The first two bodies for 23 large mine dump trucks ordered for the Husab uranium mine in Namibia are undertaking an epic road journey from Johannesburg to the far flung mine over 2 000 km away.

Planning for the trip was undertaken by a joint team of specialists from Komatsu and transporters Transcor, which aim to safely move the dump bodies over difficult terrain and across borders to the destination. Due to the sheer size, the team is set to surprise many who do not believe it possible to move the 14.6 m long by 10.7 m wide by 5.4 m high freight by road.

Gerhard Kloppers, sales application engineer at Komatsu, says: “For us it proves that where others see problems, we see solutions. We are proud that no matter how big the challenge, Komatsu is able to find the right solutions for our customers.”

Locally built

A total of 23 Komatsu 960E trucks will be delivered to Swakop Uranium’s Husab operation, where they will become the primary movers of waste and ore on its new mine. The dump bodies were manufactured entirely in South Africa by Efficient Engineering and their delivery on-site marks the beginning of the assembly phase.

The chassis are being manufactured in the US before being shipped to Walvis Bay for final delivery at the mine about 100 km away. The phased delivery will coincide with the ramping up of the new mine to reach full readiness by the end of 2014.

Project freight

Kloppers adds: “Moving the dump bodies requires massive coordination of all parties involved from Komatsu, the body manufacturers, transporters and road traffic authorities alike. Every step of the journey has to be carefully measured and investigated before the 50-tonne freight can be granted permission to travel.

“Even then, strict conditions apply and the vehicles need to be accompanied by at least two escorts from Transcor, as well as two road traffic authorities from South Africa at all times. Once across the border at Nakop Border Post, the Namibian authorities require a similar arrangement.”

“Everything needs to be planned – from distance that can be covered during daylight hours to power line heights and bridge weight carrying capacities and more. Most importantly, with one of the widest consignments being carried by road in the region, hazards at the verges of the route needed to be identified and catered for.

“In the end we are confident it will all work out and the assembly project will get under way without a glitch. We are also looking forward to the next few months during which time all the machines will be brought into operation.”