+
JSPL's $2 bn South African mine faces relocation opposition
Steel

JSPL's $2 bn South African mine faces relocation opposition

Jindal Steel & Power’s ambitious plan to establish a $2 billion iron-ore mine in South Africa is encountering resistance from local communities concerned about the potential displacement of homes and graves, Bloomberg reports.

The proposed mine in Melmoth, situated in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, is met with apprehension as it would necessitate the relocation of thousands of homes and graves. The mine, slated to begin production in 2027 and potentially yield 32 million tonnes of magnetite ore annually by 2031, could significantly overshadow recent investments in the country's mining sector.

While Jindal contends that a minority of residents oppose the project, the Entembeni Crisis Forum, responsible for organizing the petition, argues that the mine's scope could lead to the displacement of more than 3,000 households and 3,000 graves.

Jindal maintains its commitment to consulting affected households and adhering to legal requirements when making resettlement decisions, including exhuming graves if necessary. The company further expresses its intention to secure a mining license next year, with the construction of a processing plant projected to take two-and-a-half years. The operation, once established, is expected to be South Africa's second-largest of its kind, trailing Kumba Iron Ore Ltd.’s Sishen.

Despite the potential for export to Jindal's steel mills in Oman or India, concerns over environmental impact and loss of agricultural land continue to be raised by the forum.

Jindal Steel & Power is led by Savitri Jindal, Asia's wealthiest woman. The proposed South African mine expansion reflects the company's broader mining operations, including anthracite mining in South Africa and metallurgical coal mining in Mozambique.

Jindal Steel & Power’s ambitious plan to establish a $2 billion iron-ore mine in South Africa is encountering resistance from local communities concerned about the potential displacement of homes and graves, Bloomberg reports.The proposed mine in Melmoth, situated in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, is met with apprehension as it would necessitate the relocation of thousands of homes and graves. The mine, slated to begin production in 2027 and potentially yield 32 million tonnes of magnetite ore annually by 2031, could significantly overshadow recent investments in the country's mining sector.While Jindal contends that a minority of residents oppose the project, the Entembeni Crisis Forum, responsible for organizing the petition, argues that the mine's scope could lead to the displacement of more than 3,000 households and 3,000 graves.Jindal maintains its commitment to consulting affected households and adhering to legal requirements when making resettlement decisions, including exhuming graves if necessary. The company further expresses its intention to secure a mining license next year, with the construction of a processing plant projected to take two-and-a-half years. The operation, once established, is expected to be South Africa's second-largest of its kind, trailing Kumba Iron Ore Ltd.’s Sishen.Despite the potential for export to Jindal's steel mills in Oman or India, concerns over environmental impact and loss of agricultural land continue to be raised by the forum.Jindal Steel & Power is led by Savitri Jindal, Asia's wealthiest woman. The proposed South African mine expansion reflects the company's broader mining operations, including anthracite mining in South Africa and metallurgical coal mining in Mozambique.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

KONE Opens India's First Digital Experience Centre in Pune

KONE, a global elevator and escalator manufacturer, has inaugurated its first Digital Experience Centre (DEC) in India, located in Pune. The facility aims to showcase how artificial intelligence (AI), connectivity and data-driven technologies can enhance customer experiences and improve building operations.The centre was inaugurated by Jussi Herlin, Executive Vice Chair, KONE Corporation; Philippe Delorme, President and CEO, KONE; and Nandan Nilekani, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board, Infosys.Designed as an interactive customer environment, the facility demonstrates digital solutions cover..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

CII GreenCo Launches Circularity Guidelines for Indian Industry

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) GreenCo Council has launched the CII GreenCo Circularity Guidelines – Pilot Version at the 17th CII GreenCo Waste & Resource Management Summit 2026 in Chennai. The initiative aims to strengthen resource efficiency, waste reduction and circular economy practices across Indian manufacturing and process industries.The guidelines introduce a structured framework with circularity indices covering raw materials, consumables, packaging and other resource inputs. These indicators will help industries assess existing practices, identify opportunities to ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Global Electronics Association Launches IPC-1783-CO2E Standard

The Global Electronics Association has introduced IPC-1783-CO2E, a new international standard aimed at improving consistency, transparency and comparability in product carbon footprint reporting across the electronics manufacturing industry.The standard, titled International Standard for Data Collection and Reporting of CO2 Equivalent (CO2e) Emissions for the Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain, provides industry-specific guidance for collecting, estimating and reporting carbon emissions data.With increasing regulatory requirements and customer expectations, electronics manufacturers face c..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code