Coal mining giant expands to fuel 63-year-old Eskom power station

South Africa’s Exxaro Resources opened the expansion of a coal mine at its Matla operations that will keep a nearby power station supplied for nearly two more decades.

The miner signed a contract last month with state-owned utility Eskom to supply more than 9 million tons of coal annually to its Matla plant.

The dirtiest fossil fuel will remain a significant source of energy as the use of wind, solar and gas technologies is increased, according to Caroline Shirindza, Exxaro’s executive head of coal.

“We continue mining coal while we also build on the renewables, so it’s not a matter of renewables versus coal,” she said in an interview at the mine. “We will be able to fulfill our core supply agreement to Eskom and give them the committed tons until 2043.”

“Exxaro’s Matla 1 coal mine was undergoing an expansion project, which involved constructing a new decline shaft to access remaining coal reserves,” the department said in a social media post.

“This project aims to extend the mine’s life and ensure continued coal supply to Eskom’s Matla power station.”

South Africa still generates about 80% of its electricity from coal even as renewable stations are added to the grid. Eskom has extended the life of some plants that burn the fuel in order to meet demand.

The 3,600-megawatt Matla power station was brought fully online in 1983.