Name of the Project
Boikarabelo coal project.

Location
Limpopo, South Africa.

Client
Resource Generation (Resgen).

Project Description
In February 2016, Resgen reported that it would implement a revised mine plan at its Boikarabelo coal mine. This followed a technical review of the geological model by its technical committee comprising in-house and external experts, which suggested that the revised mine plan could achieve a better opportunity than previously expected. The plan is based on selective mining and in-pit dumping to maximise productivity, reduce operating costs and minimise any environmental impact.

The company will also implement a project execution strategy that transfers mine construction risk through the appointment of a small number of reputable engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors with substantial balance sheets, which will allow for recourse in the event of failure or delay.

The company also plans to implement a strategy to reduce capital costs and minimise risk by appointing a suitably qualified contract miner. Sedgman has been appointed the coal handling processing plant (CHPP) contractor.

Resource Generation has probable reserves of 744.8-million tonnes, a measured resource of 1.58-billion tonnes, an indicated resource of 641.1-million tonnes and an inferred resource of 1.48-billion tonnes.

The Boikarabelo coal seam is between 20 m and 30 m below the surface, allowing for low-cost, opencut mining. The seam is between 100 m and 120 m thick, with zones of varying-quality thermal and soft coking coal.

The mine will be developed using a two-phased approach to limit upfront capital expenditure. The first phase will deliver about 14-million tonnes of run-of-mine coal a year, which will equate to about six-million tonnes of product coal. Of this, three-million tonnes will be exported and three-million tonnes will be used domestically.

Phase 2, planned for 2022, will involve ramping up production to 12-million tonnes of product thermal coal.

The project includes a 48 km rail link to the existing rail network.

Boikarabelo hosts a life-of-mine of more than 100 years.

Jobs to be Created
The project is expected to create 2500 jobs in the construction phase and 709 full-time jobs.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an internal rate of return of 17%.

Value
The estimated capital cost for the project is $545-million.

Duration
Resgen black economic-empowerment (BEE) subsidiary Ledjadja Coal received the Boikarabelo mining rights from the Department of Mineral Resources in April 2011. Initial construction of the mine started in the first quarter of 2013 and was scheduled for completion in September 2018.

The mine’s expected date of first coal production has been delayed and is now expected to begin production in 2019.

Latest Developments
Resgen has postponed the expected date of first coal production from its Boikarabelo as talks with potential financiers to secure the best funding package continue.

The emerging producer in August entered into a R5.52-billion funding agreement with a financing syndicate, including Rand Merchant Bank, the Public Investment Corporation, the Industrial Development Corporation and Noble. It has since been working towards fulfilling the conditions precedent and has said it hopes to achieve the required internal credit committee approvals by mid-December.

Discussions are also under way with the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation to join the current funding syndicate; due diligence is also under way.

The mid-December approvals target represents a “slight slippage” in Resgen’s preferred timeline to develop the mine, but the company has said that, if achieved, financial close will likely be reached by March 2017, with the Boikarabelo mine producing its first coal in the first quarter of 2019.

Resgen has said that the slight delay in financial close of the project funding has improved confidence among the funding syndicate as the seaborne thermal coal market has shifted significantly upward in the past three months, with sales now being reported at a 40% premium to the long-term price assumption of the mine’s financial modelling. Although the miner is only cautiously optimistic, as the price movement is more likely related to volatility than an emerging trend, it does believe the upward trend will continue and that prices should be higher when Boikarabelo delivers its first coal in early 2019.

Meanwhile, Stefanutti Stocks Mining Services has been selected at the preferred mining contractor for Boikarabelo.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Digby Wells Environmental (mining right application, mine-waste licence, environmental authorisation process for power plant); RSV Enco (engineering, procurement and construction management, or EPCM, for mine construction); Sedgman (CHPP); RCE (rail design and construction); NuWater (water EPCM services);EHL Energy (transmission lines), Stefanutti & Stocks (preferred mining contractor).

On Budget and on Time?
First production has been delayed to late 2018.

Contact Details for Project Information
Resgen, tel +27 12 345 1057, fax +27 12 345 or email info@resgen.com.au