Name of the Project
Elandsfontein phosphate project.

Location
Saldanha Bay, in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
The Elandsfontein project is held by Kropz (70%), African Rainbow Capital, or ARC (25%), and a smaller empowerment partnership (5%). Ubuntu Botho Investments forms part of the ARC structure.

Project Description
The Elandsfontein phosphate deposit is the largest sedimentary phosphate deposit in South Africa.

The phosphate mineralisation is contained in the Varswater formation, with the phosphate occurring in phosphatised shell fragments and phosphorite pellets. The remainder of the deposit consists of silica sand and calcium oxide.

The project can deliver one-million-tonnes a year of phosphate rock concentrate at steady state, with an initial mine life of about 14 years.

The processing plant will produce a final saleable concentrate to the expected specification of 68% bone phosphate of lime and about 31% phosphorus oxide using a flotation configuration of direct, followed by a reverse flotation circuit.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated. 

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Kropz has spent $120-million to bring its Elandsfontein phosphates mining and processing project into production and requires an additional $16-million to cover its augmentation.

Planned Start/End Date
The target date for commissioning at the project has been moved to the fourth quarter of 2021.

Latest Developments
Kropz’s Elandsfontein project’s integrated water-use licence has been rescheduled for February 1.

The Water Tribunal will be resumed in February following several postponements since March 2020, owing to Covid-19 concerns.

The company has advised the market that, to enable the tribunal to fully review the matter, it will not be providing further comment on the official proceedings until the tribunal has announced its decision.

The timing of the decision is currently unknown.

Pending the tribunal's decision, Kropz reports that there is no legal impediment to the continuation of the water-use activities authorised in the water-use licence.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
DRA (engineering, procurement and construction management); Minopex (processing plant operation) and VDM Transport.

Contact Details for Project Information
Kropz, tel +27 21 930 0927 or email info@kropz.com.