Berenice-Cygnus Coal Mine

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The Berenice-Cygnus Coking Coal Project is a proposed surface mine project expected to produce 10 million tonnes per annum, near the town of Waterpoort, Limpopo, South Africa.[1][2]

The project, which is a joint venture of TerraCom Resources and various private mining companies, consists of two neighboring mine sites — Berenice and Cygnus.

Location

The image below shows the approximate location of the proposed mines near Waterpoort, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

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Background

The Berenice/Cygnus project is located in the Soutpansberg Coalfield 90km southwest of Musina, and just outside of environmentally sensitive areas such as the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site and proposed environmental buffer zones.[3]

It was first proposed in 2011 by Universal Coal. However, in June 2020, TerraCom acquired 100% of Universal's coal shares. As such, the Berenice and Cygnus mines are owned by TerraCom and Bono Lithihi Investments Group, and TerraCom and Solar Spectrum 365, respectively.[4]

The project was previously thought to be shelved, but as 2021, TerraCom reports a mining right application, environmental impact assessment, and integrated water use license for Berenice have been filed and accepted by South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources.[3] The environmental impact assessment and water use license for Cygnus have been commissioned.[4]

The life-of-mine is estimated at 20 years.[4]

Project Details

  • Operator: TerraCom Resources
  • Owners: Berenice - TerraCom Resources (50%), Bono Lithihi Investments Group (50%)[4]
  • Owners: Cygnus - TerraCom (50%), Solar Spectrum 365 (50%)[4]
  • Location: Near the town of Waterpoort, Limpopo Province, South Africa[4]
  • GPS Coordinates: -22.9028678, 29.4318658 (approximate)
  • Status: Proposed
  • Production Capacity: 10 million tonnes per annum[1]
  • Total Resource: 1350 million tonnes[1]
  • Mineable Reserves: 402.4 million tonnes[5]
  • Coal Type: Bituminous (Thermal & metallurgical)[1]
  • Mine Size: 7.76 hectares (Berenice); 12.3 hectares (Cygnus)[4]
  • Mine Type: Surface[2]
  • Start Year: TBD
  • Source of Financing:

Articles and resources

References

Related GEM.wiki articles