Exxaro’s Belfast mine starts production six months ahead of schedule
Empowered resources group Exxaro Resources’ Belfast coal mine, in Mpumalanga, has started producing thermal coal six months earlier than expected.
The R3.3-billion, first-of-its-kind digital mine was expected to start producing coal only in 2020.
The Belfast mine will have a 17-year mine life, producing about 2.2-million tonnes a year of A-grade, export-quality coal – grading 6 000 kcal/kg, as well as 500 000 t/y of secondary-quality product for local use or export – grading 21.5 MJ/kg.
Exxaro business unit manager Lazarus Ramashilabele says there is potential for developing a second phase of the mine, depending on market conditions, which could increase the life of the mine to 30 years.
The company says about 6 000 direct and indirect jobs were created during construction of the mine, while about 20 000 people within the local Nkangala district community have benefited from the construction project.
JSE-listed Exxaro expects the mine to contribute R39-billion to local gross domestic product (GDP) over its life, with the district’s GDP gaining about R2.1-billion a year.
Ramashilabele says that, as a digitally connected mine, its maintenance teams can remotely monitor and track all the devices and access performance data, allowing problems to be picked up early.
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