Modern Mining April 2019

COAL

of just under 6 million tons and we expect to achieve 7 million tons in 2019. The transition of the teams and equipment from the old mine to the new was a demanding operation but it was accomplished very efficiently within the timeframe we set ourselves.” He added that Impumelelo had thus far enjoyed a very credit- able safety record and had now worked for over a year without an LTI. Describing the new mine, Kgatle said that with the main vertical shaft going down to a depth of 200 m, it was the deepest of the mines in Sasol’s Secunda mining complex. The main shaft is 11,7 m in diameter while the vent shaft, also sunk to a depth of 200 m, has a diame- ter of 6,5 m. Other infrastructure includes a 1 000 m long conveyor decline with a width of 6,5 m and a height of 3,5 m, a surface coal bunker with a capacity of 15 000 tons and an underground surge bunker with a capacity of 1 500 tons. The mine is linked to the Sasol Synfuels complex in Secunda by a 27 km-long, single flight conveyor. This is thought to be the longest conveyor of its type in South Africa and possibly Africa. The main EPCM contractor on the

that the coal mining sector was now the South African mining industry’s biggest revenue generator, ahead of both gold and platinum. He said the opening came at a time when coal mining was under siege globally for environ- mental reasons and he urged South Africa’s coal producers to respond by introducing clean coal technologies. Despite the official opening taking place this year, Impumelelo has been in operation for over two years with the first coal having been produced in 2016. Talking to Modern Mining at the inauguration, Lucky Kgatle, Senior Vice President, Sasol Mining, said that all the min- ing sections from Brandspruit colliery (the mine that Impumelelo is replacing) had now moved over to the new mine. “The last production from Brandspruit was late in 2018 and the mine has totally ceased operations, with the focus now being on rec- lamation and rehabilitation,” he said. “The 10 continuous miner sections and four stonework sections that were active at Brandspruit are now all in place at Impumelelo and the mine is ramp- ing up to its full production level. Currently production is running at an annualised rate

VIP guests, senior management of Sasol and Sasol employees – with Minister Gwede Mantashe at centre – celebrate the opening of the mine.

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