DRA's first turnkey contract (1986) was the award of a 250 tph coal DMS plant, complete with feed and discharge conveyors, for McAlpine/TNC Joint Venture (now BHP-Billiton). The contractual completion (twenty-one weeks) was already exceptionally tight, but we achieved a bonus for earlier completion. Four coal washing plants (100 - 150 tph) were subsequently commissioned for Frigate Mining, each being won in open tender with very short project durations.

During 1992 the first module of a fines washery was commissioned for Tweefontein Colliery (Duiker) with exceptionally good operating efficiencies. A cyclone plant extension to the jig plant at Strathrae Colliery substantially increased plant capacity at improved yields with reduced product moistures. Other successes included the award for a duplicate drum plant by BHP-Billiton for their Koornfontein extensions. This was followed by a spiral plant for Van Dyksdrift, another project won in the face of competitive tender.

Our relationship with BHP-Billiton was extended with the 740tph Middelburg Mine Services project and an innovative coal flotation plant at Koornfontein.

Our status as a premier league designer of coal preparation plants was emphasized when Sasol appointed DRA as their successful bidder for the engineering design of their new 1450 TPH Export Coal Washery. DRA participated in a joint venture with Fluor on this project, with Fluor undertaking the project management aspects such as cost control, procurement and site management. This project, the largest coal washery by an independent contracting company for over ten years was won against severe competition. Within three months of contract award, Sasol again selected DRA alone for a Pilot Plant for the Sasol site, again won against fierce competition.

Two projects involved supplying coal washeries to Iscor, both on tight delivery schedules. These projects for Iscor have been followed by further orders for this client including stack out yards, SCADA Systems and further 200tph and 600tph Washing Plants. Gold Fields of S.A. was added to our list of clients in 1997 with the award of a twin module cyclone plant rated at 400tph.
A milestone during 1996 was the successful completion of a fixed price 280TPH large Cyclone plant for Avmin. Apart from the production of a quality plant on schedule, DRA formed a new company, MINOPEX, to operate this plant on behalf of the client.

Following on from Forzando, on the export side, DRA secured an order from a Perth based client for the export of a 230tph washery and ship loading system to Sebuku Island in Indonesia. This design was modelled on Forzando, and once again operated by Minopex.

Ten years later the original Forzando plant was doubled up using the same basic configuration, a tribute to the soundness of this modular design, and still operated by Minopex.

By the end of the 1990’s DRA had reached a position of some authority in the supply of coal treatment plants in South Africa. Although the number of Greenfield coal projects had diminished, DRA’s share of the business had now become substantial.

Several plants have been supplied since 2000, including additional modules to Greenside Colliery (now in the Amcoal stable) and to Kangra Coal’s Maquasa Mine.

DRA recently completed the groundbreaking Mafube project for Anglo Coal, which introduced large diameter cyclones and 4.2m banana screens, in a fully integrated split coal two stage DMS plant. The plant further included a largest Coal slimes filtration plant together with the latest fine coal technology introducing TBS separators feeding traditional gravity spirals. The innovative engineering approach resulted in a highly energy efficient solution. DRA further completed the Inyanda project and a high capacity jigging plant at Leeuwpan for Exxaro.

Currently two large coal projects are in the construction phases namely Phola for Anglo Coal and DMO for BHP Billiton.

Further to the above, a number of new plant studies are in progress indicating a resurgence of interest in coal as international prices have firmed, and the number of future projects to be executed by DRA is set for a significant increase.

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