Wildebeestfontein Colliery
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Wildebeestfontein Colliery is a proposed coal mine in Phola, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Wildebeestfontein Colliery | Phola, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa | -25.9754285267, 29.0551517416 (approximate) |
The map below shows the approximate location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Type | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed | Construction | New | – | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | – | – | Surface | Open Pit | 2.5 | 33 | * |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | – | – | Witbank | Subbituminous | Thermal | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Opsirex | Opsirex [100%] | South Africa |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker April 2024 release and the September supplement.
Background
Wildebeestfontein Colliery is a proposed surface coal mine near Phola in Mpumalanga, South Africa.[1] Ospirex operates the mine. The mine will be located on Portions RE/2 and 19 of the Farm Wildebeestfontein 327 JS and will occupy approximately 250 hectares.[1] The mined coal will be transported via the haul roads and stored on the Run of Mine (RoM) stockpile area on the nearby Elandsfontein Colliery, after which it will be sold to the export and local markets (most likely Eskom, although a coal supply agreement is not yet in place). Wildebeestfontein's life of mine is estimated at 7 years.[1]
- Operator: Ospirex (Pty) Ltd
- Owner: Ospirex (Pty) Ltd
- Location: Near Phola, Emalahleni Local Municipality, Nkangala District, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
- Coordinates: -25.97542853, 29.05515174 (Approximate)
- Status: Proposed (Construction)
- Production Capacity: 2.1 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa)[1]
- Total Resource:
- Mineable Reserves: 14 million tonnes[1]
- Coal Type: (Thermal)
- Mine Type: Surface, open-pit[1]
- Start Year: TBD
- Source of Financing:
Opposition
In March 2022, a group of livestock farmers in Phola township protested the construction of the mine with concerns that it would decimate one of the last patches of grazing land for their cattle. The livestock farmers also filed a lawsuit asking a court to halt Opsirex’s operation, however, a judge threw out the suit the next month.[2]
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Ospirex (Pty) Ltd - Wildebeestfontein Colliery Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report, South African Heritage Resources Agency, accessed November 2022.
- ↑ "Can South Africa Transition to Clean Energy?", The New York Times, 8 Nov. 2022.
