South32 sees opportunity to work with Eskom on further coal supply

New diversified mining company South32, which on Monday reported 56%-higher underlying earnings of $1-billion, sees an opportunity to work with Eskom on additional coal supply.   The demerged BHP Billiton entity, which is fast-tracking the implementation of its regional operating model in South Africa, currently has three primary contracts in place to supply coal to the State electricity utility. “Our relationship with Eskom is strong, not only on the coal supply side but equally as important on the Hillside aluminium smelter side and how we are managing our way through the load-shedding that’s currently going on in South Africa,” South32 CEO Graham Kerr told the media in a global conference call in which Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly Online took part.