Khanye Colliery, Canyon Coal’s opencast mine located in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng, produced over 2.48 million tons run of mine (RoM) in 2022. Khanye Colliery Mine Manager Jaco Schroeder has ensured that mine procedures and safety regulations are always adhered to in order to ensure that the mining target for 2022 was not only just achieved but exceeded.  

Mining commenced at Khanye Colliery in January 2018, and it produces on average 200 000 tons a month of RoM 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. 

Upgrades to the filter press were completed in December 2022. Previously the filter press discharged 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 the water contained in fine coal, resulting in a considerable reduction in the total water use in the processing plant. 

Additionally, Jaco noted that, for example, in August 2022 the plant washed 186 015 tons with a 62% yield. Mining for August was 211 089 tons, and the target was 200 000 tons. For September, the plant washed 200 390 tons with a yield of 63.64% and 238 064 tonnes were mined. “These numbers clearly indicated that everything is running smoothly at Khanye Colliery, and we strive to continue this momentum into 2023 and beyond,” he states.