Canyon Coal has developed a major new coal mine in a part of South Africa’s Gauteng province not known for mining. In so doing, it is stimulating local economic activity.

The company has been engaged in three years of intensive compliance and preparation, culminating in the opening of Khanye Colliery, a major new coal mine in Bronkhorstspruit.

The mine is expected to ramp up to a monthly production level of 200 000 tonnes over its lifespan of 17 years. This goal is based on the company’s meticulous and comprehensive environmental impact plan and extensive consultation with the community about plans for the future.

The mining site was a hive of activity before the crushing of run-of-mine kicked off early this year. Meanwhile, Canyon Coal is building a washing plant that will process the coal for export from September 2018.

Exploration and mine development manager Clifford Hallatt says the project team felt a great sense of achievement when they made the first box cut at the mine in December last year, since they had thrown their full weight behind the project in recent years.

Canyon Coal went ahead with the development of the colliery after extensive drilling confirmed that the mine would yield a 39 million tonne reserve of high quality coal. In fact, Khanye Colliery has all the elements of a gainful project, because it is located near good rail and road infrastructure, and promises an average production yield of 60% for saleable coal. Its strip ratio is below 2:1.

Canyon Coal acquired the project in June 2013 from a private party and conducted its own exploration before applying for a water licence, environmental approval and mining rights in August 2014. A second phase of exploration drilling was carried out in 2016, which helped determine the exact location of the body of ore.

“The 100 drilling holes made at the mine indicate that the resource contains mainly highquality coal ideal for export. The lower quality coal could be supplied to Eskom, if it proves to have the correct characteristics,” says Hallatt.

In the run-up to opening the mine, the company’s biggest priority was to reassure the local community that the mine would not have a detrimental effect on the environment.

“To this end, we conducted a very detailed environmental impact assessment, including specialist studies in groundwater, surface water, air quality, blasting noise and environmental geochemistry,” Hallat said. “We further ensured that the public consultation process was carried out very thoroughly. As a result, everybody is well aware of what is going on at the mine.”

Khanye Colliery is likely to make a positive difference in the lives of the people of Bronkhorstspruit, an area characterized by high levels of poverty. A number of local people are already employed in general jobs onsite, while others are being equipped with mining skills. Local farmers who don’t own agricultural land have access to the northern section of the mining property, where they can plant crops and graze their cattle. Furthermore, a local school has been earmarked for infrastructural support.