A recently announced strategic partnership aims to address challenges faced by the mining sector in Africa through the implementation of innovative dredging technology.

Tri-Pump, a provider of pumping solutions in Africa has entered an exclusive distributor agreement with dredging solutions company EDT to deliver services and solutions to mining operations in key African regions, including Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, Mauritius, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Under this partnership, Tri-Pump will offer a range of EDT products, including the Mud Cat E-series electric remote-controlled dredges and Mud Cat D-series diesel crewed dredges with optional remote capabilities. These solutions are designed to optimise efficiency and productivity in mining operations, particularly in the management of tailings dams and lagoons.

EDT notes that it holds ISO 9001:2015 certification through Bureau Veritas and that its sales and field service teams collaborate closely with Tri-Pump, providing training and on-site support to facilitate seamless operations and minimal downtime.

The company’s projects include power plants, mining operations, agriculture projects, water and wastewater treatment, industrial clean-up, aquatic vegetation control with its WeedMaster cutterhead and dredge dewatering with its GeoPool product line.

EDT technical sales manager Michael Young highlighted the transformative capabilities of the company’s Mud Cat electric dredges. He emphasised that these dredges offer various levels of automation for the dredging process, seamlessly sharing key metrics with the supervisory control and data acquisitions systems of mines or industrial plants. The automation technology helps reduce labour costs and mitigates safety risks to personnel. Furthermore, the automation features can aid in quantifying the profitability of dredging operations.

Both Tri-Pump and EDT expressed openness to expanding their distributorship to other countries and regions. “The prospect of offering dredging solutions to the mining sector is particularly thrilling for us. It seamlessly complements our existing pump portfolio. Additionally, addressing the long-standing challenge of slurry buildup in process water ponds for end-users is something we anticipate resolving through this collaboration," said Tri-Pump group marketing director Jannie Rossouw.