The contract puts DRA in good position to win the second phase $55 million contract over building the proposed 500 tonnes per hour plant.

“Included in the project scope is a two-stage dense medium beneficiation plant, a fine coal dense medium section for fines treatment, filtration of slimes, and associated product handling systems,” DRA said.

“It is expected that the work will continue into the supply, construction and commissioning phases in approximately 12 months, following the completion of the necessary approval processes by Exxaro.”

The new plant is designed to produce both a thermal coal for the domestic market and a higher grade thermal coal for export markets.

DRA Group chief executive officer Paul Thomson was pleased to win the work with the company being involved in early studies for the coal project dating back to 2008.

“Since that time we’ve worked very closely with the Exxaro team through the prefeasibility and final feasibility study stages,” he said.

“The contract has been awarded to DRA on a lump sum basis following a competitive bidding process. This clearly demonstrates our long-established and continuing reputation for the development of innovative and cost-effective designs and also for the successful delivery of mining industry solutions”

According to Exxaro’s website, the Belfast project is targeting 2 million tonnes per annum run of mine to produce 1.2Mtpa of washed coal and 0.7Mtpa of coal to supply electricity utility Eskom.