Gugulethu- A step closer to first coal
Gugulethu Colliery General Manager Jarmi Steyn says the Construction Phase for the opencast operations has shown great progress.
The opening of the box cut marked a significant milestone for the Gugulethu Colliery, bringing the team a step closer to the extraction of first coal. By the end of May, three shifts had been working onsite to ensure that operations maintain a steady pace. The development has gradually taken shape from February, with the paving of the access road and arrival of yellow equipment. Reflecting on how far operations have progressed since she first set foot onsite, Gugulethu GM Jarmi Steyn asserts that her team has performed remarkably well. The once calm hinterlands have now morphed into an active site with the anticipation of producing 200 000 tons ROM, per month. “This place feels more like a mine now. We are all very excited and I guess celebrations are in order,” says Steyn.
Despite slight delays caused by heavy rains, the team has pushed ahead to open the access road to Portion 5, the area where the processing plant will be erected. The plant infrastructure from Canyon Coal’s decommissioned Hakhano site was refurbished and is ready to be reassembled. Steyn explains that the biggest challenge for the crew was constructing a road that runs across two watercourses. They opened a borrow pit, stripped all the soft materials, and used the underlying rock for construction. Temporary trenches were constructed around the project area so that water can drain adequately to prevent flooding. Gugulethu has already started delivering its promise to create job opportunities with more than 86 people hired during the first few months of operations.
This is the beginning of what Steyn anticipates could create an estimated 430 jobs by the time the mine reaches its second phase which comprises of underground mining. Arrangements have been made with the local taxi associations to transport employees from surrounding areas in Davel and Hendrina. The community forum has also been assisting with the verification of candidates to make sure that qualified people from local communities are benefiting. “We obviously still need quite a lot of employees. We are trying to focus on getting as many people as possible from the local area and we will be commencing with skills development initiatives in the coming months,” says Steyn.
