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Some 590
guests from the entire coal industry – collieries and suppliers – attended the
40th Anniversary South African Coal Processing Society dinner at
the Sandton Centre on May 30. It is the biggest annual coal industry event to
be held each year with guests coming from as far as Richards Bay and Witbank.
In his overview of the Society’s role over the past 40 years,
Peter Hand mentioned how in 1968, coal preparation was found to be critical
to the production of low ash and steam coal and the establishment of Richards
Bay Coal Terminal. Sharing knowledge between all the large players in the
market became necessary and therefore the SACPS was founded in that same year.
Initially David Horsfall of Anglo, Stan Lynch of Trans Natal, Morris Milner of
Rand Mines and Fick Fourie of Iscor drove the new Society. Training soon became
its most significant activity with the introduction of basic and advanced coal
preparation courses.
The current chairman, Mike Hayton, announced that the
Society has now combined the Witbank and Central branch committees. “Since the
formation of the Witbank branch in 1971 there have been two major SACPS
branches,” he said. “Historically, the Witbank branch represented the ‘coal
face’ of the Society and the Central branch the mining house head offices,
consultants and equipment suppliers.” “As the South African coal mining
industry evolved, changes in the dynamics of the SACPS resulted in the combining
of the two committees into one. The volunteer committee now comprises a
cross-section of industry members,” said Hayton.
Having countrywide membership,
the SACPS intends to maximize its resources and further its aims. An updated
draft constitution outlines these objectives and can be viewed on the society’s
website,
www.sacoalprep.co.za.
During operational and administrative re-structuring Mike Hayton
is chairing the Society with assistance of past chairman Kevin McMillan
and incumbent chairman, Gerrit Lok.
Awards
Thandiwe Mngomezule received the 2007 Student of the Year
award. According to Des Bell, HoD (Extraction
Metallurgy) at the University of Johannesburg Faculty of Engineering and the
Built Environment, “Thandiwe’s
results were really excellent, the best we have had for a number of years.” Ms
Mngomezulu completed her studies on a bursary from Xstrata Coal. She is
currently employed by Xstrata Coal in Witbank.
Mark Craddock, managing director of MC Process, won the
SACPS Coal Man of the Year award. New honorary members of the Society are
Adriaan van der Berg and Pat Fogarty, both well known in the coal
industry.
The Society also announced that it will host the 2009 SACPS
Conference from September 8 to 11 at Gracelands, Secunda where a number of
international keynote speakers will be presenting papers. |
