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Group technical specialists have the important task of ensuring best operating practice and finding solutions for the future – from process and safety improvements to cutting-edge research and development.
In 2006, Anglo Research was, once again, a finalist in the South African Technology Top 100 Awards programme for its leadership in managing research, development of people and for its technology strategy. It was a joint winner of the award in 2005.
Some notable research and development achievements include the world’s deepest single-drop mine shaft and the air-borne Spectrem exploration tool, a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) which is used to find and characterise buried orebodies. Other developments include the application of more energy-efficient comminution technologies, ore upgrading tools, a novel titanium production process and optimisation of flotation and milling processes.
In line with the Group’s focus on safety, work is being undertaken to redesign and re-engineer equipment and processes to reduce risk. In 2006, following a spate of transport-related incidents, particular focus is being given to designing and evaluating collision-avoidance systems and warning devices for use by individuals.
The Group is exploring coal-to-chemicals and coal-to-liquids projects as well as carbon capture and storage to ascertain how best to engage in the development of future cleaner coal technologies.
The Emalahleni water treatment plant, in which polluted mine water from Anglo Coal South Africa’s Greenside, Kleinkopje and Landau collieries will be purified and sold back to the local municipality for domestic and industrial use, is being built at a cost of R296 million
($44 million).
Commissioning starts in March 2007 and by the end of June output will run to 20 million litres a day, with over 99% recovery of water.
A public/private partnership was created to treat the water and supply it to the Emalahleni public water works. It will meet some 20% of the local municipality’s daily water requirements. In addition, 5 million litres a day will be supplied to the adjacent Anglo Coal mines for their domestic consumption, which means that the mines will become self-sufficient in their water requirements. This innovation has transformed a key environmental liability into a strategic opportunity.
A demonstration plant has been running for over a year and refinements during this time have significantly increased the lifespan of the evaporation disposal pond for the liquid salty waste (brine) and the water recovery from 97% to 99%.
The dewatered solid waste (gypsum) which results from the process will be disposed of on mine land. Commercial re-use solutions are also being sought. Brine will be pumped into an on-site evaporation disposal pond. Some 700 temporary jobs and up to 30 permanent jobs at the contract operator have been created by this project.
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