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Exxaro opens char plant in Limpopo
November 5, 2009
Diversified resources group Exxaro Resources officially opened its char plant alongside the Grootegeluk coal mine at Lephalale in Limpopo on Thursday, the company said.
"The opening marks Exxaro's entry into the char market with a highly beneficiated product serving as a key ingredient in the ferroalloys manufacturing industry," it said in a statement.
It explained that char is a product that contains more than 80 percent fixed carbon and less than five percent volatile content.
The production process involves heating coal in an oxygen deficient atmosphere up to 900C. During this process, the volatile content contained in the coal is driven off to produce char.
Tar and liquor is recovered from the volatiles before the bulk of the gas is recycled back into the process for use as a fuel.
The plant is Exxaro Reductants' first business unit and the result of Exxaro's focus on downstream beneficiation opportunities in the coal market, specifically in the production of reductants for the ferroalloys industry.
A mixture of reductants is used in ferroalloys melting furnaces along with coal, char, coke and anthracite.
The plant also generates a waste gas that is burnt off and can potentially be used to generate electricity in future.
The company said about 300 jobs were created during the construction phase of the plant, and 60 have been created for the operational phase. - Sapa
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