Automation Solution Limited (ASL), a subsidiary of The Automation Ghana Group (TAGG), partners of Endress+Hauser Instrumentation and Goldfield Ghana Limited have inaugurated a state-of-the-art training rig that enables training in process instrumentation and automation.

The Gold Fields Ghana state-of-the-art instrumentation training rig, facilitated by ASL, to train its engineers and young people from communities surrounding the company’s Tarkwa and Damang mines in the Western Region, was built by Endress and Hauser with Festo Didactic.

Speaking at the commissioning of the €450,000 training rig at the Tarkwa Mine in the Western Region, Ing Kweku Asmah, the Chief Executive Officer of the Automaton Group Ghana, suppliers of the rig, said it exemplified its organisational mission, showing its commitment to transforming stakeholder by providing unique electrical and automation services and products through innovation and training.  

The training rig has been designed to simulate all control systems used in a typical mining process, such as froth flotation and thickening processes, providing the best possible practical training experience for all mining personnel, with a specific focus on pressure, flow, and level metering systems.

He said the partnership with Goldfields Ghana signified a dedication to excellence in all its endeavours, recognising that investing and knowledge-sharing were pivotal in building a sustainable future for industries and enhancing the competency of employees.

The TAGG CEO said the training rig was a testament to the power of collaboration, “where Endress+Hauser Instrumentation AG and Festo Didactic joined hands with ASL to create a platform that will elevate the expertise of professionals in the mining industry.”

Ing Asmah said as the mining industry significantly influenced economies and societies, it became imperative to equip its workforce with cutting-edge tools and knowledge, commending the management of Gold Fields for their commitment to investing in employee growth and development through training and retraining.

The training rig, he said, embodied its shared vision of empowering the workforce with the necessary skills to drive progress and sustainability in mining operations, focusing on operational efficiency, employee safety, and environmental responsibility.

“Let this training rig serve as a symbol of hope, progress, and resilience. Together, we have opened the doors to a world of possibilities for the mining industry, and we eagerly look forward to witnessing the transformative impact it will have on professionals and the sector as a whole,” the CEO of TAGG, representatives of Endress+Hauser in Ghana, said.

Mr Simon Egloff, Business Development Manager, Endress+Hauser manufacturers of the rig with Festo Didactic, said with the investment in the training rig, employees would respond with a higher skill set with great enthusiasm to get familiar with the latest technology.

He said, “They will be able to apply the process improvements in their daily work and through this achieve higher productivity over the next years. The possibilities which this powerful tool offers makes the Goldfields Tarkwa Mine unique in Ghana and throughout West Africa.”

Mr Joshua Mortoti, Executive Vice President and Head of Gold Fields West Africa, said the rig would “offer intensive and practical training as it simulates real-world conditions in the process plant in a safe classroom environment,” adding that Goldfield instrumentation engineers would be equipped with the technical know-how which would enhance their competences.

Mr Mortoti noted that the rig would also be used to train community youth when the “Gold Fields Training School launches the instrumentation apprenticeship programme for young people in the host communities”.

 The Executive Vice President said the company was committed to the skills development of its workforce and that, “since 2014, we have invested close to $17 million in various competency-enhancement, leadership and professional development programmes for our employees and business partners.

Some of those training programmes, he said, catered to the specific needs of employees to develop their individual potential.