Modern Mining January 2022

recruit a lot of new employees who have not previ- ously worked for De Beers,” says Rodel. Project progress When Modern Mining visited the site in November 2021, the project was 3,8% behind the pre-COVID plan, but overall, Rodel noted that the site team was tracking well against the post-COVID forecast, and on budget. A steep development trajectory over the next three years will claw back some of the time lost due to the COVID-19 disruptions. With that said, significant project progress was achieved in 2021. Having previously visited the proj- ect back in 2018, Modern Mining was impressed with the development that has taken place during the past 24 months. Of note is that the changes have happened through the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a fantastic achievement for the site team. Several project milestones, both on surface and underground, were recorded during 2021. On the surface front, the Skills Development Centre, a critical enabler in the transitioning of employees from open pit to underground, was handed over. Commissioned in Q1 2021, the state-of-the-art training facility is cen- tral to developing the skills the company needs to operate this new mine of the future. The new skills development centre is equipped with all the nec- essary new technologies, including virtual reality capability and simulators, among others. The completion of the heat tolerance testing building was another important milestone. The heat tolerance screening facility enables the company to assess its people’s fitness/readiness to work under- ground, where ambient conditions are different to those on surface. At the time of our visit, the production shaft was in the final stages of equipping, with steelwork installation nearing completion. The commissioning programme of the production shaft winders was in full swing, with rope installation expected to com- mence in December. Surface fans 3 and 4 had been handed over, with 1 and 2 nearing construction completion and expected to be handed over by December 2021. The bulk air cooler was in the final stages of commis- sioning, with plant construction already completed. Commissioning of the change house/lamproom/pro- toroom complex had largely been completed, with the male change house already in use. At the time, biometric access was being finalised on the female change house. Steep ramp-up Although significant project milestones have been achieved thus far, Rodel says a steep ramp-up with a significant challenge lies ahead. “We have seen a continuous ramp-up in terms of develop- ment metres. We have seen a 280% improvement in development in the past 18 months, but a further

70% is required over the next 12 months,” he says. The project is being developed into three main construction areas – Top of Mine (TOM), Bottom of Mine (BOM) and Surface. TOM is the first six produc- tion levels, while BOM is the bottom of the mine, which is only accessible by the shaft complex. The TOM is where the lion’s share of focus on production will be in the next four years. A couple of programmes – including a technology roadmap, a detailed performance improvement programme (P101 programme), equipment availability and work- shop readiness, among others – will enable the doubling of capacity over the next 12 months. The BOM team has its work cut out, says Rodel, and would need to double capacity in the next nine months. A series of programmes, from recruitment of new crews and increasing ground handling capacity to ventilation and silo development, among others, will be key enablers in the team’s efforts to double capacity. First production at the VUP is targeted for between Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. This will take place at the 46 Level of the K01 orebody. “It’s critical that we get to first production because we have invested

Overall, safety has been a good story on site in 2021, with a 35% reduction in recordable incidents compared with 2020.

The people transformation aspect has been approached through several perspectives, including assessments, training and skills transfer.

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January 2022  MODERN MINING  19