Case Study 5: Coal
Middelburg
The Duhva power station is supplied with coal via conveyor belt from BHP Billiton Energy Coal South Africa’s Middelburg mine. Approximate 3 million tonnes a year are extracted at the Wolvekrans Middelburg mine. The peak production of this site is 26.4 Mt, however, the mine complex produced 13.8 Mt. The mine started in 1980, and the retirement plan is for 2034. The mining industry results in water and air pollution, but this is overshadowed by the emissions of the coal plants. Recent satellite data revealed that Mpumalanga has the dirtiest air in the world.
The Duhva power station is supplied with coal via conveyor belt from BHP Billiton Energy Coal South Africa’s Middelburg mine. Approximate 3 million tonnes a year are extracted at the Wolvekrans Middelburg mine. The peak production of this site is 26.4 Mt, however, the mine complex produced 13.8 Mt. The mine started in 1980, and the retirement plan is for 2034. The mining industry results in water and air pollution, but this is overshadowed by the emissions of the coal plants. Recent satellite data revealed that Mpumalanga has the dirtiest air in the world.