PMC’s trains do not wait with new railway upgrade
Palabora Mining Company (PMC) and Transnet executives launched the upgraded railway at the mine recently.
The railway infrastructure upgrade project started in 2021 and a year later on September 29 the upgraded railway was launched and the dream was realized at PMC. According to Zani Kutumela, PMC transformation, and stakeholder engagement communications specialist, the upgraded railway offers a tailor-made solution that satisfies the business and customer needs and ensures sustainability for the community of Ba-Phalaborwa at large according to a statement released by PMC.
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“Railway freight is one of the oldest and most efficient forms of cargo transportation. Rail carries a wide range of bulk commodities such as but not limited to; construction materials, food, chemicals, equipment, metals, and now newly added to the list is PMC’s magnetite,” says PMC transformation and stakeholder engagement communications specialist, Zani Kutumela. “Railway transportation is well known for its efficiency and a simple, reliant medium to connect people, things, and places timeously and safely.
Moving goods by rail is cost-effective and it is the number one choice as a preferred mode of transportation for many people and industries, due to its reliability,” Kutumela explains. “When we are profitable, this turns into more spending related to the B-BBEE requirements on socio-economic development and enterprise and supplier development,” stated Kutumela. The PMC logistics team led by Sanda Zungu, senior manager of supply chain and logistics together with the PMC projects team led by Zakes Malepe, the general manager of asset management collaborated to tackle the railway capacity expansion on site, optimizing its design with a 4km extension, enabling it to load and clear 80 wagons in one trip, to the maximum of five train trips a day.
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“This expansion means improved efficiency at the loading facilities and reduced magnetite cost of sales for the business. Our new tracks are laid to accommodate the Transnet locomotives. Transnet transfers are now able to collect magnetite and vermiculite directly from the exchange yard and out to the Maputo or Richards Bay ports without breakage,” Kutumela explains. “The Railway Upgrade Programme is also a strategic move for the teams.
Its implementation is in line with our business objective to be innovative and showcase continuous improvement. It is therefore not surprising that PMC, an organization that identifies itself as a leader in the mining industry, would challenge itself with a high-risk and costly project and execute it successfully within 100 000 hours, achieving our safety objective of Zero-Harm,” says Kutumela.
“Special thanks go out to the Projects and Logistics teams in conjunction with the three main contractors R&H Consulting for design and simulation, PGN for Civil works, and Y&F for Per way installation. A year later, the upgraded railway is launched, and the dream is finally realized. Trains do not wait!” Kutumela concludes.
