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Berenice-Cygnus Coal Mine is a proposed coal mine in Waterpoort, Limpopo, South Africa.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Berenice-Cygnus Coal Mine | Waterpoort, Limpopo, South Africa[1] | -22.9028678, 29.4318658 (approximate) |
The map below shows the approximate location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Type | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed[2] | Pre-Permit[2] | New | – | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | – | – | Surface | Open Pit | 0.2 | 60.0* | – |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 402.0 | – | 1350.0[1] | Soutpansberg[3] | Bituminous | Thermal & Met[1] | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Bono Lithihi Investments Group [50.00%]; Universal Coal LLC [50.00%][1] | Bono Lithihi Investments Group [100%] | Australia, South Africa |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2025 release.
Background
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.[4][5]
The project, which is a joint venture of TerraCom Resources and various private mining companies, consists of two neighboring mine sites — Berenice and Cygnus. 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.[6]
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.[7]
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.[6] The environmental impact assessment and water use license for Cygnus have been commissioned.[7]
The life-of-mine is estimated at 20 years.[7]
- Operator: TerraCom Resources
- Owners: Berenice - TerraCom Resources (50%), Bono Lithihi Investments Group (50%)[7]
- Owners: Cygnus - TerraCom (50%), Solar Spectrum 365 (50%)[7]
- Location: Near the town of Waterpoort, Limpopo Province, South Africa[7]
- GPS Coordinates: -22.9028678, 29.4318658 (approximate)
- Status: Proposed
- Production Capacity: 10 million tonnes per annum[4]
- Total Resource: 1350 million tonnes[4]
- Mineable Reserves: 402.4 million tonnes[8]
- Coal Type: Bituminous (Thermal & metallurgical)[4]
- Mine Size: 7.76 hectares (Berenice); 12.3 hectares (Cygnus)[7]
- Mine Type: Surface[5]
- Start Year: TBD
- Source of Financing:
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 (PDF). 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20240218064930/https://terracomresources.listedcompany.com/newsroom/20231027_2924-02731800-2A1483735.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-02-18.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 (PDF) https://terracomresources.listedcompany.com/newsroom/20241021_2924-02869268-2A1556945.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240216225508/https://www.universalcoal.com/our-operations-and-projects/coking-coal/berenice-cygnus-soft-coking-and-thermal-coal. Archived from the original on 16 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Seeking Alpha,Universal Coal Confirms Sustainable 10mtpa Coking Coal Project, April 23, 2012.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Universal Coal Investor Presentation, September 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bernice/Cygnus, Universal Coal website, accessed July 2022.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Terracom Limited Annual Report 2021, Terracom website, accessed October 2022.
- ↑ Universal Coal launches Concept Study at 1.3Bt Berenice Cygnus coking coal project
