Mining Weekly

In furthering its hopes and ambitions for South Africa’s phosphates and agriculture sectors, junior miner Adelaide Ruiters Mining & Exploration (ARME) continues to advance its 37. 4-million-tonnes Zandheuvel Sedimentary Phosphate Mining and Beneficiation Project, in South Africa’s Saldanha Bay, with its bankable feasibility study (BFS) now at a “very advanced stage” following the completion of its technical chapters.

Engineering consultancy  VBKOM is the project manager for the BFS.

ARME also owns other pro-specting rights in the vicinity of Zandheuvel, which it has started to consolidate into a resource to complement its flagship mine.

Once fully operational, the mine will produce up to 18 000 t of phosphate rock concentrate a month, which will be available for domestic use, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and international distribution.

The Zandheuvel project will produce 28.8% phosperous pentoxide organic phosphate rock concentrate (P2O5), which is suitable for both chemical and organic agriculture, as well as a 

soil enhancer for degraded soils.

While not all South Africa’s phosphate deposits are economically viable, founder and CEO Adelaide Ruiters believes that “South Africa needs to exploit its own phosphate deposits”.

Ruiters  is mentored by geologist Jan van der Merwe and metallurgist Dr Gert van der Linde (who are both retired employees from Foskor).

“I’m a firm believer that the mineral resources of our country must serve our country and its people. If we are not going to consider and acknowledge that 

we do have good quality low cadmium phosphate deposits in South Africa, we will not be in control of our food security, she says.

“Through beneficiation, we are increasing the phosphate content to 28.8% P2O5, and we have a very high citric acid solubility, so we do not have to produce a phosphoric acid before the plant can absorb the phosphorus,” Ruiters adds, noting that the phosphate rock was also successfully tested in Europe to determine whether a phosphoric acid could be produced from the 28.8% content.

With the technical chapters of the BFS completed, the company has conducted successful agriculture trials for soybeans, wheat, and maize. They are still ongoing, Ruiters says, explaining that the projects substitute the traditional chemicals used (i.e. diesel) with a canola oil by-product that will be sourced from local farmers.

This renders the phosphate product, Zandphos, organic and makes it more sustainable, more environment-friendly with a reduced carbon footprint.

These trials pave the way for reducing costs and increasing the security of food supply in South Africa.

“About 70% of phosphates are being imported and this is not necessary. We have an abundance of low-cadmium phosphates. We should be exploiting our own resources,” Ruiters comments, referring to the company’s crop trials, which it conducted to prove the efficiency of the phosphate in both chemical and organic agriculture applications.

“Zandphos is a low-cadmium cheaper alternative, environment-friendly and a soil enhancer, which makes it a healthier option phosphorous source available for our farmers to use,” she adds.

Following the success of its soya bean and wheat trials, ARME is now exploring what these phosphates could achieve for maize.

Ruiters further comments that the difficult global economic con-ditions – such as food and fertilizer shortages – have highlighted the importance of food security and the need for farmers to have access to local good quality phosphate resources.

It is for this reason that Ruiters is collaborating with South African phosphates and phosphoric acid producer Foskor with the aim to establish an association for phosphate producers in the country.

It is Ruiters’ hope that the as-sociation will be able to address concerns around the quality of phosphates being imported into South Africa, and whether it complies with fertilizer regula-

tions in the country, as well as to advocate for the use of South African phosphates by the domestic and regional agriculture industry.

“The collaboration with Foskor is ongoing and will hopefully see South African phosphate producers collaborate towards an industry that is competitive,” she notes.

“There are many challenges right now, especially in terms of the South African phosphate industry, but I believe through collaboration and addressing these challenges collectively through such a pho-sphate producers association, we can turn the situation around for the better of our countries food security needs as well as our region,”.

Ruiters thanks the Industrial Development Corporation and Anglo American Sefa for their funding support as shareholders enabling her companies continued growth.