Khanye aims to maintain the 2.4 million tons target in 2022

Khanye Colliery

This year is set to be another stellar year for Khanye Colliery with the mine aiming to beat the record of over 2.38 million tons mined in 2021. The team at Khanye Colliery is aiming to achieve and exceed the ultimate target of mining 2.4 million tons of run of mine by the end of 2022.

Khanye Colliery is an opencast mine located in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng. The mine has a remaining life of mine of 7 years. Mining commenced at the mine in January 2018 and it produces on average 200 000 tons a month of run of mine coal and boasts a 400 ton per hour Larcodem plant for beneficiation. This plant is equipped with a filter press, which mechanically dewaters the ultrafine coal material using special filter mediums to exert pressure on the coal material, which separates the filter cake from the clean water. The water attained from the fine coal is reused in the plant.

Plant Upgrades

In 2021 the plant processed around 2.15 million tons of coal, however, the plant’s operators are seeking to ensure it reaches its target of 2.4 million tons this year. Upgrades are underway at the plant. One of the upgrades is to the filter press which is currently discharging on a single conveyor belt. With the alterations, each filter press will discharge onto its own dedicated conveyor belt, allowing for independent operations and improved efficiency. These presses allow for the recycling of 30% to 40% of water contained in the fine coal, resulting in a considerable reduction in the total water use in the processing plant.

Another upgrade which is underway will allow the plant to produce a single 0 – 50mm product while maintaining the optionality to produce sized products should the demand arise. Additionally, the plant’s drain and rinse screen and ancillary infrastructure will be upgraded as part of the process. These upgrades will increase throughput volumes, boost efficiencies and simplify the operation of the plant. All these upgrades are scheduled to be completed by the end of July.

“This year we aim to achieve the target of 2.4 million tons mined and processed at Khanye Colliery,” states Khanye Colliery Mine Manager Jaco Schroeder.