Pilot Scale Testing of the Sepair on Witbank Coal Seams

The fine coal dense medium pilot plant was rebuilt at South Witbank Coal Mine and run on fine coal, with tests covering single, double and three stage processing, the effect of recirculating load, magnetite size and losses, separation efficiency and continuous operation. The fast screen could not deliver the required capacity and was replaced by dewatering cyclones to deslime the feed.

Tonnage estimates for the remaining low phosphorus resource could not be produced, because the phosphorus analyses supplied by mining companies did not state what had been measured. Distribution trends were still mapped. Coal at or below 0.010 per cent phosphorus is widespread in the Witbank Coalfield, restricted to the far northwestern Highveld, and follows a northwest to southeast band in eastern Ermelo.

The financial benefit of bees to a rehabilitating site could not be modelled with confidence, and a field trial to show direct benefit is hard to configure because so many variables affect rehabilitation. Apiaries suit sites where bee friendly plants are established, the return coming through honey yield rather than measured gains in biodiversity or ground cover, at low establishment cost.