By Thomas Chidamba, ZiMining Editor
“We were the first mining company in Zimbabwe to use ‘supercritical’ technology to reduce CO2 emissions, an initiative that won us Clean Development Certification from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).”
It is a milestone achievement, yet only the tip of the iceberg of achievements for the Bindura domiciled and biggest independent mining company, Shumba Gold Mine. Akin to killing two birds with one stone, in this case three, the mining company has invested heavily in state of the art equipment in order to boost operations, increase productivity and protect the environment.
The mine has advanced the technical development of caving mining methods and are the first in the country to use ‘Supercritical’ technology.
“In recent years, Shumba Gold Mine has placed significant focus on investing in strategic research and development of underground bulk-mining technologies from early concept studies to full-scale trials.
“Through this investment, Shumba Gold Mining has advanced the technical development of caving mining methods with current application at Goromonzi East, Gold Ridgeway and Musonza.
“We have one of the largest surface and underground mining equipment in Africa. Also, we have invested in the latest equipment and technology.”
Shumba Gold Mine is determined to protect the environment in areas they operate from.
“Enabling Zimbabwe to meet its energy needs while minimising the impact on the environment is a big challenge. We protect biodiversity in ecologically sensitive areas like Bindura where we have conserved and extended the local habit and forests.”
Shumba Gold Mine is not done yet, as it is looking at spreading its wings, hence they are currently evaluating two major prospects in Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
“Discovery of new ore bodies remains an important element in Shumba Gold Mining’s strategy. A key objective of Shumba Gold Mining’s exploration activities is to secure large mineral districts, or provinces, in order to establish long-term mining operations, while enhancing the potential for further discoveries.
“The principal targets are large porphyry related gold-copper deposits, epithermal gold-silver deposits plus orogenic and sediment-hosted gold deposits. Shumba Gold Mining has a strong track record of discovering major deposits over the past 15 years including tungsten and base metals deposit.
“In addition to the development projects located within provinces where Shumba Gold Mining already has mining operations, Shumba Gold Mining is currently evaluating two major prospects with significant metal endowments, namely Wafi-Golpu in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Namosi in Fiji. Greenfield exploration activities at other sites are also ongoing in Botswana, Zambia, DRC, Angola and Côte d’Ivoire.
“As an unhedged gold producer with a sound balance sheet and strong operating cash flow, Shumba Gold Mining’s financial strength, coupled with extensive technical capability and a pipeline of organic growth opportunities, ensures the company is well placed to deliver competitive returns to shareholders over the long term.”
