EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
AEL Brazil Managing Director, Carlos Goncalves,
says the acquisition of Dinacon’s Lorena
division “is the first of its kind for AEL in Latin
America and represents an ideal platform to
grow the AECI Group’s Mining Solutions
business in the rest of the region”
Mining Services, said: “Our new branding seeks
to capitalise on our successful growth and
expansion, and supports our strategy to position
the group as the most intelligent choice in the
market when it comes to blasting services and
products.”
“Innovation is key to ensuring continuing
market relevance and customer satisfaction,”
Ludick said. “Our rebrand is aligned with our
mission to keep our global operations on the
frontier of technology through the delivery of
ground-breaking innovations; to offer state-of-
the-art technological solutions to our clients; and
to operate sustainably, without harm to people,
the environment and the communities in which
we operate.”
To meet the changing needs and challenges of
the mining industry, AEL operates on the ideal of
partnering with its stakeholders and customers
to realise the products and services they require
to take the mining industry into the era of
digitalisation and smart mining, the company
says.
“By partnering with our customers on their
unique journey, we are able to ensure efficient
and sustainable blasting practices by focusing on
optimal blast outcomes, optimising blasting
processes and solving blasting problems,”
Ludick said.
To this end, the holistic and flexible AEL
intelliBlast™ value proposition enables the
strategic combination of a comprehensive range
of services and product offerings, tailored to
proactively develop smart blasting solutions for
optimal mining outcomes, AEL said.
In addition, the exclusive contribution that
40 International Mining | AUGUST 2019
AEL’s intelliBlast offers the market is a
“fundamental component” in the business’
global expansion strategy. AEL Mining Services’
leading technology is already being used in
Australia, South America and various locations in
the rest of Africa.
This in itself has various benefits to customers
such as reductions in blasting delays and
improved uniformity of fragmentation, while
ensuring uncompromised safety at all times, the
company said.
“We are continuously evolving and developing
and the rebrand supports this. All these efforts
are underpinned by engaging with our customers
to really understand their needs and to develop a
solution central to those needs. Once we agree
on the solution it’s a very good example of
creating good chemistry and great energy,”
Ludick concluded.
AECI expanded its international presence this
year, concluding a $6.3 million deal to acquire,
through its subsidiary, AECI Latam Produtos
Quimicos Ltd, an explosives business in Lorena,
Brazil from Dinacon.
The transaction, which was implemented
through a judicial recovery process, has been
finalised and is expected to take effect in the
September quarter of 2019. Dinacon Lorena will
then be rebranded as AEL, as trading will start
under the AECI Group of Company’s Latin
America (Latam) banner.
The purchase included ownership of an
explosives manufacturing plant, distribution and
storage facilities and the requisite explosives
operating licences, AECI said.
“The acquisition provides an opportunity for
entry into the explosives market in Brazil and the
rest of Latin America, in line with the group's
intent to continue expanding the geographic
footprint of its Mining Solutions strategic growth
pillar,” AECI said.
In the past, Dinacon has supplied explosives
mainly to the Brazil civil and construction
industry, with its business in the local mining
sector limited, according to AECI.
“Brazil has more than 8,000 mines, so there is
a sizeable opportunity for growth, particularly in
terms of leveraging AEL's significant experience
in open-pit and underground mining; its African,
Australian and Indonesian footprint; and its long-
standing relationships with international mining
companies,” AECI said.
AEL Brazil Managing Director, Carlos
Goncalves, said: “It is the first of its kind for AEL
in Latin America and represents an ideal platform
to grow the AECI Group’s Mining Solutions
business in the rest of the region.”
AEL, meanwhile, has successfully conducted
and completed trials during which its explosives,
initiating systems capabilities and expertise were
evaluated at selected South America mining
operations. The trials were done as part of an
extensive qualification process that began in
2017, which larger mining companies require of
explosives suppliers.
Owing to the successful trials, the company
was invited to participate in several tenders for
these mining operations, with the bidding
process having started in December 2018.
“The qualification of AEL as being a reputable
explosives company with the necessary
knowhow and complete product and service
offering has been a critical milestone to achieve
among the larger mining houses in the Latin
America region,” Goncalves said.
Charged up
EPC-UK, a market leader within the UK
commercial explosives and blasting services
sector for mining and quarrying, in March,
opened its new bulk emulsion facility at the
company’s Rough Close Works site in Derbyshire.
Designed to deliver the necessary
infrastructure required to enhance the safety of
the company’s emulsion manufacturing process,
the new site – a result of the company’s biggest
investment in 25 years – was formally unveiled
by Olivier Obst, Chairman and CEO of the EPC
Groupe.
The bulk emulsion, otherwise known as
ammonium nitrate blasting intermediate (ANIB),
is the primary raw material in EPC-UK’s Blendex
range of site-mixed bulk explosives and is used
by the company’s ‘Rock-on-Ground’ service
teams, as well as by its direct supply customers.
The new facility was created by adapting
existing buildings to enable EPC-UK to house the
process equipment and raw material storage
vessels. Two new structures accommodate an
ammonium nitrate silo, used at the beginning of
the process, and a final product silo at the other.
A new steam and condensate line have also been
installed.