Scenic and mineral-rich South Africa is made of nine provinces, each with its own unique culture. There are 19 coalfields in South Africa, most of which are located in the north-east. A majority of the coal mines in South Africa are located in the Mpumalanga province whose coal production is about 81% of the country’s total output. Limpopo with 11%, Free State with 6% and Kwazulu-natal Province with 2% make up the other 19% of production.
Ermelo, Highveld, Kangwane, Kliprivier, Nongoma, Soutpansberg, Utrecht, Vereeniging-Sasolburg, Vryheid, Waterberg and Witbank is where coal production is concentrated, although the Witbank and Highveld coalfields are the ones which account for an incredible 75% of South Africa’s coal output.
While today Witbank and Highveld are the biggest coal producers, they may run out of coal in the next century. The Waterberg coalfield on the other hand contains vast reserves of coal and is seen as the next area that will be able to supply coal well into the future. The Waterberg mining area is comparatively smaller than Witbank and Highveld but it has a total seam thickness of about 110cm, making the reserves vast and plentiful. As such it will be essential for South Africa mining.
Another interesting fact is that while the carbon content of coal increases eastwards, there’s a decrease in the number and thickness of coal reserves. So the coal from the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo is mostly Bituminous and is found in seams which are several meters thick. However, in KwaZulu-Natal, the coal that is mined is mostly Anthracite and occurs in relatively thin seams.
Coal is available in abundance in South Africa and it is likely that further exploration will lead to the discovery of significant coal reserves. Thus South Africa’s coal mines will continue to provide energy security to the nation.
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