JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Engineering and project delivery company DRA has been awarded the $4.5-million first phase contract of JSE-listed Exxaro Resources subsidiary Exxaro Coal’s Belfast implementation project, in Mpumalanga.
The first phase of the project would include the detailed design and engineering of a 500 t/h coal processing project, including a two-stage dense medium beneficiation plant, a fine coal dense medium section for fines treatment, a system for the filtration of slimes, as well as associated product handling systems.
“We are especially pleased to have been awarded the Belfast coal contract by Exxaro. Our association with the project goes back to 2008 when we were involved in early studies. Since that time, we have worked very closely with the Exxaro team through the prefeasibility and final feasibility study stages,” DRA CEO Paul Thomson said.
DRA said work on this contract would likely continue into the supply, construction and commissioning phases in about 12 months’ time, following the completion of the necessary approval processes by Exxaro.
When operational, the new plant would produce two types of coal – a thermal coal for local consumption and a higher grade export coal.