Name of the Project
Elandsfontein phosphate project.

Location
Saldanha Bay, in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
The Elandsfontein project is held by Kropz (70%), African Rainbow Capital, or ARC (25%) and a smaller empowerment partnership (5%). Ubuntu Botho Investments forms part of the ARC structure.

Project Description
The Elandsfontein phosphate deposit is the largest sedimentary phosphate deposit in South Africa.

The phosphate mineralisation is contained in the Varswater formation, with the phosphate occurring in phosphatised shell fragments and phosphorite pellets. The remainder of the deposit consists of silica sand and calcium oxide.

The project has the capacity to deliver one-million-tonnes a year of phosphate rock concentrate at steady state, with an initial mine life of about 14 years.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated. 

All-in Sustaining Costs/All-in Costs
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Kropz has spent $120-million to bring its Elandsfontein phosphates mining and processing project into production and requires an additional $16-million to cover its augmentation.

Planned Start/End Date
Kropz plans to start commercial production from Elandsfontein in the last quarter of 2021.

Latest Developments
Kropz has announced that its appeal hearing before the Water Tribunal, regarding the Elandsfontein project’s integrated water-use licence, has been postponed.

The appeal hearing was supposed to convene on March 16, but has been postponed, owing to certain parties undergoing self-quarantine because of Covid-19-affected regions, and who were now following government’s guidelines that had been imposed, effective immediately.

The project has raised environmental concerns from its inception, owing to its being situated on top of an aquifer.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
DRA (EPCM), Minopex (processing plant operation) and VDM Transport.

Contact Details for Project Information
Kropz, tel +27 21 930 0927 or email info@kropz.com.