Kansanshi mine praises ISASMELT™ technology for flexibility and Glencore Technology for unwavering support
Brisbane, Australia
Customer feedback is an invaluable tool for any business, and at a recent ISASMELT™ Licensees Conference, Glencore Technology had the opportunity to connect with some of its most valued users. Among them was Dauti Kapenda Chibwe, Operations Superintendent at First Quantum Minerals, who shared his overwhelmingly positive experience with the ISASMELT™ technology at the Kansanshi Copper Smelter in Solwezi, Zambia.
Kansanshi, an open-pit mining operation, is Africa’s leading copper producer. It employs over 13,000 people, predominantly Zambians, and utilises cutting-edge technology to efficiently extract copper and gold from three distinct ore types. Kansanshi Mining PLC, 80% owned by First Quantum, operates the mine, with its copper smelter commissioned in the first half of 2015.
Dauti Kapenda Chibwe’s insights highlight the effectiveness of the ISASMELT™ technology, and the strong support provided by Glencore Technology.
The ISASMELT Advantage: Flexibility and Rapid Ramp-Up
When asked about his favourite aspects of the ISASMELT™ technology, Dauti stated, “To start with, I was introduced to the ISASMELT™ technology very early in my career. So that being the starting point, I fell in love with it and moved to Kansanshi, which was my second ISASMELT™ to see. What I can say I like about the ISASMELT™ is that it’s easy to adapt in terms of the feed that you have.
"We’ve got various feeds that are going through the ISASMELT™ [furnace], and it basically takes almost everything. It is very flexible and easy to run without any difficulties from [the] start, from commissioning. We quickly ramped up. In six months, we were able to get to the design capacity. So that’s what I like about the ISASMELT™; flexibility in terms of feed as well as the ramp-up period to design.”
Unwavering Aftermarket Support: “They don’t leave you like an orphan”
Dauti also highlighted the exceptional aftermarket support from Glencore Technology. When asked about his experience with Glencore Technology’s post-commissioning support, he responded, “I would say that GT has been very supportive. Their site presence during commissioning and post-commissioning was very good. And they helped us stabilise the plant quickly, without any issues. And they stay in touch with the client throughout the life of, I would say, the plant.
"Up to now, we’re still resolving a few issues here and there. And when we have issues, they are always there, available for us to give us the support that is required. So, they don’t leave you like an orphan, they are always around to offer support when there are issues and they check up on you so, that communication is always there, even in times when, for example, we had the ISACONVERT™ [commissioning], during the period of Covid, but the support was still there, despite the travel restrictions that existed during that time.”
Learning and Networking at the Licensees Workshop
Dauti shared his positive experience with the ISASMELT™ Licensees Workshop itself. When asked what he loved about participating in the workshop, he said, “I have had an opportunity to learn from various licensees what they are doing [and] what not to be done. Yeah, because ISASMELT™ is very forgiving. So, we tend to do a lot of things and unknowingly, in the end, we cause problems for ourselves. So that has been mentioned by the various licensees, which we’ve learnt and plan to go and implement when we go [back] to site, discuss with the teams, what the dangers are of certain practices. Of course, there are things we are doing, we think we’re doing them right, but actually not.”
He also highly valued the networking opportunities. “Secondly, it’s the networking that will come out of this, a lot of groups, you make sure that we are in different groups to get to know each other and it will be easy going forward, if I have a problem, to just write an email, my colleague who I know, and they will quickly respond because we know each other very well. We’ve interacted. So yeah, looking forward to many more of these.”
Dauti praised the presentations, stating, “The presentations were good and touched on various topics. Some of them affecting us directly. Others, we haven’t seen the bad side, but we’ve been at least well informed ahead. So, the things that you are not doing, problems that you are not experiencing, but with the changes in the field, you might experience them. So, it’s good knowing beforehand so that in future, if that problem comes, it will be easier for us to resolve it without having too many downtimes or long shutdowns. Yeah. So, it’s a good conference.”
Regarding areas for improvement, Dauti commented that it was a shame that not all ISASMELT™ licensees were able to make the trip for the conference, “Regarding what needs to be improved, I think it’s unfortunate we didn’t have the other people, [we’re] not sure what problems they are facing, but it would have been nice to have everybody on board.”
Overall, Dauti Kapenda Chibwe’s feedback provides a powerful testament to the effectiveness and flexibility of ISASMELT™ technology, coupled with the consistent and dedicated support provided by Glencore Technology. It reinforces the value of strong client relationships and collaborative learning within the industry.
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Glencore Technology is a provider of innovative solutions for the global mining industry, including industry leading technologies such as IsaMill™, Jameson Cell, IsaKidd™, Albion Process™ and IsaSmelt™ and more.