Booysendal Platinum, a subsidiary of Northam Platinum, a South African based platinum and chrome producer, is currently expanding mining capacity at its Booysendal mining concession. Key to the success of this expansion is the cost effective, reliable, safe and environmentally low impact transport of ore over topographically challenging terrain, from mining modules in the south of the concession to the concentrator plant.

To this end, Doppelmayr Transport Technology GmbH, headquartered in Austria and a subsidiary of the Doppelmayr group, the world’s leading manufacturer of ropeways, is currently constructing a RopeCon^® system which will transport up to 900 t/h over 4.9 km, with an overall vertical climb of 530 m.

This system is due to operate from 2019. As part of an additional expansion program, Booysendal, in October 2017, further contracted Doppelmayr to design and construct a second RopeCon^®, to tie in with the first system, allowing transport of ore from mining modules in the north of the concession. This RopeCon^® system will convey 400 t/h, over 2.8 km, with a vertical drop of 160 m and will operate from 2020.