Royal Bafokeng Platinum (Pty) Ltd requires an environmental authorisation for the proposed conveyor in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998). The competent authority for the environmental authorisation process is the North West Department of Mineral Resources. The approved Styldrift environmental management program (EMPr) allows for the mining of 230,000 tonnes per month of ore from the reefs underlying the farms Styldrift 90 JQ and Frischgewaagd 96 JQ. This EMPr states that the mining method will be a combination of conventional and mechanised mining. The ore will be conveyed from the Styldrift No. 1 Shaft to the existing Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine joint venture (BRPM) concentrator plant. The concentrate will be transported by road to Rustenburg Platinum Mine’s smelting and refining operations near Rustenburg.
The proposed conveyor will run from the Styldrift No 1 Shaft existing conveyor to the Maseve Platinum Mine. Ore from the Styldrift No. 1 Shaft will be hoisted from underground and from there it will be conveyed and stored in concrete silos situated to the south of the Styldrift No. 1 Shaft. Merensky ore will be stored in two 4,500 tonne live capacity silo’s and waste material from underground will be stored in a 1,000 tonne silo. A fourth silo for the storage of upper group 2 (UG2) ore will also be constructed, although this will only be utilised during the production of UG2 or in later years.
Reclamation from the surface silo’s will be by means of chutes and conveyor belts. Ore and waste rock will be discharged from the silo through a control chute with a hydraulically operating radial door and a vibration pan feeder. Ore will be discharged onto the existing conveyor belt as run of mine (ROM). From the existing conveyor belt, ROM will be directed towards the Maseve Platinum Mine, when required, along the proposed conveyor belt.
The proposed conveyor will be located above ground between the Styldrift No. 1 Shaft conveyor and the Maseve Platinum Mine. The conveyor will be approximately 1.7 km in length with a servitude of 30 m. A service/maintenance road will be constructed alongside the conveyor to allow ease of access to the conveyor for maintenance purposes and to provide a means of transportation to and from the Maseve Platinum Mine. Provision has also been made for one pedestrian/animal crossing along the entire length of the conveyor. This pedestrian/animal crossing will be at ground level with the conveyor sections crossing over.
