Sasol targeting step change in coal mining productivity

SECUNDA (miningweekly.com) – Sasol Mining is targeting a productivity leap at its coal mines in Secunda, which supply 40-million tonnes of run-of-mine coal a year to the company’s coal-to-liquids synfuels plant in Secunda.

Up to now, its five Secunda coal mines have been bord and pillar mined, but under identification are panels appropriate for more efficient longwall mining.

Also under scrutiny are productivity enhancing technologies in general.

“We’re still busy with prefeasibility to check whether longwall would be able to give us the productivity step change we’re seeking,” Sasol Mining senior VP Lucky Kgatle told Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly Online in a video interview on Tuesday.

Envisaged is the attainment of global scale competitiveness that would take the company down the cost curve.

Under consideration are larger continuous miners backed by 20 t capacity shuttle cars rather than the currently used 16 t cars.

Once final investment decision stage is reached, an announcement can be expected.

Comparatively hard coal is being met by research, with original-equipment manufacturers, on improved coal cutting ability.

“We’re trying to improve the tonne per pick. Improving pick life will be of great benefit to us,” explained Kgatle.

Two-million tonnes of coal a year are also provided for electricity and steam that the group self-generates at its operations in Sasolburg.

Exported through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal are 3.5-million coal tonnes not used for gasification.

For now, Sasol Mining does not see itself expanding in Secunda, where its coal reserve base is able to meet the needs of the company for the next 34 years.

As older mines are depleted, their capacity is replaced as part of a 2050 vision. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video).