WINNING
ROSSMIN’ S
100-YEAR FUTURE
By Eamonn Ryan
Kim Kemp
Umzimkhulu Industrial Holdings, trading as Rossmin, is an opencast mining operation, mining a highquality limestone deposit near Port Shepstone, known as the Marble Delta. Rossmin was established in 2010 to mine calcitic and dolomitic limestone, and the mine opened in March last year.
Rossmin mine manager Fana Shozi overviews the operations as follows:“ Rossmin uses the most advanced systems to process the minerals in order to produce products of a high quality. Rossmin has a licenced lifespan of about 30 years— but I think we have sufficient limestone to last more than one hundred years. We have only opened two of our mining deposits and have others which we have not yet touched. We are mining two types of limestone: dolomitic and calcitic limestone. Dolomitic limestone has more magnesium content than calcitic limestone. There is a vast market for both materials.
“ Limestone is used for acid neutralisation in the chemical industry, in effluent water treatment and stream restoration projects, and as a soil conditioner. As a source of calcium, limestone provides valuable nutrients to plants and helps change the pH of the soil by raising it to match the plants’ needs. It enables more uptake of nutrients for plant growth. Dolomitic limestone is used as a source of magnesia( MgO), a sintering agent and flux in metal processing, and as an ingredient in the production of glass, bricks, and ceramics. It is used in the construction industry because of its strength,” says Shozi.
Revolutionary processes
The Rossmin process is revolutionary in that new mineral sorting technology is being employed to achieve unprecedented product qualities. Dry sorting of limestone minerals reduces the environmental impact of traditional wet flotation processes and results in reduced energy consumption and plant performance.
Shozi notes:“ On the sorting side of the business, Rossmin sorts the ore in terms of two characteristics: chemistry and colour making. Rossmin is a market leader in the application of this technology.
“ Using modern mining methods, latest advances in sorting technology, and sizing,
14 _ QUARRY SA | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018