This month’s focus
Van der Bijl explains: “The system will
make use of our existing 3-D detail design
models for our earthworks packages, which
are converted into the digital control
technology modelling environment, and
then used by the control systems situated
inside the operator’s cab. The control
system links to the hydraulics system of
the machine and controls the physical
work precisely to the design intent — first
time right, in the shortest time, at the
lowest cost, in the safest way. That is a
win-win for both the contractor and for
Exxaro,” says Van der Bijl.
A new way of learning
In the strength of its digital capabilities lies
a challenge for the project: finding teams
who also want to immerse themselves in the
future. “We are building partnerships with
our suppliers to share the Exxaro vision and
working closely with them to see how we
can build a mine of the future,” says Meyer.
The project is about more than coal mining.
Everybody involved will need to upskill
themselves — from employees at the coalface
to seasoned managers. “Even accomplished
engineers will have to learn what they know
and relearn new things to shape the future we
are building,” says Meyer.
“Both millennials and mature employees
can contribute in their own way — the
only criteria are that everyone has to be
digitally connected and be ready to discover
what they don’t know yet. From both an
employer and employee perspective, we will
experience this mine so differently to other
mines,” Meyer adds.
BIP echoes many of the changes currently
happening at Exxaro. It will be an
activity-based working environment, with
workspaces that encourage collaboration
between disciplines, idea-generation,
and communication. Separate, closed,
compartmentalised offices are a thing of
the past.
48 AFRICAN MINING MAY - JUNE 2019
“This supports Exxaro’s motto of ‘One
team, one goal’,” says Meyer. “Whoever
you are working for, whichever discipline
you present, we are all working towards
finding solutions. It’s no longer about just
your technical qualifications, but your
contribution to a solution. We think young
people will find this approach refreshing
and it challenges them to deliver more than
they thought possible.” Belfast Implementation
Project factsheet
The future Life of mine (LOM): 17 years.
BIP is Exxaro’s first greenfields mine since
2007, when Inyanda mine, near Witbank,
was developed under the newly formed
Exxaro, South Africa’s largest black-owned
and controlled mining group.
There are signs that this might not be the
last. “We have a long-term journey in coal,”
says Mgojo. “It still remains one of the pillars
of producing energy in our country.” Mgojo
mentions the Thabametsi Power Project,
which is awaiting Independent Power
Producer (IPP) approval. The main feature
of the Coal Baseload IPP Procurement
Programme is to help IPPs participate
in the baseload power generation, which
will provide increased energy security and
contribute towards socio-economic growth.
Thabametsi Mine’s development creates
opportunities to supply coal to other coal
IPPs in the Waterberg — and is another
mine where we are waiting for the regulator
journeys to unfold.
The hidden value within the unfolding
Belfast mine lies in its many learning
opportunities to take Exxaro to the
epicentre of the Fourth Industrial
Revolution. “There is a misperception
that this connected world is about
the rise of the machines. We believe
it is about empowering people and
powering better lives. With Belfast,
we are proving that coal is not just the
power of today; it is the possibility of
tomorrow,” says Mgojo. b
Investment: About R3.3-million.
Production: The mine will start producing
thermal coal in the first half of 2020.
Construction: 24 months, of which
seven months have been completed.
Reserves: This area contains the last
good-quality A-grade, high-yield coal
reserves in Mpumalanga.
Technology: The Belfast coal mine will
be the first of its kind in South Africa to
have a ‘digital twin’; that is, a complete
digital replica of reality, which will
allow Exxaro to continuously drive for
improved overall productivity.
Volumes: Primary product will be
2.7Mtpa A-grade thermal coal for export.
Size: The total mining-right area
encompasses 7 198 hectares and extends
about 6km from east to west, and 10km
in the north–south direction.
Procurement: Construction value is
R1 179-billion, of which R293-million
(25%) is the estimated local spend.
Employment: The construction phase
will provide 1 166 jobs, with a multiplier
effect of 3 847 beneficiaries. During
LOM, 4 706 jobs will be provided, with a
multiplier effect of 15 529 beneficiaries.
Location: The new mine will be located
about 10km south-west of the town of
Belfast, on the southern side of the N4
highway.
Thermal coal: Thermal coal (also called
steaming coal) is burned for steam to
run turbines to generate electricity,
either to public electricity grids or
directly to industries consuming
electrical power (such as chemical
industries, paper manufacturers, the
cement industry, and brickworks).
During power generation, the coal is
ground to a powder and fired into a
boiler to produce steam to drive the
turbines that produce electricity.
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