ENGINEERING IN AFRICA Engineering and heap leach specialist SENET is unarguably Africa’s copper processing leader, having developed its expertise in this field extensively over the last decade. Today, the company boasts one of the largest copper solvent extraction/electro-winning (SX/EW) footprints on the continent with a combined annual process production in excess of 290 000 t, writes LAURA CORNISH. Unparalleled copper expertise SENET’s copper SX/EW processing expertise ensures that it is continuously active in Africa’s central region – predominantly the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – which boasts some of the world’s largest copper resources. Despite an economic downturn, which has forced numerous projects to be delayed, SENET’s copper project portfolio has continued to grow, thanks in part to innovative designs that result in affordable process plants. Having completed its tenth copper SX/EW plant, which was for Tiger Resources’ Kipoi project in the DRC last year, SENET is underway with the execution of its 11 th and 12 th (expansion) process plants, for Shalina Resources’ Etoile copper project and Kamoto Copper Company’s whole ore leach project – both in the DRC as well. Through its copper project execution, SENET has gained valuable knowledge which it applies towards guaranteeing the success of new projects and completing The electrowinning circuit at Tiger Resources’ Kipoi project FAST FACT Stainless steel milling-in-raffi nate SENET’s global alliances and standardised approach to copper process plants allow them to harness the design and execution experience of more than 40 SX/EW projects across the Asian, African and South American continents. future studies with increased effi ciencies and reduced schedules. “The results of lessons learnt have seen every new plant we bring on stream deliver improved copper recoveries, greater extraction effi ciencies and volumes produced,” SENET project manager Geoffrey Sewell reveals. “Kipoi demonstrates this perfectly.” Kipoi’s quick turnaround success Having been awarded the job in January 2013, execution work on the turnkey 36 MINING REVIEW AFRICA | JULY 2015