| Interest | 100% |
| Location | Middleburgh |
| Washing Capacity | 4.5Mtpa ROM |
Woestalleen is located 18 kilometres from Middleburg on the Hendrina Road (N11), in close proximity to Eskom’s Hendrina Power Station and, with its own RBCT and general freight rail sidings. Since 2006, R150 million has been invested in the Woestalleen plant and infrastructure to increase monthly coal throughput capacity from 90,000 run-of-mine tonnes to 350,000 run-of-mine tonnes.
Woestalleen is the centre of a 50km radius footprint of coal deposits, many of which are under prospecting right held by a variety of new entrants to the coal industry. Woestalleen’s infrastructural maturity and size offers the possibility of joint ventures and alliances with these junior coal-mining enterprises.
Woestalleen is mainly processing ROM from Zonnebloem and Hartogshoop coal mines but CoAL is actively working to acquire its own additional coal resources and reserves within the footprint area. Exploration drilling is underway to map the existing CoAL deposits to the levels of certainty required by JORC and SAMREC codes. The subsequent geological modelling then compares mining and cost options to ensure the most cost effective growth platform. CoAL will develop these opportunities to feed the expanded washing, screening and sizing plant.
Woestalleen supplies over 2,000,000 tpa of high grade coal for the export market, of which 207,000 tpa is via its own Quattro export allocation through RBCT, the remainder is supplied under export contracts with strategic partners.
Another 360,000 tpa is supplied by Woestalleen to Eskom, with a further 180,000 tpa going to other sectors of the domestic market. The operation employs 294 employees, and an additional 180 contractors such as road transport, earthmoving and mining.
Woestalleen has an enviable safety record and regards the safety and health of all employees and contractors as a first priority. The plant also takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and is in the process of rehabilitating the old mining operations.