Elders Coal Mine
| This article is part of the Global Coal Mine Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor. |
| Sub-articles: |
| Related-articles: |
Elders Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Bethal, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Elders Coal Mine | Bethal, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa[1][2] | -26.239016, 29.287922 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[3] | – | New[2] | 2024[4] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3[3] | 0.1[4] | 2024[4] | Underground[2] | – | – | 80.0* | 455* |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51.0 | – | 157.0 | – | Bituminous | Thermal | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Anglo American Inyosi Coal Pty Ltd [100%][3] | Thungela Resources Ltd [92.7%]; Nkulo Community Partnership Trust [3.6%]; Sisonke Employee Empowerment Scheme [3.6%] | UK |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2025 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
Elders Coal Mine is a proposed underground coal mine in Emalahleni, Nkangala, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.[5] The project is owned by Anglo American Inyosi Coal, a subsidiary of Thungela Resources Limited.[6]
According to Thungela's 2021 annual report, the project is currently in the technical study phase with a feasibility study completed in 2019.[7] The Elders project area is located 60 km south of the town of Middelburg in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Within the Elders mining right, three distinct domains exist: a far north opencast domain (resources not reported), the central main underground study domain, and the southwest underground domain.[7] The underground resources will be developed first.
The Olifants River and Viskuile River flow through the north and center of the study area and an extensive wetland is present. The 1:100-year flood line of the rivers also cuts across the planned mining areas.[7]
- Operator: Anglo American Inyosi Coal[7]
- Owner: Anglo American Inyosi Coal
- Location: 60 km south of the town of Middelburg, Emalahleni, Nkangala, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
- Coordinates: -26.2390, 29.2879 (approx.)
- Mine Status: Proposed
- Start Year: 2026
- Production Capacity: 4.2 million tonnes per annum
- Total Resource: 157 million tonnes
- Mineable Reserves: 51 million tonnes
- Coal Type: Bituminous (Thermal)
- Mine Type: Underground
- Mine Size:
- Workforce Size:
- 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
- ↑ "27" (PDF). thungela.com. 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://www.srk.com/en/public-documents/elders-colliery-integrated-environmental-impact-assessment.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 (PDF) https://www.thungela.com/sites/default/files/2024-08/cm00qo91or72t1cuf3375wgeu-thungela-interim-financial-results-2024.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 (PDF) https://www.thungela.com/sites/default/files/2025-01/Thungela%20CFO%20Pre-close%20statement%20-%20December%202024%20FINAL%20PDF.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Elders Colliery IEA, SRK Consulting, accessed July 25, 2022
- ↑ Thungela Resources - A Leading Export Thermal Coal Business, Thungela website, 6 May 2021.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Thungela Resources Limited, Integrated Annual Report 2021, Thungela website, Accessed October 2022.
