Exxaro commissions R385m Grootegeluk coal slimes facility
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Coal and heavy minerals miner Exxaro has commissioned a R385-million, 4.6-million cubic metre, environment-friendly cyclic-operated coal slimes pond facility at its Grootegeluk mine, in Lephalale.
The facility, which comprised four ponds, provided unlimited capacity owing to continuous reclamation of the dried coal slimes, which could be used as a fuel source.
Each pond had a 365 000 m3 capacity, while the facility also boasted two 68 000 m3 return water dams, a pumpstation, a substation and a slurry delivery line.
This installation was the first of its kind in the South African mining industry, project manager Happy Ntsala said, adding that this solution, which involved the evaporative drying of the coal fines, had not been used elsewhere in the world, as it was based on modern and ongoing research on the subject and science of evaporative drying.
The reclamation of the coal fines as a continuous operation, also known as ongoing remining, was another first for the industry.
“The new facility will prevent harm to the environment by adhering to strict pollution prevention and control measures. We considered the available methods in the market and preferred the cyclic ponds owing to the technological advancements and our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint,” Ntsala added.
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