Gugulethu opens second pit and reaches steady state production

Gugulethu reached steady state production in November 2024

Since commencing operations in 2023, Gugulethu Colliery has made significant strides in achieving steady-state production while focusing on sustainable mining practices. The development of North Pit marked a key milestone for the operation. Mining in the first area of the North Pit began in May 2024, with initial overburden blasting completed in September. By October of the same year, the colliery had reached first coal at North Pit, extracting 50,000 tonnes of coal. “We’ve progressed quite well in this pit; we are mining the B seam and C seam,” says Jarmi Steyn, Canyon Coal COO and Gugulethu General Manager.

The Central Pit began operations over a year ago and produced its first coal in January 2024. By November, Gugulethu had reached steady-state production – delivering 200,000 tonnes of coal per month. Gugulethu has also adopted the rollover mining procedure. This approach integrates concurrent rehabilitation with mining activities, effectively minimising environmental impacts. The mine is well-positioned to ramp up production to its annual target of 2.4 million tonnes per month.