Name of the Project
East Manganese mine project.

Location
In the manganese-rich Hotazel, in the Northern Cape, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
Sitatunga Manganese, a subsidiary of Menar.

Project Description
East Manganese will be an opencast mine comprising a total reserve of 870 000 t of run-of-mine (RoM) and will produce and process 30 000 t a month of RoM. 

Products will include lumpy (85%) and fine-material (15%) manganese.

A dry crushing and screening plant will be operated on site, which will reduce water requirements and limit pressure on local water sources.

The 900 000 t reserve will be mined over a two-year mine life, as a starting point for the company to build expertise in the manganese mining space.

Potential Job Creation
Between 70  and 80 direct new jobs are expected to be created at the mining complex once peak production has been reached.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
The project is estimated at R250-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Development of the project started in September 2020, with first production expected in July 2021. 

Latest Developments
Menar has officially launched its East Manganese mine.

MD Vuslat Bayoğlu expects the mine to produce its first ore in July and to ramp up to nameplate capacity of processing 30 000 t a month of ore by August.

A dry crushing and screening plant will be commissioned over the next few weeks on site, which will greatly significantly contribute to ensuring the mine’s water-use efficiency.

In terms of export logistics, Bayoğlu confirms that State-owned freight utility Transnet is struggling with some rail capacity challenges, but Menar has, nonetheless, applied for a Manganese Export Capacity Allocation 2 (Meca 2) allocation.

Under Meca 2, 15% of Transnet’s manganese rail capacity is allocated to new entrants in the manganese export market.

Further, with the mine producing 30 000 t of manganese a month, the company is considering building a small-scale power plant, coupled with grid power and back-up generators, to meet the mine’s 1 MW power capacity requirement.

The company is considering investing in more manganese assets and discussions are under way for assets in this regard, which the company will share in due course.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
EXM Advisory Services (environmental consultants), JFK Consulting Engineers, Osideo Construction and Lesedi Mining Services.

Contact Details for Project Information
Menar, tel +27 11 783 7996 or email info@menar.com.