Significant milestones have been achieved at coal exploration and mining company Canyon Coal’s Gugulethu colliery, in Mpumalanga.

They include the successful mining of first coal, the commissioning of a 400 t/h dense-media separation (DMS) processing plant and the completion of the mine’s first coal shipment, says Canyon Coal COO and Gugulethu colliery GM Jarmi Steyn.

“The significant milestones achieved this year have prepared us to move steadily towards reaching our monthly production target of 200 000 t,” she adds.

For Canyon Coal – a subsidiary of private investment firm Menar – the mine has also come online during a time when prices for the commodity have declined compared to when the feasibility study was conducted, and construction of the mine started.

Within the first months of this year, Canyon Coal successfully started mining and processing coal through its DMS plant, which enables the company to produce an export-grade coal product of up to 50 mm, or other customised sizes, depending on market requirements. The first 4 500 t of product was transported to the Rietkuil Siding using 12 locally owned trucks and thereafter transported by rail to Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), in KwaZulu-Natal.

In terms of product logistics and export potential, Steyn notes that rail logistics challenges have increased the costs of operating for domestic miners.

While Gugulethu is able to move its products from Rietkuil Siding using rail, other miners in the industry must resort to using trucks to transport their coal to the ports, owing to deficient rail infrastructure and fewer locomotives, which is more expensive.

Steyn explains that the involvement of local contractors in the shipment of coal has had a positive economic impact on the surrounding community. By engaging local businesses, Canyon Coal has indirectly supported job creation, she enthuses.

The company has further solidified its relationship with the community through the establishment of a community forum and localised events, such as a procurement workshop, to introduce the company and its procurement processes to local business owners.

Canyon Coal has also extended its engagement with local enterprises beyond coal hauling. Local service providers are providing other services – such as the supply of auxiliary services including laundry, canteen and cleaning services, front-end loader and water bowser operation, the provision of potable water and the supplying of common consumables – to the mine.

Environmental Concerns
Steyn highlights Canyon Coal’s proactive approach to addressing environmental concerns such as an in-house environmental team that conducts ongoing monitoring to ensure the protection of essential resources such as water, land and air.

“In terms of water management, our processing plant . . . is fitted with a 40 t/h filter press to maximise water recovery and improve the handling of slurry,” she adds.

Further, Gugulethu’s slurry processing system promotes water conservation by reducing contamination risks. Once separated from the solid tailings, the water can be recycled and used for beneficiation and dust suppression.

Canyon Coal has also constructed pollution control dams to assist in protecting local water sources from contamination.

In addition, the company has invested in rehabilitating its decommissioned mines, with rehabilitation underway at the Phalandwa colliery, in Delmas, in Mpumalanga.

Looking ahead, Canyon Coal plans to sustain and increase production at Gugulethu through operational strategies that focus on effective mine planning and operational efficiency, including equipment optimisation, cost management and increasing resource allocation.

Health, safety and environmental compliance will remain central while undertaking these endeavours, consequently ensuring constant hazard mitigation. Canyon Coal will also continue to prioritise stakeholder engagement to build and foster positive relationships, concludes Steyn.