Replacing ageing mobile equipment, increasing the use of digital systems and trialling lower-emission technologies are supporting the modernisation of coal mining company Exxaro Resources’ Grootegeluk opencast coal mine, in Limpopo, says GM Musa Mabasa.

Exxaro’s physical asset management strategy is focused on keeping equipment reliable and suited to the mine’s long-term requirements.

The equipment replacement programme intends to introduce improved fuel technologies, operator systems, safety features and digital capabilities, rather than replace existing equipment on a like-for-like basis.

As part of its mobile equipment replacement effort, the mine is acquiring 17 new 220 t haul trucks, of which four were commissioned in the first half of this year.

The fleet renewal also forms part of a wider modernisation effort by Exxaro, as the company is considering technologies including tele-operation, trolley assist, new-generation diesel engines, in-pit crushing and conveying, advanced geological modelling, AI-enabled decision support and renewable energy, explains Mabasa.

Electric trolley assistance systems and infrastructure could improve truck performance on suitable ramps out of the mine, while diesel consumption could be reduced by using an overhead trolley line to supplement traction power on energy-intensive ascents.

The new trucks provide operating data on reliability, productivity and equipment performance, helping the mine move from reactive maintenance towards predictive and prescriptive maintenance by identifying equipment problems earlier, adds Mabasa.

“For the mobile fleet, reducing diesel consumption is also a key opportunity to lower Scope 1 emissions. We are first focusing on operational measures, such as reducing unnecessary idling, improving fleet utilisation, maintaining haul roads and optimising haul profiles,” he says.

The company is also assessing Tier 4 engines, hybrid technology, electric drilling and, over time, battery-electric haulage options.

The Grootegeluk mine, which supplies the nearby Matimba and Medupi power stations of State-owned power utility Eskom, has more than four decades of operating life remaining.

New Technology, Renewables Upgrade

Exxaro is working with Hitachi Construction Machinery through the LANDCROS programme, which aims to lower emissions from mining equipment, with Grootegeluk expected to serve as a test site for a hybrid haul truck in 2027.

“The planned trial will involve modifying an existing Hitachi EH4000AC-3 truck by installing a battery, and charge and discharge control equipment, and adapting its alternating current drive system to a hybrid configuration,” says Mabasa.

Exxaro’s assessment of lower-emission technologies has highlighted the need to consider them as part of the wider mining system, rather than in isolation. Factors such as haul profiles, ramp configuration, electrical infrastructure, mine sequencing, equipment interaction and availability need to be considered when assessing whether technologies such as trolley assist and battery-electric haulage can be implemented successfully.

Further, the company is also reducing Grootegeluk’s reliance on grid electricity through its 68 MW Lephalale solar project. Brought on line in April 2026, the project is supplying about 30% of the mine's electricity requirements, thereby providing Scope 2 carbon emissions reductions and cost benefits.

Digital technology is also changing how the mine manages its equipment and uses energy, with Mabasa noting that Grootegeluk uses mining technology company Modular Mining’s DISPATCH 6 fleet-management system to provide real-time information on equipment allocation and status, payloads, cycle times, queues and delays.

The mine’s integrated operations centre also connects information across geology, mine planning, drilling and blasting, loading and hauling, stockpile management, minerals processing performance, logistics metrics and customer requirements.

“Our competitive advantage will come from combining advanced technology and quality data with capable people who understand the mining system and can use that information to make better, faster and more informed decisions,” says Mabasa.

Data is also being used to improve mine planning, as Grootegeluk’s multiple benches and significant variation in coal quality make detailed information on material ahead of mining essential for effective sequencing and quality management.

Mabasa says the short-term geological model combines closely spaced, geophysically logged blast-hole information with surveyed mining surfaces and is updated weekly.

“Blast holes are about 7.5 m apart, compared with roughly 350 m between the exploration core holes used for the longer-term geological model. The higher-resolution information helps the mine [to] predict tonnage and quality, identify geological risks and adjust mining sequences as conditions change,” he elaborates.

Drilling and blasting are integrated into production, with the mine using high-precision, stakeless drilling, and digitally transferring blast designs to the drilling equipment.

With Grootegeluk facing unique challenges, given the scale of the operation and the environmentally sensitive Waterberg environment, Mabasa says Exxaro’s objective is to integrate mine closure requirements into operational decision-making and progressively reduce environmental liability throughout the life of the mine, rather than treating rehabilitation as an end-of-mine activity.