North Block Complex

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North Block Complex is an operating coal mine in Belfast, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Mine Name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
North Block Complex Belfast, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa[1] -25.694582, 30.013851 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:

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Project Details

Table 2: Project status

Status Status Detail Opening Year Closing Year
Operating

Table 3: Operation details

Note: The asterisk (*) signifies that the value is a GEM estimated figure.
Capacity (Mtpa) Production (Mtpa) Year of Production Mine Type Mining Method Mine Size (km2) Mine Depth (m) Workforce Size
5.1[1] 4.57[1] 2023[1] Surface[2] Open Pit[2] 50* 96[2]

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
39.6[1] 2023[1] 80.4[1] Subbituminous Thermal[1] Eskom

Table 5: Ownership and parent company

Owner Parent Company Headquarters
Ndalamo Resources Ltd [51%]; Universal Coal PLC [49%][1] TerraCom [49%]; Ndalamo Resources [51%] Australia, South Africa

Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the GEM April 2024 Global Coal Mine Tracker dataset.

Background

The North Block Complex (NBC) coal mine is located outside the town of Belfast in Mpumalanga, South Africa.[3] 

Owned by TerraCom Resources, the complex consists of the Glisa, Eerstellingsfontein, and Paardeplaats mining sections.[3] It produces an average of 3.3 million tonnes of thermal coal per annum for the domestic and export markets. Universal Coal acquired the North Block colliery from previous owner Exxaro Coal in November 2018. (At that time, NBC Coal consisted of the Glisa and Strathrae coal mines and the Eerstellingsfontein and Belfast coal projects, according to Exxaro's website.)[4] The acquisition was focused on the greenfield Paardeplaats project, which was developed during FY2020.[3]

In June 2020, TerraCom acquired 100% of Universal's shares, transferring NBC under TerraCom ownership.

According to TerraCom's 2021 annual report, NBC achieved its first full shipment of thermal coal during financial year 2021. Since then, additional export sales have occurred, and the mine plans to continue growing production of its export-quality coal.[3]

Also completed in 2021 was the backfilling of the Eerstelling mining area; seeding is expected to begin during the next rainy season.[3]

Plans are currently in place for consolidation of the Glisa section mining right into the Paardeplaats section.[5]

  • Operator: TerraCom Resources
  • Owners: TerraCom Resources (49%), Ndalamo Resources (51%)
  • Location: Near the town of Belfast, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
  • Coordinates: -25.694582, 30.013851 (Exact)
  • Status: Operating
  • Production: 3.6 million tonnes per annum (2021)[3]
  • Total Resource: 75.6 million tonnes[3]
  • Mineable Reserves: 44.5 million tonnes[3]
  • Coal Type: Subbituminous (Thermal)
  • Mine Type: Surface
  • Start Year:
  • 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. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240218064930/https://terracomresources.listedcompany.com/newsroom/20231027_2924-02731800-2A1483735.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20240216223704/https://www.universalcoal.com/our-operations-and-projects/thermal-coal/north-block-complex-thermal-coal. Archived from the original on 16 February 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Terracom Limited Annual Report 2021, Terracom website, accessed October 2022.
  4. "North Block Complex coal mine", Exxaro website, accessed May 2010.
  5. NBC COLLIERY GLISA AND PAARDEPLAATS MINING PROJECT, South African Heritage Resources Agency, accessed October 2022.