Coaltech Research
focus areas
- Mine closure
- Water management
- Air quality management and emission control
- Rehabilitation and post-mining land use planning
- Alternative economies
- Circular economy
- Autonomous mining
- Predictive safety technologies
- Geosciences, Engineering and Asset Management
- Underground drone applications exploration
- Clean coal technologies
- Alternative uses of Coal
- Just Transition
- Coal-to-chemicals production
- REEs extraction from coal and coal waste
Surface Environment
Research Areas
- Water management and conservation in mining and processing
- Land rehabilitation and post-mining land use
- Circular economy – Waste management and valorization
- Closure planning and sustainable post-mining transitions
- Circular economy approaches in the coal value chain
- Environmental monitoring and reporting
- Social innovation and community engagement in the energy transition
process - Skills development and capacity building for the renewable energy sector
- Sustainable mining practices to reduce environmental and social impacts
- Energy access and affordability for marginalized communities
Terms of Reference
- Identify and prioritize research projects that address key sustainability challenges
and opportunities in the coal mining and processing sectors, with a strong
emphasis on the just energy transition and its social, economic, and environmental
implications. - Collaborate with industry partners, government agencies, local communities,
educational institutions, and other stakeholders to develop and implement holistic
sustainability solutions that ensure an inclusive and equitable transition. - Provide strategic guidance and oversight on the execution of research projects,
ensuring alignment with industry needs, stakeholder expectations, and Coaltech’s
vision and mission. - Facilitate knowledge sharing, capacity building, and best practice adoption on
sustainability and the just energy transition across the South African coal industry. - Monitor and evaluate the impact of research outcomes on the environmental,
social, and economic performance of the coal industry, as well as its contribution
to sustainable development goals and the just energy transition.
Integrated Mining and Processing
Research Areas
Mining stream
• Human factors in the transition to autonomous mining, including job creation and preservation, safety, and labour relations
• Equipment monitoring, including real time information management systems
• Fragmentation, drilling, blasting, and fine coal generation and control, including overburden
• Predictive safety technologies
• Roof control, geology, and geotechnical engineering
• Dust minimisation technology and its cost
• Remining of old workings
• Drones for underground safety applications
• Mining of dykes and burned coal
Coal Processing stream
• Production and handling of fines
• Plant energy efficiency
• Treatment of all mined material
• Digitalisation opportunities
• Wet and dry processing
• Advances in coal processing technology
• Online measurement tools
• Efficiency improvements and energy input to processing
• Repurposing and monetisation of discards
• Ash dumps
• Utilisation opportunities for processing waste, both fine and coarse
Terms of Reference
The Integrated Mining and Processing Steering Committee oversees research across the combined Mining and Coal Processing focus areas. Its mandate is to:
- Identify and prioritise research projects that advance sustainable, safe, and efficient mining practices and that enhance the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of coal processing operations, with particular attention to innovative technologies, human factors, fine coal management, process efficiency, and waste utilisation.
- Foster collaboration among mining and processing companies, technology providers, host institutions, and research partners to develop and implement advanced, fit for purpose solutions across the full coal value chain.
- Provide technical guidance and oversight on the execution of research projects, ensuring alignment with member needs and Coaltech’s strategic objectives.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and best practice adoption across the South African coal mining and processing sectors.
- Monitor and evaluate the impact of research outcomes on productivity, safety, sustainability, workforce well-being, product quality, waste reduction, and environmental performance.
Future Technologies
Research Areas
- Just Transition
- Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies
- Emissions control and reduction strategies
- Clean coal technologies: advanced coal processing, combustion, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS)
- Alternative uses of coal
- Renewable energy integration with existing coal infrastructure, including hybrid power systems, energy storage, and grid modernization
- Coal to hydrogen production and utilization
- Coal to chemicals (methanol, agrichemicals, etc.)
- Rare earth elements and critical minerals extraction from coal and coal waste
- Advanced materials from coal (carbon fiber, graphene, etc.)
- Ammonia production from coal
- Coal gasification technologies
Terms of Reference
- Identify and prioritize research projects that explore innovative coal utilization pathways, value-added products, advanced technologies,
and digital solutions for sustainable coal use, with a focus on clean coal technologies and renewable energy integration. - Foster collaboration among industry partners, technology providers, research institutions, and stakeholders to develop and implement
novel solutions that support the transition to a low-carbon economy while leveraging the existing coal infrastructure and workforce. - Provide strategic guidance and oversight on the execution of research projects, ensuring alignment with industry needs, policy
frameworks, and Coaltech’s objectives. - Facilitate knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and collaboration on innovation, alternative uses of coal, and digital transformation
across the South African coal value chain. - Monitor and evaluate the impact of research outcomes on the competitiveness, environmental performance, and socio-economic
benefits of the coal industry in the context of the energy transition and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. - Foster skills development and capacity building in clean coal technologies, renewable energy integration, and digital technologies to
prepare the South African coal workforce for the future energy landscape. - Identify opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration and knowledge exchange with other industries and research organizations to drive
innovation and sustainable growth in the coal sector.