The B2Gold and Barloworld Equipment Partnership: Building Mining Milestones at Otjikoto Mine

From the ground up, the long-term strategic partnership between Barloworld Equipment and B2Gold has been a journey of shared growth, innovation, and unwavering commitment.

Since B2Gold took over the Otjikoto mine in 2007 and began construction, we have proudly served as their sole equipment supplier. By working side-by-side, we helped build the site into an operational powerhouse.

 

Scaling Operations and Delivering Energy Solutions

Our close collaboration started at the very beginning. As B2Gold's operations expanded, so too did their mining fleet. From the initial construction phase, we provided every single piece of machinery, growing the fleet to a formidable total of 110 units.

 

This extensive fleet included 97 production machines, support and auxiliary equipment, and power generation units. At its peak, this equipment was instrumental in moving 140,000 tons of material per day from two pits. Crucially, this operation functioned completely off the grid, with B2Gold producing 100% of its power in-house using Barloworld Power’s microgrid solution. 

Strategic Maintenance and the Rebuild Programme

A key milestone in our journey involved successfully navigating a significant maintenance challenge. As the fleet matured and passed the 60,000-hour mark, a large number of major components reached their replacement cycle simultaneously in 2018.

The solution was a meticulously planned and coordinated rebuild programme. To ensure continuous, peak performance for B2Gold’s fleet, we set up a dedicated on-site workshop at the mine, staffed by a full Barloworld Equipment technical team.

This dedicated presence not only streamlined the supply of fast-moving parts but also ensured B2Gold had constant access to our aftersales and technical support. Following OEM recommendations, production machines were rebuilt between 18,000 and 20,000 hours, with all major components replaced with either Barloworld Rebuilt or Caterpillar Reman parts.

Through this concerted effort, we rebuilt an incredible 113 components in just one year. This feat was made possible by B2Gold's strategic investment in their own repairable components, which were expertly serviced by our team.
 

Watch the Partnership in Action

Watch the full partnership video below to hear firsthand from B2Gold and uncover the formula for our joint success.