ROYAL RIBBON CUTTING King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and Zululand Anthracite Colliery MD Vuslat Bayoglu cut the ribbon at the new wash plant
Photo by: Zululand Anthracite Colliery
Investment company Menar Holding’s Zululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC), near the town of Ulundi, commissioned its new wash plant last month.
The new coal processing plant has 50 t/h processing capacity and is expected to wash three-million tons of discard material over the course of the next five years.
ZAC MD Vuslat Bayoglu points out that the reclamation of the long-standing discard dump will decrease the rehabilitation footprint of ZAC and produce one-million tons of saleable product, which will be made available for the export market. He also notes that the mine represents a R100-million investment in the area and currently employs 1 350 people.
In April, Mining Weekly visited the colliery and was informed of the company’s important role in providing more than 42-million litres of clean, potable water a year to the neighbouring communities from its water purification plant. The mine is, thus, providing much-needed drinking water for locals and their cattle.
Meanwhile, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the new plant where King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and Bayoglu, together declared the wash plant open.
The opening ceremony continued with a number of speeches from distinguished guests, including African National Congress KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Sihle Zikalala, Ingonyama Trust board chairperson Judge Jerome Ngwenya and Department of Mineral Resources director- general Thabo Mokoena, among others.
In his keynote address, the King said that ZAC was a very important business in Zululand and emphasised that it must be protected and supported by the community and workers.