Papua New Guinea is about to experience a new mining boom with the reactivation of several projects neglected a long time ago, such is the case for Bougainville Island mine and other examples such as Porgera gold mine, as a crucial sector for the country's economy.
Sarens, as a strategic partner in the region, will be an important ally in these efforts, putting its cutting-edge technology machinery in this enterprise, with new crane models such as LTM1090 and new MAC25, specially designed for this sector.
Papua New Guinea is about to have a new boom of mining projects in the scope of the next few years. The mining sector being absolutely crucial for the country's economy, especially of gold, copper, nickel and cobalt, contributes significantly to PNG's GDP, with estimates ranging from 20-25% in recent years. Mineral exports, such as gold and copper, account for about 60-70% of the country's total exports, generating essential foreign exchange.
Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental services, has established itself in recent years as one of the main strategic allies for the mining sector in the region, and with an aim to remain so, the company has reinforced its crane fleet with new models such as the LTM1090 crane, with a maximum lifting capacity up to 90 tonnes, or the new Mac25 Franna Crane, a mobile articulated crane renowned for its advanced capabilities, versatility, and reliability with lifting capacities ranging from 40 to 250 tons, with which Sarens team can tackle any project, no matter how demanding, nothing can be too high or too heavy to not be lifted by them.
One of the projects that will have a key importance for the country is Porgera gold mine, which was reactivated after a long period of disuse in December of 2023. Porgera is expected to have a useful life for at least the next twenty years, being a key infrastructure for the country, as one of the ten gold mines most important in the world. That’s also the case for Bouganville, one of the largest copper mines in the entire region, after years of closure, the local autonomous administration has issued exploration licenses to restart work at the mine in the coming years, as an essential resource for the island's economy, as it was decades ago. All these efforts would result in a significant increase in the country's GDP, which could be between 15% and 20%, taking into account the vital importance of the mining sector in the country.
According to Isabella Burke, Sarens Regional Manager in Oceania, “we are fully aware of the importance of the mining sector to the PNG economy. For this reason, we have worked in recent years to anticipate the needs of the sector by investing in the acquisition of new specialized equipment in order to continue to be the perfect partner for the industry. In addition, having the possibility to mobilize any crane in the Sarens fleet from anywhere in the world ensures that we will always have the right alternative, regardless of the size or duration of the project”.
Sarens has been present in Papua New Guinea since 2023, when it created a Joint Venture with Trans Wonderland LTD (TWL), the country's leading integrated transport and logistics company, creating a new company, Sarens PNG. Its availability of advanced machinery, not only in terms of cranes, but also in SPMTs (Self-Propelled Modular Trailers), gantry cranes, jacking systems, barges and tower systems, has since enabled it to establish itself as a benchmark player in the industry, and key to its growth.
Sarens has also established itself as a major partner in the Pacific region with projects such as the expansion of the port of Balikpapan, Indonesia, part of the Indonesian government's initiative to modernize ports and infrastructure, and since June 2024, Sarens has been providing weighing, loading and heavy lift services at the Meitech Eka shipyard, also in Indonesia. As well as carried out the relocation of two Rubber Type Gantries (RTGs) for the Armadale Line Upgrade Alliance (ALUA) at Railway Parade, Cannington, Perth, in Australia, transported from Penglai, China, with a total transported weight of approximately 15,000 tons.
About Sarens
Sarens is the global leader and reference in crane rental, heavy lift and engineered transportation services. With state-of-the-art equipment, value engineering, one of the world's largest inventories of cranes, transporters and special rigging equipment, Sarens offers creative and intelligent solutions to today's heavy lifting and engineering transport challenges.
With more than 100 entities in 65 countries operating without borders, Sarens is an ideal partner for small to large-scale projects. Sarens currently employs 5,000 highly qualified professionals who are ready to serve the needs of any client worldwide and in all market sectors. https://www.sarens.com/