Limpopo Business 2017-18 edition

FOCUS
Efficient mining at Lephalale
Grootegeluk mine: A world leader in more than one way.
Exxaro Resources Limited is one of the largest
South Africa-based diversified resources
groups with interests in the coal, titanium
dioxide, ferrous and energy markets. It
is the second-largest coal producer in South Africa,
with current production of close to 44-million
tonnes per annum, and is listed on the JSE Limited,
where it is a constituent of the Socially Responsible
Investment indices.
Exxaro’s flagship mine, Grootegeluk, is situated in
Lephalale, Limpopo province. It is among the most
efficient mining operations in the world, and operates
the world’s largest coal beneficiation complex
from a single pit with mineable reserves of more
than 30 years. Products include thermal, metallurgical
and semi-soft coking coal. More than 80% of the
coal produced is distributed to the nearby Matimba
and Medupi power stations.
Grootegeluk is committed to ensuring a safe
and healthy workplace through Exxaro’s sustainability
vision of Zero Harm and has seen a decline
in all incident frequencies over the past five years
and the emergence of world-class safety statistics.
Grootegeluk has maintained its ISO and OHSAS
certification for the past 10 years and has not
experienced a fatality since 2012.
On the environmental front, Grootegeluk is in
possession of all required authorisations to operate
and strives to fully implement the conditions relating
to these licences. Operating in a water-scarce area
like the Limpopo province also poses some challenges
and Grootegeluk is continuously striving to
actively and innovatively reuse the water inside the
mine’s reticulation system, thereby contributing to
the conservation and demand management of the
water in the Mokolo catchment.
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