JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) - JSE- and TSX-listed Great Basin Gold reported on Monday that the construction of the power infrastructure necessary to supply its Burnstone mine, in South Africa, would start in January 2010.

The design work on the first two lines between the switching station, which would be positioned between power utility Eskom’s Grootvlei power station and the Burnstone mine, had been completed and material ordered.

The mine’s vertical shaft and metallurgical plant was expected to be commissioned by the end June 2010.

Great Basin said in a statement that the proposed refurbishment of two existing lines between Grootvlei and the proposed switching station was currently being finalised and was also planned to start in early 2010.

The proposed commissioning date of the permanent supply, as agreed with South Africa’s State-owned power producer, was the end of June 2010. As an interim arrangement, Burnstone would be supplied with 25 MVA by means of a new 88 kV line.

The full 51 MVA would be supplied as soon as the construction of the switching station, as well as the refurbishment of the two lines, had been completed.

"We are pleased with the progress made by Eskom with the supply of power to the Burnstone mine,” Great Basin CEO and president Ferdi Dippenaar said, adding that a project steering committee, comprising Eskom and Great Basin officials, was meeting on a bi-weekly basis to monitor progress and to ensure that timelines were met.

The electrical installation at the Burnstone project was designed to comply with Eskom energy efficiency specifications and “creative power saving methods” had reportedly been integrated into the design. These included the use of high efficiency motors, optimised electrical infrastructure, alternative power technologies, and state-of-the-art power monitor and control technologies.

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