Metallurgical coal production is up 2% to 0.4Mt, while discard and other coal product sales are 70% higher at 1Mt.

Keaton Energy’s Vanggatfontein Colliery delivered 2.2Mt of washed two and four-seam thermal coal to Eskom during the year.

Sales of five-seam metallurgical coal increased 49%, to 97,635t from 65,661t, in line with the mine plan.

The increased utilisation of the five-seam plant allowed limited washing of other coals: 145,785t were toll washed and 10,328t of B-grade market development product was produced.

Keaton CEO Mandi Glad said: “FY14 saw Vanggatfontein reach operational steady state and importantly, deliver on results.

“This long-life colliery now forms the backbone of the soon-to-be-enlarged Vanggatfontein-Moabsvelden operation, which will form the core of the growing Keaton group of companies.”

Vaalkrantz Colliery dispatched 303 837t of anthracite to domestic and international metallurgical markets, a 7% decrease over the previous year’s 326,597t.

The operation continued to suffer from extremely difficult mining conditions in the West Alfred section of the mine, which limited production.

“With its short remaining life, operating conditions at Vaalkrantz continue to be extremely challenging,” Glad said.

“Our management and staff, however, have risen to these challenges as we look to the opening of our new mines in the area.

“With Vanggatfontein having reached steady state and generating the anticipated results,Vaalkrantz’s difficult mining conditions being managed and our internal project pipeline reaching development readiness, we are poised for the next phase of value growth for our shareholders.”