Tanzania on the East African Coast is one of many African countries endowed with an abundance of minerals and mining is rapidly developing.
Gold, nickel, graphite and rare earths are elements the developed world is chasing, and all are present in Tanzania. This vast country, spanning thousands of square kilometres and home to more than 66 million people, is eager to develop its mineral resources.
Many Australian companies are investing capital, mining expertise and equipment establishing mines, increasing the export value of Tanzania. Gold is a significant part of Tanzania’s export earnings, making it a crucial sector for the country’s trade balance. The scheduled start of production at the Nyanzaga Gold Project in the Mwanza region in 2027 is expected to boost export revenues and support communities and businesses involved in the construction and running of the mines.
Perseus Mining, an Australian-based gold mining company, is developing Nyanzaga with Clem Cox as the Construction Manager. The project involves a team of both Australian and local staff. Perseus Mining already operates gold mines in multiple African regions.
Humma reaches Tanzania
When it came to selecting the supplier of pick and carry cranes for the Nyanzaga Project, Humma emerged as the clear choice. Peter Dalla Riva, Operations Director at DRA Group, the company behind Humma, might jokingly credit “the unpaid salesman.” Yet the real reason lay in the decision maker’s first-hand experience with Humma’s proven track record in mine construction and maintenance, where its performance and reliability had helped it gain recognition.
Humma’s robust design and reliability were specified to withstand the harsh conditions of mining operations. Over time, Humma has been deployed in mines across Australia, New Guinea, and recently in Indonesia. Experienced operators and supervisors have consistently observed Humma’s superior performance and reliability for their pick and carry cranes.
Drivers of Humma cranes with years of experience quickly discover its many unique features. For example, the boom length is up to 2.5 metres longer than standard cranes, reaching 20.9 metres. The telescopic fly adds an additional 5.2 metres to the boom’s reach. The modular cabin operates at a noise level between 65 and 70 decibels, ensuring a comfortable working environment. The rigid nil twist rear chassis, when articulating with a load, can reach 42 degrees, significantly enhancing safety.
The air-spring suspension with lockouts makes Humma one of the safest cranes in highway driving mode. It converts to crane mode when the front lockouts are engaged. Additionally, Humma 25 features a dynamic load chart with slope derate and digital rope compensation, developed and introduced specifically for this model. All Humma models share the same footprint, designed to suit various capacities. This common componentry allows for a range of sizes, enabling the cranes to operate within the mid-range of engine designs. This design choice significantly reduces fuel usage and engine wear. In lift mode, the engine doesn’t need to be at high revolutions to perform the lift. These features, combined with the Humma design, have enabled the company to offer a two-year warranty or 2000 hours, with the first major inspection scheduled at 15,000 hours or 15 years.
Perseus Mining in 2022 was developing the gold mine in Sudan and requested a plant visit to see Humma being built. They wanted to see the design, fabrication, componentry used, and assembly process, and ask questions.
They purchased the first Humma 25 for the Sudan project, fast forward to 2024 Humma 25 was considered for Nyanzaga Gold Project, based on the performance in Sudan, for supply in 2025. Clem and other Perseus Mining engineers familiar with Humma’s performance considered the crane’s reliability, ease of operation and robustness as the basis for selecting it for the project.
Given the remoteness of the project, all machinery must be reliable. “The people at Humma are easy to deal with and respond quickly to all requests working with us”, said Clem. “Australian designed and built to suit Australian conditions using well proven componentry gives us confidence backed by a two-year warranty”.
Peter Dalla Riva was asked about the anticipated outcome of Humma in the Nyanzaga Project. His response? “A new group of unpaid salesmen,” he said, hinting at the project’s unexpected ripple effect on the popularity of Humma Cranes.