Bulk Commodities

Nkomati is an anthracite mine located in Mpumalanga, close to the borders of Mozambique and Eswatini. Nkomati consists of the Mangweni underground and Madadeni opencast sections covering approximately 11 000 hectares. The mine is unique in terms of its location and is able to utilise return loads from Maputo facilities to reduce logistical costs and increase profit generation for the end user.

The operation produces the best anthracite in South Africa and the product is unique due to its low Sulphur content. All run of mine coal is trucked from the respective mining areas to a central processing facility where it is upgraded through a dual-circuit dense medium separation plant.

All products are sold free on truck to the local market for use in their ferroalloy smelters as a high-carbon reductant.

Scientific Composition

Anthracite is a high-rank coal, representing a coal that has been subjected to the highest grade of metamorphism. Anthracite is shiny black, hard and brittle and has the highest fixed-carbon content (approximately 86–98%). Due to its low volatile matter (2–12%), anthracite’s combustion process is slow.

Most anthracites have low-moisture content (about 3–6%) and their heating value is 34.890 KJ/Kg. Anthracite combusts with hot, clean flame, containing low content of sulfur and volatiles. Due to these characteristics, anthracite is sometimes used in domestic applications or other specialized industrial uses that require smokeless fuels (source)