Lephalale, which means ‘to flow’ in Setswana, is a coal mining town in Limpopo located immediately east of the Waterberg Coalfield and west of the Mokolo river. The local economy is supported by mining, tourism, agriculture and electricity production.
Grootegeluk Coal Mine is situated 20km from Lephalale and is owned by Exxaro. It is the world’s largest integrated coal beneficiation complex operating from a single open pit, offering mineable reserves to Exxaro Resources Ltd and employment to the Waterberg community for more than 30 years to come, living up to the meaning of its name as well as Exxaro’s purpose to power better lives (https://www.africanmining.co.za/2022/07/14/grootegeluklivinguptoitsnamepart1).
The main mining method used is conventional truck and shovel operations. Semi-soft coking coal, thermal coal and metallurgical coal are all produced at this mine. After initial blasting takes place, the coal is excavated and hauled by the operation’s extensive fleet of trucks to the nearby processing plant for washing and dense media separation. Thermal coal is primarily sold to Eskom and transported directly to the nearby Medupe power station using a conveyor belt system, while the semi-soft coking coal and metallurgical coal are dispatched to both local and international customers via railway.
