Brick manufacturer Corobrik is taking steps to reduce its reliance on natural gas in anticipation of a predicted shortage by 2026. The company says it will use carbonaceous shale, a by-product of its clay-mining operation, to fuel its kilns.

Most of the gas consumed by local industry is supplied by the ROMPCO pipeline from Mozambique to Secunda. With the Pande and Temane gas fields nearing the end of their lifespans, local distributor Sasol has warned major industrial consumers of the pending gas shortage.

“We are well-positioned to continue with business as usual in the face of this contingency,” says Corobrik CEO Nick Booth. This is because the carbonaceous shale from Corobrik’s Rietvlei clay-mining operation will allow it to reduce gas consumption in the long run.

Carbonaceous shale is a sedimentary rock that contains a significant amount of organic material. This organic content can be burned as a fuel source. Corobrik says the carbonaceous shale from its Rietvlei mine has unique properties that make it well-suited to firing its tunnel kilns.

Corobrik has been mining clay and shale from the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Gauteng since 1983. The company recently received approval from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to amend its mining right to include coal. However, Corobrik says its only commercial consideration is the carbonaceous shale deposits and it has “no long-term plan around the coal”. “The issue we face is that the coal is sandwiched between two layers of carbonaceous shale that needs to be removed,” Booth says.