BASIC ASSESSMENT PROCESS FOR THE PROPOSED EXPANSION OF TRONOX FAIRBREEZE MINE, UTHUNGULU, KWAZULU-NATAL

Tronox KZN Sands (Pty) Ltd (herein referred to as Tronox) currently operates the Fairbreeze Mine, located immediately south-west of Mtunzini, where heavy mineral sands are mined. The heavy mineral concentrate is then trucked to the Tronox Central Processing Plant (CPC) for refinement. The Fairbreeze Mine is supported by a Mineral Separation Plant (MSP) and Smelter, collectively known as the CPC in Empangeni. The main products include titanium dioxide slag, rutile, zircon, leucoxene and high purity iron which are produced for sale mainly to international markets.


Tronox plans to extend its Fairbreeze mining operations to include a surface right known as Heleza Moya. Heleza Moya tenement falls within the approved Fairbreeze mining right and was recently acquired through a sale agreement. Having concluded the sale agreement with the owner, Tronox now plans to incorporate this area into their active mine plan as it lies immediately adjacent to mineable reserves. This inclusion will require an amendment to the approved environmental management program (EMP) to authorise mining activities on this property


The proposed project area is in the uMhlathuze Local Municipality that falls under the King Cetshwayo District Municipality in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The mining rights area is also bound to the east by the Umlalazi Nature Reserve and Mondi plantations.


The property was under the ownership of Heleza Moya Farming (Pty) Ltd (Mr Grant McMurray), however Tronox has now acquired this farm portion. The total footprint of the current Fairbreeze mining lease area is approximately 4 120 hectares (ha) and Heleza Moya will add approximately 118.6 ha to the mining footprint, where 73.22 ha of this mineral resource has been identified as the minable reserve. The economical portion and proposed mining area is located towards the northern boundary of the Heleza Moya Farm (along the Fairbreeze B orebody).


In terms of section 38(8) of the NHRA, any activity that requires an assessment of environmental impacts in terms of NEMA, also requires an assessment of impacts to heritage resources. This DESKTOP report refers to existing project information to assess likely impacts to heritage resources and is intended to provide additional information in support of a Notification of Intent to Develop application to the Amafa Institute.


This report is NOT intended to satisfy the requirements of a Heritage Impact Assessment in terms of section 38(3) of the NHRA. The methodology used in this desktop assessment report is included in Appendix 4.


NEED AND DESIRABILITY
Fairbreeze Mine will be reaching the end of its life span within the next fifteen years and Tronox’s previous mining operation Hillendale is currently in the mine closure stage of its life. Therefore, expanding the Fairbreeze mining area will contribute to increasing the material output and thus optimizing reclamation at Fairbreeze within this life span. Thereafter Tronox will continue its mining operations at the proposed Port Dunford Mine.
According to the uMhlathuze Local Municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) mining is identified as a strategic economic sector due to the landscape of the region and therefore provides the municipality with a competitive advantage in this sector. Additionally, the IDP mentions that the heavy mineral count in the Coastal Dune also presents an opportunity for formal employment for the youth within the mining sector.
The King Cetshwayo District Municipality’s Spatial Development Framework (SDF) indicates that mining is an important sector within the municipality as it largely contributes to the municipality’s economic growth. Furthermore, Tronox is named as one of the districts ‘mining giants’ and as a flagship mining company due to its scale of operation.
In summary, the Fairbreeze Mine expansion is aligned to the vision of the municipality’s IDP and the district’s SDF. The expansion will also secure continued feed to the CPC in Empangeni for the next fifteen years and allow for the continued supply of customers. The expansion will also assist in realising sustained economic benefits for:
The national gross domestic product (GDP)
Communities that benefit from the social and labour plan (SLP)
Tronox in general
MOTIVATION FOR SITE SELECTION
Over the past couple of years Tronox acquired adjoining properties which now form the Fairbreeze Mine; Heleza Moya Farm was also a property of interest for Tronox; however, a sale agreement was not reached with Mr McMurray (former owner of Heleza Moya Farm). Therefore, as the Fairbreeze Mine was developed into the surrounding properties the Heleza Moya Farm was now landlocked, i.e., surrounded by Fairbreeze Mine. Tronox has now reached a sale agreement with Mr McMurray and has now newly acquired this farm portion. The Heleza Moya Farm is positioned adjacent to orebody FBB to the south, therefore, expanding FBB orebody into Heleza Moya Farm was an impending strategy.
Fairbreeze already owns the mining right to the land surrounding the Heleza Moya Farm and currently mining in the area. Equipment from the FBB ore body will be relocated and used at Heleza Moya, therefore the mining activities will be a continuation of the mining taking place on the FBB area.