximises the operating life of filters, pumps and injectors, reducing operating costs for customers and cutting the risk of unexpected downtime.
The UK-based company, which has extensive experience in the mining and construction sectors around the world, initially started working with a customer in West Africa over 18 months ago. In collaboration with Neemba, FuelActive was installed on a number of Cat 777s as part of a trial. Six months later and with over 100,000 data points Neemba has decided to sign an exclusive five-year deal to distribute FuelActive to customers across its territories in West Africa.
FuelActive will supply up to 20 different fuel pick-up systems, to suit a range of Cat products suited to mining applications including motor graders, rigid haul trucks, excavators and shovels, along with many of Cat’s larger dozers. Additional systems will be added as required and FuelActive will also supply a range of products for Neemba’s broad range of construction & power generation equipment.
“We are delighted to have signed this agreement with FuelActive,” said Neemba Deputy CEO Denis Paput. “We always strive to provide our customers with the highest quality equipment and with leading, innovative technologies, that will make a positive impact on their business. The FuelActive system delivers improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and, in countries that don’t always have the highest quality fuels, it will ensure that engine component life is maximised.”
Neemba will carry stock of the systems within its parts supply chain across the region. FuelActive is also training Neemba’s service engineer team, to ensure that the company can install and support customers across a range of machinery. Neemba says it has a clear focus on offering its customers the very latest ESG technologies and FuelActive is an important part of that strategy.
The company has been a Cat dealer for more than 90 years, although it only adopted the Neemba company name recently, having separated from the JA Delmas network. The name derives from Mount Nimba, one of the highest peaks in West Africa, underlining the company’s drive to always offer customers the very highest level of service excellence.
“Central to our strategy is the empowerment of our employees,” said Paput. “By focusing on continuous learning and development initiatives we acknowledge that our people are our most valuable asset in driving innovation and excellence throughout Africa.”
Max Lytle, CEO of FuelActive: “Since we entered the mining sector the most common customer comment after a successful pilot is to ask why Cat dealers don’t supply it. This represents a very credible step in achieving this goal. We are proud to partner with Neemba who obviously place such a premium on delighting customers, proactively researching innovative carbon reduction initiatives.”
FuelActive’s Mining Sector Director Thomas Michaelson-Yeates also welcomed the distribution deal, adding: “Neemba is well established as the leading heavy machinery distributor across West Africa and we are proud and delighted that they have recognised the potential benefits of the FuelActive system for their customers. Our easy to install, patented fuel pick-up system ensures that only the cleanest, uncontaminated fuel is drawn from the tank. It will deliver improved fuel consumption, reduced carbon emissions, along with engine and component longevity, offering a rapid return on investment for operators in the field. We look forward to working together, to bring a reduction in operating costs, an increase in machine uptime and a benefit to the environment, across the West Africa region.”
