Background
A gold mining company developing a new open-pit gold mine in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) needed to source conveyor belts for its entire crushing and screening plant as part of a turnkey plant construction project. The main EPC contractor was a South African engineering firm that had worked with Elephant Rubber on previous projects in the region.
The scope covered conveyor belts for 14 conveyors across the crushing plant, ore screening facility, and product stockpile area. Belt widths ranged from 500mm to 1,000mm, EP ratings from EP150 to EP315.
Project Scope
The 14 conveyors covered:
| Function | Qty | Width | EP Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary crusher feed | 1 | 1,000mm | EP315 |
| Primary crusher product | 1 | 1,000mm | EP315 |
| Secondary crusher feed | 2 | 800mm | EP250 |
| Secondary crusher product | 2 | 800mm | EP250 |
| Tertiary crusher feed | 2 | 650mm | EP200 |
| Vibrating screen feeds | 2 | 650mm | EP200 |
| Screen oversize returns | 2 | 500mm | EP150 |
| Product stockpile | 2 | 800mm | EP250 |
All belts specified with tropical-grade M24 covers — UV-stabilized, ozone-resistant — for outdoor West African tropical operation. Top cover thicknesses ranged from 6mm (lighter duty) to 10mm (crusher discharge conveyors with higher impact and abrasion).
Package Supply and Documentation
Supplying 14 different conveyor belts for a single project from one manufacturer had practical advantages for the EPC contractor:
Single vendor documentation: One set of material test certificates, one certificate of origin, one bill of lading. Simplified the import documentation process for Côte d'Ivoire customs.
Consolidated shipping: All 14 belts shipped in a single 40ft container from Tianjin. The EPC contractor managed customs clearance at Abidjan port.
Consistent specification: All belts from the same manufacturing batch (where possible) meant consistent cover compound properties across the plant.
Single point of contact: Any quality questions or technical issues were handled through one supplier relationship rather than multiple.
Delivery and Installation
The complete belt package was delivered to Abidjan Port approximately 32 days after order confirmation. Customs clearance at Abidjan took 8 days — the EPC contractor used an experienced local customs agent familiar with mining equipment imports.
Plant construction commissioning proceeded on schedule. The belt installation team noted that all belts met dimensional specifications — widths, lengths, and roll weights were consistent with the packing list, which simplified warehouse management at the construction site.
Post-Commissioning
The plant commissioned 9 months after the belt delivery. At the 12-month post-commissioning inspection (21 months after belt delivery), all belts were inspected. Findings:
- Primary crusher feed and product belts (highest duty): approximately 40% top cover wear — on track for 30-month life
- Secondary and tertiary crusher belts: approximately 25% wear — on track for 40+ month life
- Screen and stockpile belts: minimal wear, no issues
No belt failures or unplanned replacements in the first 12 months of operation.
Key Points
Package supply for new plant construction simplifies project management. Single-vendor supply for all plant belts reduces procurement complexity, documentation burden, and logistics coordination. For EPC contractors, this has real project management value.
West African tropical covers are a mandatory specification, not optional. UV-stabilized, ozone-resistant covers are the baseline for outdoor operations in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and similar environments. Specifying standard SBR covers would lead to early cover deterioration.
Plan for Abidjan port clearance time. West African port clearance typically takes 5–15 days depending on documentation quality and customs agent experience. Factor this into delivery schedule planning.
Elephant Rubber supplied the complete 14-belt package for this project.