The Life Extension project aims to enhance the plant’s ability to produce and sell coal briquettes locally, using the existing briquetting plant.

Mafube Coal has, to date, sold only small volumes of briquettes, but remains committed to marketing and selling such products to reduce its stockpile of ultrafine and generate additional revenue for the remainder of the mine’s life. The addition of these products to Mafube’s output should result in a projected increase in value of R137 million.

The project’s scope included the construction of a 7 km overland conveyor to move the ROM from the Nooitgedacht reserve block to the current washing plant at Springboklaagte. Other typical opencast infrastructure forming part of the scope includes haul roads, access roads, dams, and offices. The scope further included the relocation of the current tip, primary crusher and Springboklaagte heavy mining vehicle (HMV) workshop to Nooitgedacht.

The plant produces primarily A-grade, export-quality products at a rate of approximately 3.8 million tonnes per annum.