TWP Projects, part of the Basil Read group, has started construction on the life-of-mine workshop at Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen mine, in the Northern Cape province.

The workshop will be used for maintaining and servicing the new haul truck fleet, the largest units of which are the Komatsu 960E megatrucks, with a carrying capacity of 350 t.

Construction on the workshop began in October 2011, with work on Packages 1 and 2 nearing completion. Early works Package 1 included the construction of a laydown area for electrical equipment and the transportation of the electrical equipment from the site of the new workshops to the new electrical laydown area, as well as a crusher facility at which the excavated waste calcrete from the pit is crushed and used in the terrace construction.

Early works Package 2 comprised the construction of the earthworks terrace on which the new workshops and supporting facilities would be constructed.

The new crusher was also used to mix the crushed calcrete with waste material from the plant to form the workshop terrace.

Construction on the main workshop package started on May 21. Foundations are being excavated and concrete bases and footings are being cast for the main haul truck workshop, the tyre workshop, the tyre administration block and substation buildings. Blasting on the pollution-control pond is complete, although blasting will continue on the smaller service trenches.

Kumba Iron Ore bought the structural steel for the project from China and the first 500 t of the 1 800 t of steel is on site. The first shipment took place during August and September and the final shipment was slated to take place between September and October.

Relocation of the mine electrical equipment to the newly constructed electrical laydown area is under way. The contractor’s construction village, which will house about 900 workers, is nearing completion and can be occupied by the first residents this month.