New manganese mine edges closer to opening

25th September 2020

     

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East Manganese, diversified miner Menar’s first manganese asset, located near the Northern Cape town of Hotazel, was recently granted Amendment to Environmental Authorisation, along with plant and tree removal permits – which are the latest statutory approvals.

The R250-million project holds roughly one-million tonnes of run-of-mine (RoM) ore, and will produce about 30 000 t/m of RoM manganese ore. Owing to the conical shape of the proposed pit, it will take about six to seven months to reach first ore, after which steady state production will be achieved swiftly. Mining activities will start once all operators have been operationally and medically certified.

Menar chairperson Mpumelelo Mkhabela notes that the latest developments indicate the company’s preparedness to enter a new chapter in its quest to diversify its South African minerals portfolio, which predominantly comprises anthracite and thermal coal assets.

“We are pleased that our mining services team have made immense progress in preparing for the mining site. Among the achievements so far was the clearing of crush/screen area, grading of all internal mine roads to suit expected mine activity. The haul road and RoM product area construction will [start], once competent material becomes available from the opencast pit,” he explains.

The final mine plan has been completed and the perimeters of the pit and dumps have been cleared.

“The full mining fleet complement will be on site by end of September in preparation for mining the activities,” he states.

With regard to the mine’s logistics set-up, Mkhabela says that the mine is currently engaging with an existing operation that has a private siding, to gain rail access.

“We have also submitted a proposal to State-owned rail company Transnet Freight Rail to receive allocation for its Manganese Export Capacity Allocation,” he adds.

Mkhabela is confident of the positive spin-off the operation will have in the local community.

“The establishment of the East Manganese mine will aid economic activities in the area and create between 70 and 80 direct new jobs on the mining complex once peak production has been reached. If we multiply this figure by ten – which is the average number of people that are dependent on a single salary earner in South Africa – then in essence 700 to 800 people will benefit from this project,” he said.

“In addition, the indirect economic benefit of the operation, even though not fully quantifiable at this stage, will most likely be far-reaching. The mine’s recruitment process is being undertaken in [partnership] with the Joe Morolong local municipality which, through its Local Economic Development forum, has been very helpful to date as [it] can ensure that all candidates are in fact locals,” Mkhabela states.

He adds that community stability, competent local and regulatory authorities, and trust among all stakeholders are crucial to the success of mining in South Africa.

“We expect East Manganese and the local economy to benefit from this,” he says.

Menar is an industry partner and sponsor of the Joburg Indaba taking place online on October 7 and 8, 2020. Mkhabela will be participating in a discussion on the outlook for energy supply, the coal mining industry and the ‘just transition’ towards cleaner energy sources.

Edited by Nadine James
Features Deputy Editor

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