These mines operate in the first half of the seaborne cost curve and produce high quality thermal coal. Jan, 2021 in this article, we want to look at the coal mines of south africa, as we highlight the very texture and makeup of the south african mining industry. Travelers of all stripes will find plenty to love in south africa. Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. The five largest coal mining companies account for around 85% of all production. Our isibonelo mine is engaged in the production of thermal coal for. In the united kingdom and south africa, a coal mine and its structures are a colliery, a coal mine is called a pit. Between 2003 and 2004, the dme substantially reduced south africa s coal reserve from about 50gt to about 31gt,6 lowering it albeit temporarily even further to 26gt in 2005.
Coal is the major primary energy source for south africa. Coal in south africa wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. New coal power stations are being developed in 18 african countries out of which 11 countries currently have no installed coal red capacity and 3 have only 600 mw coal capacity or less. Its role since 1923 as a primary source of energy has steered the. Apart from being the thirdlargest employer in the mining sector, it also created another 170 000 indirect jobs. The coalmining industry in south africa runs the whole gamut of mining scales, from small operations with production limited to a few thousand tons per annum, to secunda, the worlds largest.
Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s, has been widely used to generate electricity. South africa s total runofmine rom production grew by 4. Lung cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide because of inadequate tobacco control policies. Most south africans believe that the major cause of crime in south africa is poverty. Review of best practices for escape and rescue from underground coal mines in south africa may 2008 bbe report no. The official authoritative reference work on the republic of south africa, the south african yearbook 20072008,7 provides a coal. Characterization of the coal resources of south africa. Coal washing gives rises to large waste dumps, which may ignite spontaneously and cause air pollution. South africa is rich in minerals, and it supplies a large amount of the worlds production of these minerals thanks to an active mining industry. This detailed list of coal mines in south africa will show you just how well endowed the land of madiba is with minerals.
South africa has large coal deposits that support most of its largescale mining and primary mineral industries. Coal deposits of south africa the future of coal mining in. Many small scale mining operations rely on manual labour, which is not only. Mpumalanga lies in eastern south africa, bordering swaziland and mozambique. They provide a large amount of the fossil fuel energy in the world economy the peoples republic of china is the largest producer of coal in the world, while australia is the largest coal exporter. Figure 41 coal the breakdown of numbers related to the mining of coal. In 2014, the total primary energy consumption of the country was 181 mtoe. Materials and methods the study area was one of the largest opencast coal. The industry and companies play a promi nent role in this discussion. Why mining still matters south african institute of. Jul 09, 2020 as many of the larger coal mining companies in south africa withdraw from this commodity and sell to smaller firms, a concern arises over the financial resources available for closure, said fair. Coal transitions in south africa centre for environmental.
Coal map of south america usgs publications repository. The animals have competition from the countrys rampant culture, food, design, fashion and arts scenes. A place of big skies and open pastureland, the free state is ideal for a road trip. The second part focuses on the future of coal mining. A perspective on the south african mining industry in the 21st century. Review of best practices for escape and rescue from underground coal mines in south africa final report.
Published by statistics south africa, private bag x44. South africa exports coal mainly through the port at richards bay, but constraints on rail transport have reduced its capacity to bring coal from the interior and so export has become less important to the country. Today, the mining industry remains one of the biggest contributors to the countrys economy with an estimated worth of r20. Seriti is a south african resources group with an ambition. March 04, 2020 the minerals council south africa s response to genderbased violence and harassment pdf march 03, 2020 women in mining in south africa pdf february 05, 2020 junior and emerging miners desk pdf. Republic of south africa an overview sciencedirect topics. Coal mining in south africa coal mining s advent in south africa can best be traced to the start of gold mining in the late 19 th century, particularly on the witwatersrand, with the first coal in appreciable tonnages being extracted on the highveld coal field close to the nascent witwatersrand gold mines. Things to do with kids best beaches best surfing best dive destinations best golf resorts kruger n. This paper gives an overview over the deposits of hard coal in south africa.
Air pollution due to opencast coal mining and its control. Environmental sustainability of openpit coal mining. They are anglo american plc, south32s south africa energy coal, sasol mining, glencore xstrata, and exxaro. South africa what to pack clothing and supplies tips. These are 20 of the best things to do in south africa, including swimming with sharks, teeing off at top golf courses, and more with a map. As coal is the main ingredient for the industrial process, sasol two had to be developed around a coal field. The acquisition of south32s south african energy coal saec to seriti resources has been recommended by south africa s competition commission, said. So, in case you want to venture into the business, you can always refer to this list of coal mines in south africa and rest assured that you will be dealing with the best miners on the continent of africa. Where data received was not in the same geo coordinate system the. Black, chinese and white labourers in a gold mine in south africa, circa 1890 1923. Coal mining in south africa south africa faces a stark reality as the continents largest greenhouse gas emitter.
South african coal production is dominated by five major companies, these being anglo. Coal deposits of south africa the future of coal mining in south africa stephan schmidt institute for geology, gustavzeunerstr. However, the future of coal in south africa also faces many challenges, not the least of which is a lack of a clear strategy for the future. South africa is the fifth largest coal producing country in the world. The chamber of mines coal leadership forum, consisting of coal executives, commissioned a report to determine what needs to be done to increase the profile of the coal mining industry in the face of seemingly ineluctable negative public opinion around the use of coal in industrial processes. Finding our just transition away from coal african mining. The social and environmental consequences of coal mining in. The social and environmental consequences of coal mining. The distribution of worldwide coal deposits is uneven, which is the result of peat formation at different times in the geological record in predominantly tropical latitudes and the subsequent drift of the continents to their presentday positions. Broad horizons are interrupted only briefly by a smat. National coal strategy for south africa minerals council.
Coal mining regions are significant resource extraction industries in many parts of the world. Mining, minerals and sustainable development in southern africa. Coal was first mined on a commercial basis in south africa in 1857 and the. The heavy toll of coal mining in south africa environment. First, we examine a leastcost energy pathway that assumes no. Coal south africa s export product is derived from our four and operated mines goedehoop, greenside, khwezela and zibulo a 73. However, recent studies suggest that social structures emerging from most south africans believe that the major cause of crime in south africa is poverty. Explore cosmopolitan cities, hike up mountains, relax at the beach, sip sauvignon blanc in wine country, and spy on the big 5 on safari. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production.
This large industry, means that as of 2015 about 80,000 workers, or. With regard to proven coal reserves, south africa ranked number seven in coal production extraction in 20094. Sep 01, 1993 coking coal and anthracite account for approximately 4% and 1. The journal of the south african institute of mining and metallurgy february 2005 95 introduction coal currently provides 73% of south africa s primary energy. It is a particular worry when mines change hands just 510 years before their endoflife. As a result, the public utility eskom and chemical firm sasol together account for more than 50% of south africa s greenhouse gas emissions and 85% of the coal used in the local. The benefits and challenges associated with coal in south.
Department of health, tuberculosis strategic plan for south africa 2007 2011 2007 tb rates in the mines are up to 10 times the general population rate. The countrys rich endowment of minerals has played a key role in the evolution of the south african economy. The presence of coal mining supports economies in many ways. In 2015, tanzania produced in excess of 250,000 tonnes of coal, of which 94% of it. Coal seams are relatively thick and close to the surface, which allows for lowcost mining. The production of coal in tanzania has largely been underdeveloped for many years. South africa exported about 30% of its coal production 85 mmst in 2016, making it the worlds fifthlargest global coal exporter.
Council for scientific and industrial research, south africa. South african coal centre for environmental rights. Homegrown innovators are facing a brain drain and battling a funding squeeze. The majority of coal is derived from opencast mines 53% and underground bordandpillar operations 40%, while stoping 4% and longwall mining 3% make up the balance. Most coal mines are concentrated around the towns of witbank, ermelo and. The details include mine location, coal rank, mining and coal processing methods, transportation of final products and the markets into which the coal is currently sold. South africa today relies on coal to generate 92% of its electricity and to produce roughly 20% of its liquid. Creamer medias coal 2017 report examines south africa s coal industry with regard to the business environment, the main participants, local demand, coal exports and coal logistics, projects. Half of reserves are in seams 46m thick and a further third in 24m seams petrick commission, 1975. South africa what to pack one of the most beautiful regions of all the world, south africa is a place where you can visit a game safari in the morning and be the first to discover secret destinations, travel hacks, and more. Why mining still matters south african institute of race.
The molteno coal province, although the site of south africa s first coal mine and principal coal supplier between 1900 and 1904, essentially ceased production in 1948. Sas competition commission approves seriti purchase of south32 coal assets. It lies between latitudes 22o s and 23o s and longitudes 28o e and 32oe. In most of these frontier countries, the development of coal mines and coal power plants is closely entwined. Cliffe dekker hofmeyr the future of underground coal. More than 80% of power generation comes from coal, with 11 coal power plants turning the province of mpumalanga into one of the most polluted areas of the world. South africa produces in excess of 255 million tonnes of coal 2011 estimate and consumes almost three quarters of that domestically. Coal deposits of south africa the future of coal mining in south africa. List of coal mines in south africa 2021 south africa lists. The primary impacts arise from mining, particularly underground mining, largely because south african coal mines are relatively shallow. South africa has approximately 242 billion gross tons in situ coal resources and reserves of which approximately 66 billion tons of coal resources and reserves are deemed to be recoverable. It is the worlds fifth largest mining sector in terms of gross domestic product gdp, contributing eight percent to south africa s gdp.
In 19 recruitment from territories north of the latitude 22s was prohibited, due to. Most of south africa s coal exports are sent to asia, with india being the largest recipient. The coal mining industry was the largest component of the south african mining sector by sales volume r65. The south african coal mining industry is currently disposing over. And with the vast reserves found in the mines mentioned above, coal mining in south africa will undoubtedly continue for a very long time. South africa is the biggest producer of hard coal in africa, and it is a significant global player. It kickstarted what historians call the mineral revolution, which made few european opportunists wealthy beyond measure, and saw hundreds of thousands of men leaving their homes to become fulltime mineworkers. Secunda is situated at latitude 26 and longitude 29 and is 1620 meters above. Apr 02, 2015 but south africa, which currently generates 90 percent of its electricity through coal, is already struggling with the devastating impacts of more than a century of excessive mining.
Extensive mining is done and the minerals found include coal, gold, platinum group metals, silica, chromite etc. Bhp billiton energy coal south africa ltd ingwe collieries ltd 23. South africa exports about 30% of its coal production and is the fifthlargest global coal exporter. At the most basic level coal mining provides employment for local communities.
However, the future of coal mining in south africa lies in the waterberg coal basin. Openpit mining account for roughly half of south african coal mining see also. The primary impacts arise from mining, particularly underground mining, largely because south african coal mines are. At the start of the new century, the south african mining cluster is making a rich and varied. We also produce around 10 mt each year of thermal coal for sale to the domestic market. The study asserts that opening the waterberg region for large scale mining is vital to the future of the south african coal mining industry. To revisit this article, visit my profile, then view saved stories. M m ining in south africa has been a contentious issue since 15yearold erasmus stephanus jacobs discovered south africa s first diamond, the eureka, in hopetown in 1867. Coal has been an important commodity in south africa for many years and it is one of the oldest mining enterprises in the country.
The carbon content in south africa s coals increases eastwards. South africas coalfields a 2014 perspective university of pretoria. Without wasting any more time we give you below the list of coal mines in south a frica. This country has some of the biggest reserves of gold, manganese, coal, platinum, diamonds, va. Twenty five percent of this is uneconomical to mine by means of conventional mining methods due to the depth of the coal seams. The lower coal unit can be separated into at most three benches by sandstone partings.
Coal is one of the important export commodities because of its vast mineral resource base. Coal south africa launched its community scholarship scheme a programme that will have a lifechanging impact on young people in the host communities. In addition, soil collected between coal seams s 5 showed. The major regions with coal deposits are located in the northern hemisphere, whereas the regions in the southern hemisphere, with the exception of. While many of the entities that are included also have international exposure, the bulk of their operations are in africa. Openpit mining account for roughly half of south african coal mining operations, the other half being subsurface. Feb 05, 2019 coal generated r129 billion in sales in 2017 about 28% of south africa s total mineral sales and directly employed over 82 000 people, whose earnings amounted to some r22 billion. In comparison to the other south african coal deposits, kwazulunatal coal mining is difficult due to large topographic differences, structural complexities and thin seams. The scenarios the study examines three future pathways for south africa s coal sector that allow us to assess key risks and opportunities in south africa s coal transition. The four coal mines, namely brandspruit, middelbult, bosjesspruit, and twistdraai, 6 form the largest underground coal mining complex in south africa and annually supply approximately 37,3 million tons of coal to sasol synthetic fuels. Yet south africa has launched a cuttingedge radio telescope that scans the universe, opened atmstyle medicine dispensers and tackled cape towns drought with cl. As of 2018, south africa was the seventh largest producer and consumer of coal in the world. Most of coal production comes from openpit mines, contributing over 84%.
470 1215 63 161 477 663 252 624 1438 1086 231 889 587 930 27 561 145 1292 1225 268 143 937 1107 214 920 911 586