Integrated report 2019
Exxaro Resources Limited
Environmental, social and governance report
Water is a strategic natural resource for South Africa and key to our business. Our commitment to responsible and sustainable water use is enshrined in our water management policy, which focuses on efficient use through reuse and recycling. The policy is aligned with the legislative environmental framework governed mainly by the National Water Act. In support of the Act, the Department of Water and Sanitation has issued an integrated water resource management hierarchy that prioritises mine and waste management decisions and actions. The hierarchy informs our policy and strategy on mine and wastewater management:
We are committed to implementing this policy with a management standard on water for mining and industrial use that articulates an effective integrated water and waste management plan across the lifecycle of a mine, including planning, construction, operation, decommissioning, closure and rehabilitation phases. The standard further reflects management's vision to:
Water management is essential in upholding our licence to operate. The group water strategy was approved in 2017, aiming for excellence in:
A comprehensive programme entrenches responsible and sustainable water management across Exxaro. It concentrates on relevant water use and related risks — from security of supply to water efficiency and cost management — in terms of current and anticipated regulatory compliance. It is supported by continually enhancing our competence in water management issues through company-wide research and skills development. We also reinforce awareness of water issues through ongoing communication and training.
We manage water-related risks, minimise impacts and operate efficiently through reduction, reuse and recycling. Our water conservation plans support the national strategy to ensure equitable distribution of water resources that allows for business growth and sustainable consumption.
We are also committed to protecting and improving overall water quality by discharging treated water back into the system. Central to this is the reverse-osmosis water treatment plant at our Matla operation. The Matla plant, operating since 2015, can treat 10 megalitres of water per day.
We continue to collaborate with other mining houses and universities through the Coaltech research initiative in projects that provide guidelines on sustainable mine water management and mine closure, which also affords accurate final land-use planning.
The formation of the Mine Water Coordinating Body (MWCB) in 2017 further strengthens our public-private collaboration by providing a platform to align our mine water management plans with the National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS2) and to investigate regional solutions in the Olifants River catchment of Mpumalanga.
Water conservation measures and greater awareness have enabled all operations to reach the five-year target. The overall water efficiency rate improved by 9% from 2018, attributable to the sale of the North Block Complex (NBC) and the introduction of early run of mine (RoM) at our Belfast operation.
The hydrological years 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 recorded below-average annual rainfall with a sharp increase at the end of 2019.
Overall water intensity is expected to increase in 2020 due to various operational challenges, the Belfast ramp-up and forecast higher rainfall.
Water withdrawal
| Business unit | Target (litres per tonne) 2022 |
Water intensity (litres per tonne) 2019 |
Water withdrawals (kilolitres) 2019 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECC Forzando North and South | 151 | 70 | 281 797 | |||
| ECC Dorstfontein East | 360 | 168 | 383 541 | |||
| ECC Dorstfontein West | 134 | 88 | 112 009 | |||
| Grootegeluk | 115 | 99 | 5 364 282 | |||
| Leeuwpan | 92 | 25 | 165 241 | |||
| Matla | 215 | 159 | 950 292 | |||
| Belfast | 200 | 28 | 29 501 |
Water withdrawal
