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Platinum mines operated by Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed diversified mining company African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) will be on the receiving end of clean power from a R2.5-billion solar plant now under construction in South Africa's North West province.

This follows local independent power producer SOLA Group reaching agreement with local commercial banks and partners to provide finance to start construction on the 132 MWp solar project, which will sell energy to ARM's platinum mining operations through a long-term power purchase agreement.

From 2026, the project is to supply ARM Platinum's mining operations with 270 GWh of carbon-free electricity a year for 20 years. It is owned by SOLA and African Rainbow Energy with senior lending from ABSA, Standard Bank, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, and Nedbank. Financing, ownership, construction, and design are all 100% South African.

This is the third large-scale renewable energy project closed by SOLA in six months, bringing its total number of megawatts under construction to 390 MW. This involves 588 000 solar panels spread over an area of 750 ha and providing close to 1 TWh of energy a year, which is the equivalent of 11% of South Africa's electricity supply shortfall, as well as the creation of 1 200 employment opportunities.

SOLA will construct and operate the solar facility in joint venture with South African construction company WBHO.

"Apart from providing cheaper, cleaner energy into the network, this project also stimulates local economic development in areas where people have had limited employment opportunities," SOLA executive director and co-founder Chris Haw stated in a release to Mining Weekly.

The project has committed to training local employees with skills that will be in high demand amid South Africa's estimated requirement of 6 000 MW of new clean power generation a year for the next ten years.

This project, plus two other projects under construction in the North West, brings R6.4-billion worth of investments and more than 300 MWAC to the province, with African Rainbow Energy now invested in a gigawatt of renewable energy projects.

"This demonstrates our commitment to building a modern privately owned utility using technology to provide clean energy solutions to large customers, supporting the transition of the energy sector, creating more jobs, and changing the lives of South Africans," said African Rainbow Energy CEO Brian Dames.

Advisory work for the project was conducted by Faskens, Pinsent Masons, Peppertree Capital, Barbet Capital, Herbert Smith Freehills, Verdigris, and Prozesky Consulting.

The ARM-linked project, still at an early stage, is next to this 390 MW photovoltaic North West province cluster.

African Rainbow Energy holds 40% of SOLA and the main shareholder of African Rainbow Energy is Ubuntu-Botho Energy Holdings founded by ARM executive chairperson Dr Patrice Motsepe.

In the 12 months to June 30, ARM achieved the 4% carbon reduction target that Motsepe set for it. "But that's just the tip of the iceberg," former ARM CEO Mike Schmidt has reported, in his new green capacity as executive of growth and strategic development in the chairperson's office.

ARM's targets to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from mining by 2050, are reviewed yearly.

Through its membership of the International Council on Mining and Metals, ARM went public in 2017 on management incentivisation to meet the net-zero imperative and steps are now being taken to ensure that every ARM operation becomes more energy efficient, greener and less dependent on fossil fuels.

Engineers and production staff are incentivised on energy efficiency per tonne of ore milled, time of energy use, and use of alternative energy sources. Remuneration and incentive packages of production teams and other appropriate positions at the smelters include key performance indicators linked t...

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The pathway established by Pan African Resources towards achieving gold production of a quarter million ounces a year in 2026 is based on two organic growth prospects in the immediate future, Edison Investment stated in research released on Monday, September 18.

The two organic growth projects named are the Mintails Soweto Cluster, near Krugersdorp and Mogale on the West Rand, and Royal Sheba, in the Barberton area of Mpumalanga.

Beyond these, the London- and Johannesburg-listed gold mining company headed by Cobus Loots has the Fairview sub-vertical shaft, Rolspruit, Poplar and Evander South assets available for potential development, stated Edison, which described the share valuation of Pan African as being "cheap by any measure".

All conditions precedent for funding the Mintails/Mogale project have been fulfilled and mine layout optimisation and scheduling has now been finalised at Royal Sheba.

Attainment by Pan African of a production of 250 000 oz a year in its 2026 financial year will push normalised headline earnings a share to around 6 c a share, Edison forecasts.

Mining Weekly conducted a Zoom interview with Loots. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Mining Weekly: Is it likely that, for the foreseeable future, the full extent of Pan African's South African asset base will the Barberton, Evander and Mintails/Mogale complexes - or does considerable scope remain for Pan African to potentially take up additional surface and underground gold opportunities in addition to the three complexes?

Loots: We're in the fortunate position of not running out of mine life anytime soon on any of our assets. There's still tremendous scope at Barberton for expansion for new discoveries. At Evander, we have Elikhulu, one of the lowest cost producers in Southern Africa producing at $1 000/oz all-in sustaining cost (AISC). We've been investing very heavily in the underground at the Evander, on the 24 to 26 level project development, the last of the major capital to be spent in the year ahead. That will take the underground complex to a 13-year-plus life of mine. We estimate AISC there of $1 250/oz, which, again, is very competitive, both in South Africa and internationally. Then, our latest complex is Mintails/Mogale, where we're building a world-class tailings retreatment operation, which will be commissioned by December 2024. With all of this ongoing, we don't have to go and do anything else.

In this modern age, when Pan African processes the gold from its underground mines, is it managing to recover 100% of that gold from the material that it processes - or is there still a volume of gold left in the residual that presumably goes on to existing tailings dams for later retreatment by yourselves or others?

In our run-of-mine mine treatment for gold, we cover as much as what we believe is economically feasible. We do leave behind, but generally the gold we leave behind is the gold we're not able to extract economically. You can extract 100% technically, theoretically, but it just doesn't make sense from a cost and timing perspective. If I look at our plants, we are quite proud of our metallurgical plant performance at Barberton, including the Biox process. Our recoveries are north of 92%. With Evander run-of-mine, we recover as much as 98% of the gold. Then on the tailings side, recoveries drop, but you need to bear in mind that on tailings you're generally treating 3.3 grams per ton, which is obviously very low. We're really happy with the performance of our metallurgical plants. Theoretically, one can extract 100%. It's just that at this point, it doesn't make business sense to do so.

When Pan African processes gold from its surface tailings retreatment operations, again in this modern age, is Pan African managing to recover 100% of the gold in those tailings retreated - or is gold, once again, left in the material for which new disposal sites must ...

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GoldOre, a proudly South African private company founded by Adrian Singh 13 years ago, markets the worldwide patented and proprietary MACH Reactor technology that he invented.

A hydrodynamic cavitation reactor that generates picobubbles, the MACH is used by the metallurgical industry to improve the recoveries of flotation and leaching processes, and to reduce the plant footprint and reagent consumptions, to lift profitability and sustainability.

"We do business in Mexico, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and I'm really sad to say that 90% of it is outside of South Africa, believe it or not," Singh commented to Mining Weekly in a Zoom interview. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Singh cut his teeth in metallurgy and mining with Anglo American before deciding to launch GoldOre as the vehicle to market his worldwide patented MACH.

The tiny invisible picobubbles are crucial for the efficient recovery of fine to ultra-fine minerals that would otherwise be lost to tails in conventional flotation systems, in platinum group metals (PGMs) and copper concentrators for example.

They also enable the dissolution of gas into pulp, improving metal leaching in gold plants, again by way of example.

As its underlying mechanism, MACH makes the power of cavitation and shockwaves available to the metallurgical industry and has shown a ten-year maintenance-free lifespan in the PGMs industry and gold sectors of mining, although application extends to both base metal and industrial mineral recovery.

It also finds application in environmental remediation, such as cyanide destruction and arsenic precipitation, as well as water treatment industries, for the treatment of acid mine drainage, for example, which helps towards creating a cleaner future.

It is easy to retrofit onto existing plants and design has managed to reduce its power requirement dramatically over the years.

Smaller plant footprints, lower reagent consumptions and maximised recoveries lower environmental impact and reduce requirements to retreat tailings dams.

Mining Weekly: If you were there 120 years ago, perhaps we wouldn't have had any tailings dams.

Singh: Absolutely. I mean, that's very idealistic and philosophical, but yes, yes.

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discusses Manganese Metal Company developing battery grade manganese sulphate as the global battery electric vehicle market grows; the first set of courses launched by Copper 360’s School of Mining, which is aimed at nurturing human capital; and the major resources upgrade at Copper 360’s Rietberg copper mine in the Northern Cape.

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There are myriad of challenges plaguing State-owned rail operator Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), ranging from infrastructure and security to skills shortages; however, several interventions are under way to mitigate this - but it will take time to successfully implement these.

This was a key theme raised by speakers at a Rail Roundtable, hosted by Transnet and the University of Johannesburg's Institute of Transport and Logistics on September 14.

Challenges outlined ranged from a lack of infrastructure and maintenance to security along the rail network, and skills shortages, with speakers positing that there has been an exodus of skilled personnel over the years owing to a difficult working culture at the companies.

However, it was highlighted that there are several initiatives being pursued to rectify this, including bringing in private sector participation. It was emphasised that the objective is to increase private sector involvement in the sector and along the rail network, as well as to fill gaps where Transnet falls short, rather than privatising the entity.

The biggest step being taken by the Transnet group is the implementation of a dedicated infrastructure manager function within TFR by October 31, effectively separating the infrastructure and operational aspects of the rail business in preparation for this considerable expansion of third-party access to the network.

It was highlighted that setting up an infrastructure manager comes in response to the National Rail Policy of 2022, which stipulates that there should be a split between infrastructure and train operations to facilitate third-party access across the network and to revitalise rail and rail investment.

It was noted that Transnet was undertaking this in a phased approach. The first phase, the establishment and proprietary phase, will run from October 31 through to April next year, so that the entity is able to receive operators from next year.

The next phase will entail transitioning to a regulated entity and will run from about April 2024 to April 2025.

The last phase will entail the entity operating in a way envisioned in the National Rail Policy.

It was highlighted that the market has already been tested with some of these elements, with Phase 1 of slot sales having started last year and this is still ongoing.

Key learnings from both Transnet and the market in terms of how they engage, and the conditions, are being taken into consideration for the phased approach process.

It was also highlighted that setting up of an infrastructure manager is being run like a programme, so as to ensure defined deliverables and a proper timeline.

The organisational design work around this was indicated to be almost complete, as well as the accounting separation, with additional work now being undertaken.

It was highlighted that the aim is to have as much work for this complete by the end of this month, so that by the end of October, the demo work can begin.

The importance of taking labour along this process was also highlighted, as well as international benchmarking to make sure that lessons from there are adhered to.

Transnet South Africa chief strategy and planning officer Dr Andrew Shaw pointed out that part of Transnet's strategy was to draw in private sector involvement in segments it is dominant in, in a way that leverages the opportunity to deliver and improve volumes.

He added that the rail policy was aimed at getting freight volumes back onto rail from road, by drawing in third-party operators.

Shaw highlighted benefits that would emerge from an infrastructure manager as including improved infrastructure management, enhanced safety, increased capacity, efficiency gains, environmental benefits, alignment with the National Rail Policy, facilitation of economic growth, facilitation of international trade, reduction of congestion on roads, and long-term sustainability of transportation.

A...

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South Africa's sole listed copper producer Copper 360 (AltX CPR) has announced a significant upgrade of its mineral resources at the company's Rietberg mine in the Northern Cape.

The total resource of contained copper increased by 220% from 25 275 t in 2022 to 81 200 t with the maiden and indicated resource of 60 800 t of copper declared.

The total of indicated and measured resource declared is immediately accessible on five levels with mining expected to commence in the fourth quarter of this year. The company's modular floatation plant is also scheduled to commission at the same time.

"We'll soon be moving the resource into reserve, but if you look at the average value we expect to get from the copper, you're now looking at about R12-billion to R15-billion rands worth of copper in the ground, which is it is quite significant," Copper 360 CEO Jan Nelson told Mining Weekly in a Zoom interview. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

"If you relate Reitberg to water sports, we thought we were going to ride a jet ski but what we've found is an aircraft carrier. There's no doubt that we're going to have to resync our growth and we'll definitely need more capital but we will do that mostly out of debt.

"We don't want to dilute our shareholders, but we are going to use more capital because it's one thing to ride a jet ski, it's another thing to steer an aircraft carrier," said Nelson.

The resource is underpinned by closely spaced drillholes showing ore ready for mining on at least five levels that are open and accessible.

Mining Weekly: How far is Rietberg's underground mine development from the copper mineralisation?

Nelson: We're fortunate that there are five levels that go into the mine and all of those levels are open. We've accessed them. Many of those levels are actually almost on reef. You can break away on reef. The open ventilation is in order. The rock mechanics on order, so when we start mining, it's just a question of breaking away on reef, and that's another major advantage of having this deposit with the predevelopment that is in place.

Copper 360 first announced drilling results at Rietberg in June 2023 with copper mineralisation of over 150 m wide by 200 m in length, with a down-dip strike of over 400 m and open to depth at in situ grades of between 2.5% and 3.5%. But the upgrade changes the growth outlook significantly.

Where one plant was contemplated, building another plant to potentially triple output now has to be worked on.

Multiple levels will have to be mined and much more copper produced than planned, which is good news for the Northern Cape, where there is potential to create more jobs in an area that is presently challenged by unemployment.

Beyond direct employment, the up and downstream potential of economic development and concomitant employment opportunities that it will create is equally promising.

Mine development is planned to commence in the fourth quarter of this year and a floatation plant is scheduled to commission in November with expenditure forecast to be 8% under planned budget.

The experienced technical and operational team assembled is looking forward to starting the first pure copper mine production in the Northern Cape Copper Province in over 20 years.

The measured and indicated resource is being converted to reserve and the stating of a maiden resource for the Wheal Julia surface deposit is now expected in the next few weeks.

What role will Rietberg play in Copper 360's overall 12-mine cluster mining plan?

Rietberg plays a central role and is the core asset. It's the first asset that we're starting up but we've drilled Wheal Julia and we will be carrying a resource there soon and that is a surface deposit that's yielded fantastic results - 3% to 5% copper on surface, open to depth. We are looking to drill Koeëlkop another deposit and what's nice about then is that they will potentially be openpit depo...

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The first 10 MW solar plant at Evander gold-mining operation of Pan African Resources is reducing group all-in sustaining costs (AISC) by more than $10/oz with this number set to increase in coming years as Eskom tariffs continue to escalate, Pan African Resources CEO Cobus Loots said during the presentation of the London- and Johannesburg-listed company's dividend-yielding 2023 financial results.

In May 2023, construction of the group's second solar plant commenced at Barberton Mines.

This plant, with a capacity of 8.75MW, will supply most of the daytime power requirements for the Fairview Mine.

A third-party power purchase agreement for the off-site provision of 40MW of wheeled power beginning in early 2025 will extend over a period of up to 15 years. Along with Evander Mines' operating solar plant, these projects are expected to reduce Pan African's carbon emissions by up to 30% by 2030, as well as deliver associated cost benefits, as the price of grid power continues to increase at above-inflation rates.

Evander Mines' water recycling plant is also expected to generate attractive cost savings as underground water can now be used as process water, reducing our reliance on municipal resources.

"You can also expect other announcements on renewables from us in the year ahead. Hopefully we can add even more capacity and also possibly diversify into wind energy," Loots added during the presentation covered by Mining Weekly.

The first 10 MW solar plant at Evander is already reducing group AISC by more than $10/oz, with this number set to increase in coming years as Eskom tariffs continue to escalate, if we then proceed to keep production, cost and financial features from the last year.

From production aspect, our surface assets performed in line with expectations and we will demonstrate the progress with Barberton's underground

The addition of the Mintails gold-from-dumps project west of Johannesburg, close to Krugersdorp and Mogale, means that Pan African now has three large mining complexes in South Africa, where its surface operations reduce unit costs and turn legacy liabilities into profits.

Its underground mines provide long life-of-mines and solid returns on investment as a result of a large sunk capital base and attractive optionality, demonstrated by the Evander underground expansion.

The company is growing profitable production very materially in the years ahead and expects to be well north of 200 000 oz of annual production in 2025, with Mintails coming online at the same time as the Evander underground expansion.

This growth is funded with either banking facilities or with cash generated from operations.

The coming two years will see Pan African moving towards an even more balanced portfolio of low-cost surface remining and high-grade long-life underground mines.

This asset mix should reduce the company's AISC profile, with Elikhulu Tailings Retreatment Plant and Mintails Tailings Retreatment producing at an AISC of about $1 000/oz.

Pan African continues to seek ways of making its business less susceptible to adverse internal impacts in South Africa.

In addition to reducing its reliance on Eskom, its assets have long lives with extended mining rights.

The Evander complex's rights are valid until 2038 and the Barberton assets have rights until 2051. The Mintails new order mining right extends to 2029 and extension will be sought in due course.

It has one year remaining on its Barberton wage agreement and the underground contractor at Evander has entered into a three-year wage agreement with the union, which will provide stability as production is grown.

"Pan African's track record demonstrates that we can operate and grow in South Africa and do so very successfully," said Loots.

To elaborate further on our renewable energy roadmap, with construction having commenced at our Barberton solar facility, we are set to almost double our behind...

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The Copper 360 School of Mining, which announced the development of the training facility in August, has launched its first set of courses at the Concordia operation in the Northern Cape, which are aimed at nurturing human capital in anticipation of an expected provincial minerals development surge.

The school's first courses are unaccredited and Copper 360 needs-based, but on the near-term horizon are accredited courses as well as diploma and degree fields of study, including an association with the Camborne School of Mines in the United Kingdom.

The seven initial courses are basic surface geology, sampling, orebody technician, mineral resource management, drone technology, introduction to mining law and urban design for mining communities.

Thirty students were accepted at the first intake, including women and persons with disabilities.

"The initial course offering will focus on developing practical knowledge for students," Copper 360 executive director Quinton Adams stated in a release to Mining Weekly.

Adams heads up the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Alternative Exchange-listed copper mining and beneficiation company's community engagement arm.

"Skills development will initially be based on the needs of the company, whereafter, as the school grows, a wider net will be cast," Adams added.

The courses were developed in-house, and the company has sourced experienced geologists and other mining professionals to contribute to and present the material. A further 300 staff members have enrolled in an extended apprenticeship programme that will be simultaneously rolled out. Personnel will also enjoy access to School of Mining courses.

Adams foresees the Northern Cape, with its mostly untapped natural resources, becoming South Africa's next mineral province and economic driver. But unemployment is at near 60% in some areas and poverty widespread.

Copper, nickel, manganese, and other minerals have attracted significant interest in the province's reserves, but joblessness remains high.

With structural unemployment posing a substantial provincial challenge and for its citizens to enjoy the opportunities that are likely to arise, Adams expressed the strong belief that education must be at the top of any line-item agenda.

He emphasised the challenge being presented by the gap between the skills of the population not matching the opportunities the labour market will be presenting "The workforce is there, but it is not employment ready. In anticipation of growth in the resource sector, the School of Mining is in place to mend this chasm," he explained.

Adams expects the school to contribute substantially to the nurturing of human capital as the minerals boom takes shape in the province.

Copper 360, which is focused on exploring, developing, and mining copper resources, is a producer and exporter of copper plate.

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A producer of the purest manganese metal is becoming greener and cleaner as it repositions for market acceptance in the battery electric vehicles (BEV) market, where it sees phenomenal growth potential.

Manganese Metal Company (MMC) of Mbombela (Nelspruit) is already finding greener sources of the one-gigawatt hour of energy that it needs a day.

Remarkably, in the last 18 months, it has been wheeling hydropower from Lydenburg, also in Mpumalanga.

Some 1.8 MW of green power from a hydropower station in the Crocodile River is being commissioned, following the completion of a process of selection of a vendor for the supply of solar photovoltaic energy. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

As part of a circular beneficiation model being introduced, a more sustainable alternative of using landfill material to make clay bricks for local communities is being put in place.

As the single largest user of potable water in Nelspruit, projects to recycling and clean water are on the go to elevate itself to globally acceptable levels as an exporter. Currently, 56% of the electrolytic manganese metal (EMM) it produces is sold to Japan, 25% to the US, and 10% to Europe. The EMM is 99.9% pure, beating the next highest 99.7%

For the last 49 years, MMC has taken the waste product of manganese mining in South Africa, the fines, and beneficiated them using chemical processing and large quantities of electricity to make 3% of the world's manganese metal.

"We are the only non-Chinese producer, but fortunately we make the best manganese metal, the purest manganese metal in the world, and therefore we feed into a quality niche market in which nobody else can really compete," MMC chairperson and mining stalwart Bernard Swanepoel told Mining Weekly during Friday's MMC Open Day.

In days gone by, MMC was operated by Samancor structure on behalf of BHP Billiton and Anglo American. Today it is owned MM Holdings, held 70% by Bright Resources and 30% by To The Point.

A far-reaching new horizon is now extending for MMC, well beyond the EMM into the burgeoning BEV market, with manganese sulphate.

For some time, customers have been buying the company's manganese metal to dissolve it and make manganese sulphate, which has prompted the manganese sulphate extension.

"Once the 5 000 t a year plant is built, accredited and goes into all the batteries of the world, then the sky's the limit. Then MMC can truly step out and put South Africa on the map again," said Swanepoel.

Manganese is going into BEVs and battery energy storage for good technical and cost reasons. Formulations are increasingly including manganese in batteries, which is drawing MMC more deeply into the battery minerals market.

"China already owns this space. That's true for strategic minerals, for batter minerals. Ninety per cent of the world's refining capacity is in China. We are an example of one little facility outside of China in the manganese space.

"There's a huge opportunity for us to grow into that space but we'll have to be world-class, safe, environmentally friendly and be price competitive. This is a game full of politics and we sit here on the southern tip of Africa on the eastern side of the country, with logistics and other challenges."

But despite these challenges, MMC has decided to focus on the phenomenal opportunity, starting as it does with special South African skills ready to be leveraged.

In its last financial year, MMC, which has 400 direct employees and 200 indirect contractor employees, earned South Africa R2.28-billion in export revenue, exporting mainly through the ports of Maputo and Durban.

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South Africa has no option but Transnet, and the country must make the State logistics enterprise work or the entire economy will grind to a halt, Menar MD Vuslat Bayoglu highlighted in an interview with Mining Weekly.

Menar is a private investment company with an actively managed portfolio of mining assets that include coal, anthracite, manganese, gold and nickel. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

"Transnet did not do well in terms of coal. However, they have identified the issues and are taking initiative to resolve them, the biggest one being the locomotives availability," noted Bayoglu, who is part of a mining industry that is working with Transnet to find solutions.

"We regularly have discussions with the team at Transnet on what needs to be done to increase locomotives availability and to ensure that the system works efficiently," he said.

But Transnet's inability to meet its targets has meant that a significant volume of coal exports has had to be trucked and diverted to Maputo port in Mozambique, which means not being able to make use of South Africa's world-class and multi-award-winning private-sector-owned Richards Bay Coal Terminal in KwaZulu-Natal.

Bayoglu expressed confidence, however, that Transnet's challenges are not insurmountable and he is looking forward to seeing how the South Africa-hosted Brics Summit will help Transnet to secure the delivery from the Chinese rail manufacturing company of the remainder of locomotives and the provision of parts and services to the ones that have been delivered.

PROJECTS UNDER WAY

Menar is expecting to create an eventual 430-plus job opportunities at the company's advancing Gugulethu Colliery project, where 86 employees are already at work in Mpumalanga. The first washed coal from Gugulethu is likely to be ready in the first quarter of next year.

The company is finding that the appetite to invest in coal is not completely diminished. In addition, the prices of 2022 have left coal mining companies with balance sheets sufficiently stable to reinvest and to channel financial resources towards expansion.

Once Menar's Gugulethu project is fully operational, the company intends developing - hopefully in the first or second quarter of next year - the fully licensed Thuso underground mining project in Bethal, Mpumalanga, which has a ten-year life-of-mine.

In addition, the Mngeni shaft at the company's Zululand Anthracite Colliery is expected to produce its first coal in October, and at the Kangra operation, the Udumo and Belgarthen shafts reached record production last month, with 72 000 t run-of-mine coal emanating from one of the sections.

The Bekezela project in Springs, once fully operational, will create about 800 jobs. "However, we're still waiting for the water use license to be finalised and hope it will be approved by the end of this year," said Bayoglu.

Even though the coal price is down when compared with the first year of the Russia-Ukraine war, it is still higher than the pre-Covid period, with Menar able to raise significant revenues for growth opportunities.