The Mandela Mining Precinct (MMP) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) to establish a “test mine” at RBPlat’s Maseve mine, 50 km north of Rustenburg, in North West.

The test mine will be developed as an industry site for research, development and innovation, allowing for technology demonstration and testing to take place.

MMP programme manager Jurgens Visser says a test mine for research purposes will deliver value to mining companies, original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other stakeholders, all while contributing to the South African mining industry’s sustainability.

At the moment, research organisations, Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa and other OEMs rely on the goodwill of mining companies to provide test sites for the evaluation of individual components or items of technology.

However, this has limitations in that these mines are often remote and difficult to access and these processes are often perceived by staff members as disruptions to production processes.

The test mine will provide a facility for the testing and demonstration of locally and internationally manufactured mining equipment; research and development activities aligned to the South African Mining Extraction Research Development and Innovation mining research programme; synergistic opportunities for research projects being undertaken by the Mine Health and Safety Council to be trialled and tested; and research work in mining conducted through universities.

Moreover, the test mine will provide facilities for undergraduate and postgraduate students to conduct vacation work, research and vocational training; the opportunity to conduct practical training for government certificates of competency; a site for establishing a practical technology incubator; and a site to enable local industrialisation and start-up companies to be incubated.

All these initiatives will be coordinated through the MMP and its partners.

RBPlat says it is delighted to offer its Maseve mine to be used as an industry test mine, since it is currently under care and maintenance.

“The mine offers a drive-in methodology of entering the mine by means of a decline and the access to the mine's underground infrastructure will not interfere with production activities, as the test area is dedicated to the test mine,” states RBPlat CEO Steve Phiri.