Wonderfontein Coal Mine
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Wonderfontein Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Belfast, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Wonderfontein Coal Mine | Belfast, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa | -25.851338, 29.866819 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[1] | – | 2012[1] | 2030 (planned)[1] |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4[1] | 2.5[2] | 2022[2] | Surface | Open Pit | – | 50* | 968[1] |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17[2] | 2023[2] | 64[2] | – | Subbituminous | Thermal | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Umsimbithi Mining Pty Ltd[1] | Lithemba Wonderfontein Coal Pty Ltd [50.0%]; Glencore PLC [24.4%] | Switzerland, South Africa |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM | – | 3[3] | 3[4] | 2[5] | 2[6] | 3[7] | 2[2] |
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
Wonderfontein Coal Mine (also known as Umsimbithi Colliery) is a surface coal mine in Belfast, Mpumalanga, South Africa.[8] Wonderfontein Mine was originally owned and operated by Umsimbithi Mining (Pty) Limited—a then 50:50 joint venture between Umcebo Mining and Lithemba Wonderfontein Coal. (Although Umsimbithi still owns the mine today, the company is now a joint venture of Lithemba Wonderfontein Coal, Phembani Group, and Glencore.)[9]
It started its mining operations in 2012 as an underground mine, but in 2013, was converted to a fully-opencast truck-and-shovel operation.[9] It was commissioned and opened in 2014 as an opencast coal mine and wash plant.[8]
At a peak mining rate of 4.2 Mmillion tonnes per annum (Mtpa), Wonderfontein will have a life of mine up to 2030.[9] Its mining right, held by Umsimbithi, expires on 2 June 2037.[10]
- Operator: Andru Mining[9]
- Owners: Lithemba Wonderfontein Coal (Pty) Ltd. (50%), 25.6% Phembani Group, and Glencore (24.4%)[11]
- Location: Belfast, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
- Coordinates: -25.851338, 29.866819 (Exact)
- Status: Operating
- Production: 2.8 million tonnes per annum (2021)[10]
- Total Resources: 66 million tonnes (2021)[10]
- Mineable Reserves: 25 million tonnes (2021)[10]
- Coal Type: Bituminous (Thermal)[12]
- Mine Type: Surface
- Start Year: 2012
- Source of Financing:
Controversy
In 2016, Wonderfontein was the site of a three-week strike. The strikes, which were triggered by low pay, resulted in the arrest of 57 workers.[13]
Environmental Pilot Project
From April 2021 to January 2022, the Mpumalanga Winter Wheat Pilot project was launched at two rehabilitated sites neighboring the Wonderfontein mine. The project — which involved growing different wheat crops irrigated by rainwater, reservoir water, borehole water, and mine-affected water on virgin and remediated land — aimed to show how remediated mine land and water can provide economic opportunities for households and the broader community once a mine is closed.[14] According to the Business for Development, the project was successful and "proved that remediated mine land and mine-affected water could be used to diversify the economy through agriculture."[15]
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 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125053835/https://umsmining.co.za/about/. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 (PDF) https://www.glencore.com/.rest/api/v1/documents/static/a53e27b1-6025-4ef2-9be8-f3be543dfb26/GLENCORE-Resources-and-Reserves-report-2023.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.glencore.com/.rest/api/v1/documents/20caa4795faf7d117946bbf0c4a4b340/GLEN_2018_Resources_Reserves_Report-.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.glencore.com/.rest/api/v1/documents/9d3cb62e5188ec6d35cb69b57679eb9e/GLEN_2019_Resources_Reserves_Report--+%281%29.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.glencore.com/.rest/api/v1/documents/2a13c1ee6cf34fb73e728f8d06eace10/GLEN_2020_Resources_reserves_report.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.glencore.com/.rest/api/v1/documents/fb0cafaa3ec10b90571130be41ba4270/2021-GLEN_Resources-and-Reserves-report.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.glencore.com/.rest/api/v1/documents/9103f1a33987bb1ca949662011373c42/GLENCORE+Resources+and+Reserves+report+2022.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 Phembani, "Umcebo Mining", Phembani website, Accessed Mach 2021.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 About Us, Umsimbithi Mining website, accessed November 2022.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "Glencore Resources and Reserves 2021", Glencore website, Accessed November 2022.
- ↑ "Joint Venture beneficial ownership", Glencore website, Accessed November 2022.
- ↑ South Africa Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), "Operating Mines in Mpumalanga", DMR website website, Accessed March 2021.
- ↑ "Striking workers arrested at Glencore's South African coal mine", Reuters, 5 April 2016.
- ↑ "Is it possible to convert old coal mines into successful farms?", Mining Weekly, 24 June 2022.
- ↑ "Mpumalanga Winter Wheat Pilot", Business for Development, accessed November 2022.
