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Malawi has concluded $12-billion worth of Chinese mining and infrastructure transactions, which are positioning the landlocked country in south-eastern Africa for the supply of critical minerals, APAnews reports.

The first $7-billion transaction is with China's Hunan Sunwalk for the development of titanium mining and processing facilities in Salima, and the second is a $5-billion arrangement for the establishment of a special economic zone.

Included is commitment to skills development, technology transfer, agri-industrial and community investment.

The special economic zone is to be located in Chipoka amid global demand for rare earths, uranium, titanium and graphite attracting general international attention.

The Kangankunde rare earths project, involving Australia's Lindian Resources, has attracted a proposed $120-million in funding from Ecobank, the European Investment Bank and Gerald Group, APA adds.

In the uranium sector, Lotus Resources has reportedly secured $38.5-million from South African banks to advance the Kayelekera uranium project, targeting first production in the third quarter of 2025.

Sovereign Metals has raised $40-million to develop the Kasiya rutile/graphite project, home to the world's largest known rutile deposit and second-largest graphite reserve.

The site is expected to produce 245 000 t/y of rutile and 288 000 t/y of graphite for 25 years.

With mineral exports projected to reach $30-billion between 2026 and 2040, Malawi is emerging as a strategic supplier in the global critical minerals value chain.

It is reported that the projected growth being experienced by Malawi mining, headed by Malawi Mines Minister Ken Zikhale Reeves Ng'oma, could increase the sector's contribution to GDP from less than 1% to 10% by 2030.

Whether Malawi's mineral exports could reach $30-billion between 2026 and 2040 may be revealed by Ng'oma during the Ministerial Forum and the China-Africa Cooperation on Critical Minerals Roundtable at African Mining Week, which will be held alongside African Energy Week Cape Town from October 1-3.

Mining luminary Mark Cutifani singled out Malawi at the recent London Indaba for opening its geological survey data to the world.

Delivering the opening keynote address covered by Mining Weekly, Cutifani said: "I would ask, and this is a plea to every country in Africa, if you want investment, opensource your geological survey data, allow it to be transparent and demand value for access to your resources, and make it an open conversation."

Also at the London Indaba, Sydney University Associate Professor Dr Lauren Johnston spelt out the massive developmental strides that China is making in its Hunan province, which is a huge new source of trade growth amid China embracing Africa as its prime long-run growth collaborator to offset US trade loss, Johnston pointed out.

The province of Hunan is the home of the green revolution, a sort of Nile basin of China, and it has a lot of minerals of its own.

Hunan is the home of Sany, which provides heavy industry equipment including from its considerable South African base. It's also the home of BYD, which provides electrified vehicle mobility, as well as being the home of China's green railway industry.

"The Hunan model is now this amazing model where China is focused on every aspect of how they can develop China-Africa ties.

"There's this huge 'going out' model into Africa, which is totally perfectly primed to tap into Africa's resource nationalism," Johnston outlined during a panel discussion covered by Mining Weekly.

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discusses South Africa’s platinum metals and China’s green revolution merging strongly in Shanghai; Hive Hydrogen's request for proposals for the $5.8-billion Coega Green Ammonia Project; and researchers looking to South Africa’s palladium to c

The Bengwenyama platinum group metals (PGM) project in South Africa's Limpopo province has received a major uplift through a staged development plan that cuts upfront capital costs by 38%.

Staged development reduces peak funding by $173-million to $279-million, Southern Palladium MD Johan Odendaal outlined to Mining Weekly in a Zoom interview. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

The Sydney- and Johannesburg-listed Southern Palladium holds a 70% interest, with the remaining 30% owned by the Bengwenyama-ya-Maswazi community.

Located on the eastern limb of South Africa's Bushveld Complex, Bengwenyama is strategically positioned near established mining infrastructure.

The optimised prefeasibility study (PFS) values the project at R15.7-billion ($857-million) on a 100% post-tax basis, with a projected internal rate of return of 26.4%.

Importantly, the staged approach also improves the ability to further derisk key geological, technical, and operational assumptions.

The first stage of the proposed two-stage production plan begins with 100 000 oz of PGM production and ramps up to 200 000 oz/y and the second stage is designed to deliver production of 400 000 oz/y after four years for an aggregate mine life of 20 years plus.

With the first stage expected to deliver a strongly cash generative project in its own right, the option to phase the development of the mine provides a balance between unlocking project value and funding project development with minimal future dilution for shareholders. It also allows Southern Palladium to align project development with infrastructure roll-out and community readiness, ensuring a more sustainable and inclusive growth trajectory.

"The beauty of it is that we can fund the second stage of this project through the cash flow that will then be generated by the Stage 1 project," Odendaal pointed out.

The optimised PFS was done at a basket price used in the earlier PFS, which is 7% lower than the current basket price.

Southern Palladium has also outlined several key next steps, including the anticipated award of the mining right, funded infill drilling and metallurgical testwork, the integration of the optimised PFS outcomes into a definitive feasibility study (DFS).

Mining Weekly: Can you give us more insight into the DFS work programme?

Odendaal: We kicked off the DFS earlier this year, and it will carry on for the remainder of this year, and probably into early 2026. What we need to do now is to focus on the metallurgical side. We've completed pitting for the met assays, and we've engaged a contractor to do a bit more drilling specifically for the met assays, which are more detailed than those done during the PFS. The original plan was to access the orebody via two declines, and this has now been reduced, which is what brought about the capital savings, not only on the feasibility side, but also the fact that initially we'll only open up access in one decline, which will also give us early access. We also have an accelerated development plan in that specific decline, which will give us quite a steep ramp-up to our required tons and production.

What are the broader implications for investors and the PGMs market?

From the investor side, I think we've now already shown through the process that we deliver on what we say. Throughout the process, in terms of our exploration programme, we managed to bring in the exploration and deliver that PFS with two-thirds of our budget. What we seeing is that it's a project that's now really coming to the fore, and we've demonstrated, both through the PFS and this optimised study, that it's certainly a prime project that's up with the best projects in the area. We've managed to significantly reduce the required capital to $279-million, and the other important aspect is that this is probably the last real estate in the shallow area of the eastern limb and certainly also on the western limb of the Bushveld Complex.

MINERAL PROCESSING

Southern Palladium is evaluati...

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South Africa's platinum group metals (PGMs) and China's green revolution have come together strongly in Shanghai at a hugely opportune time of changing global trading relationships and energy transition.

"When South Africa's platinum group metals meet China's green revolution, it's more than a fusion of resources and technology. It's a conversion of destinies," World Platinum Investment Council CEO Trevor Raymond outlined to the Shanghai Platinum Week, which is under way in China until Friday, July 11.

In addition, South Africa's Shanghai Consul General Phuti Tsipa highlighted the importance of the merging of the PGMs with which this country has been so abundantly endowed and the forcefulness of China's embrace of these metals that are able to catalyse the cleanest of green electricity.

"The importance of strategic, stable, mutually beneficial, diplomatic and trade relations between South Africa and the People's Republic of China cannot be overstated," Tsipa emphasised at the well-attended event.

When South African miners and fund managers call Shanghai Platinum Week "an unmissable annual event for every PGM professional," it's the ultimate endorsement, World Platinum Investment Council Asia Pacific regional head Weibin Deng has commented on LinkedIn.

Prominent were Minerals Council South Africa president Paul Dunne, London Platinum and Palladium Market VP Dr Jonathan Butler as well as representatives of South Africa's PGM mining and marketing companies.

A takeaway from the event is that PGM recycling supply is expected to increase from a 33 t in 2024 to 72 t in 2028 in China, where platinum's diverse properties are increasingly supporting development in markets ranging from fibreglass to investment and jewellery, the sale of which has been rising considerably.

PLATINUM GUILD INTERNATIONAL

Platinum Guild International (PGI), the global marketing organisation dedicated to creating, expanding and strengthening consumer and trade markets for platinum jewellery, singled out China as leading the way in the shift from gold to platinum jewellery.

Sharing findings from the Platinum Jewellery Business Review update for the first quarter of 2025, PGI highlighted robust growth in platinum fabrication, retail sales, and strategic partner performance across key international markets.

"The strong recovery we're seeing in China's platinum jewellery market is setting the pace for a broader global resurgence," PGI CEO Tim Schlick stated in a media release to Mining Weekly on Wednesday, July 9.

China is witnessing an unprecedented surge of platinum jewellery upstream, delivering a standout performance in the first quarter of 2025, wen it outperformed the gold and diamond categories materially, particularly in March when the monthly platinum jewellery fabrication jumped by more than100% year-on-year.

China's first-quarter platinum fabrication surge was a 50% year-on-year elevation, driven by plain and gem-set platinum jewellery.

This growth is said to reflect upstream inventory building and retail sell-in, as high gold prices and weak demand for diamond jewellery prompted many jewellers to pivot towards platinum.

PGI estimates that more than 40 platinum-dedicated wholesale showrooms had opened by the end of June, with several gold production lines switching to platinum.

As a response, PGI has expanded partnerships with new players and provided training and sales tools to grow confidence in platinum throughout the supply chain.

PGI also launched a China-specific marketing asset platform that offers partners advertising and social media content.

INDIA, JAPAN, UAE, US

As consumers increasingly seek jewellery at accessible price points globally, platinum is also gaining ground India, Japan, the US and the United Arab Emirates (UA...

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The message Nornickel's Palladium Center head Dmitry Izotov communicated strongly at South Africa's PGM Industry Day in Johannesburg in April was that research is pointing to a long list of potential new palladium applications.

Now, three months later, Izotov has popped up with a tested palladium development that is saving a water treatment site $150 000 a year and is also earmarked for seawater applications in coastal power plants and desalination facilities, which could potentially be applied at South Africa's progressing $5.8-billion green-hydrogen-linked Coega Green Ammonia Project being developed in Nelson Mandela Bay.

The water treatment saving reported is the result of a palladium-coated electrode cutting energy consumption in the production of sodium hypochlorite, the widely used disinfectant in municipal water treatment systems.

Palladium's distinctive catalytic activity enables greater sodium hypochlorite output from the same amount of electricity, which means more water can be disinfected with lower energy input.

In South Africa, where sodium hypochlorite is widely used and electricity costs are high, adopting energy-efficient anodes could help reduce operating expenses for water utilities and municipalities, the release points out.

This is particularly relevant in countries with expensive or limited electricity supply such as South Africa but which is also endowed with abundant locally mined palladium.

"These electrodes could drive demand for 5 t of palladium in the near future, representing a significant growth factor for the metal beyond its traditional automotive sector applications," Izotov points out in a media release to Mining Weekly.

The technology is compatible with global sodium hypochlorite generation systems, and serial production has already begun.

Local sodium hypochlorite service providers are showing interest in alternative electrochemical technologies that optimise costs without compromising water treatment quality. Also highlighted is that lowering energy consumption eases strain on aging infrastructure and improves resilience during power outages.

The palladium-coated electrodes have been found to lower the operating voltage of electrolysis units by 5% to 7%, resulting in an 18.6% reduction in energy costs when compared with traditional anodes based on metals that include iridium, which South Africa also produces but which is a very scarce platinum group metal (PGM) and great effort is being made to thrift it owing to its increasing demand for green hydrogen generation.

The durability of the electrodes is also fortified by the incorporation of palladium into the coating.

The first commercial batch of 560 palladium-coated electrodes deployed at a regional water supply operation have reportedly been operating successfully for more than six months.

The palladium coating is said to improve catalytic selectivity toward active chlorine and enhance corrosion resistance, which extends electrode life and lowers maintenance costs.

At the PGM Day, Nornickel reported that it was opening a large, globally collaborative palladium laboratory, as part of its new 100-patent Palladium Center, which is striving to change how the world sees palladium.

The centre has been working with ECOFES, a Russian company specialising in water treatment technologies, particularly systems for purification of drinking water and industrial wastewater.

According to ECOFES, the new coating improves catalytic selectivity toward active chlorine and enhances corrosion resistance, which extends electrode lifespan and reduces maintenance costs.

"Our goal was to deliver industrial-level efficiency for on-site sodium hypochlorite production without increasing costs," says ECOFES founder Lev Fesenko, who is negotiating wi...

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The final stage of development for the Coega Green Ammonia Project at Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape commenced today with the release of the request for proposals (RFPs) to 15 shortlisted engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) entities from the 48 responses received from the Hive Hydrogen request for information process earlier this year.

Requests have been invited for proposals for a plant with a production capacity of more than one-million tons of green ammonia a year; plants for seawater abstraction, desalination and demineralisation; storage facilities with two 7 km pipelines for 70 000 t of green ammonia piping; a 1 430 MW solar PV cluster of nine solar farms; and 1 879 MW of wind power in two clusters of five wind farms.

These requests for proposals are being invited less than a month after the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit in Cape Town, where 'lighthouse' global standard of excellence status was conferred on Hive Hydrogen's Coega Green Ammonia Project by South Africa's Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and where the R360-million development funding agreement for Hive Hydrogen to take the project to final investment decision (FID) was announced.

"The release of these substantial RFPs to EPCs entities marks the culmination of four years of intense development work to get us to this major milestone for the project," Hive Hydrogen chairperson Thulani Gcabashe stated in a media release to Engineering News & Mining Weekly.

"A team of over 120 people including a vast array of engineers, environmental specialists, ESG consultants, legal advisers, financial advisers, project managers, land surveyors, geologists, and many others, have worked tirelessly to make this a reality," added Gcabashe, a former CEO of Eskom and a former chairperson of Standard Bank.

In the same release, Department of Trade, Industry and Competition acting deputy director-general of investment and spacial industrial development Yunus Hoosen expressed delight to see the extent of the international interest in the project, with EPCs from the Far East, Europe and the UK engaging and working alongside the South African construction industry to make South Africa's lighthouse green hydrogen project a reality.

COMPETITIVE PRICE POINT

Hive Hydrogen South Africa has been developing the $5.8-billion Coega Green Ammonia Project since 2020 to produce and export green-hydrogen-derived green ammonia to the Far East and Europe from its production facility in the Coega Special Economic Zone. Exportation is due to begin in 2029/2030 "at a price point that leads international green ammonia pricing and that will outcompete blue ammonia pricing too", the company stated.

Proposals requested centre on the completion of front-end engineering design and construction of the ammonia production plant and renewable energy generation plants.

Last month the project reached its 1 430 MW solar phase, which will supply 40% of the plant's power requirements.

The suite of strategic partners intent on entering the project as equity stakeholders before or at FID stage in the third quarter of next year include international green ammonia offtakers, original-equipment manufacturers, shipping companies, renewable energy plant operators, ammonia production plant operators and storage operators.

Hive Hydrogen, supported by Hive Energy and BuiltAfrica, has been working since September 2019 on establishing a large-scale green hydrogen and green ammonia plant in South Africa, powered by renewable energy.

Headquartered in Hampshire, UK, with offices in 22 countries, Hive Energy also has green hydrogen development projects in Spain, Chile and Turkey. It has developed 3 000 MW of grid-connected solar PV plants on more than 50 solar sites and over...

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discusses the huge opportunity for South Africa’s mining sector to uplift South Africa’s economy; the reason behind the delay for the long-awaited cadastre system; BHP being geared up to ship ore from Australia to Asia in a greener manner.

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The rising platinum price is unlikely to dampen demand or stimulate additional supply, meaning that forecast market shortfalls are here to stay, says the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC).

'Inelastic' is a term used by economists to describe a situation where a change in price has a relatively small impact on the quantity demanded of a good or service. In other words, consumers will continue to purchase roughly the same amount even if the price increases or decreases.

In contrast, an elastic relationship means that changes in price will result in a significant increase or decrease in the supply or demand of a good or service.

Platinum prices have recently reached a ten-year high, exceeding $1 420/oz as of June 26.

This follows a prolonged period when platinum's price was stuck at a range which varied from around $900/oz to $1 100/oz.

Yet, because the relationship between the price of platinum and its supply or demand is largely price inelastic, the platinum price rally is unlikely to dampen demand or stimulate mining companies to produce additional metal, meaning that, in the platinum market, supply will continue to lag demand, resulting in a structural deficit, WPIC states.

To put this in context, the platinum market is expected to record its third successive shortfall this year, at 966 000 oz.

This follows a deficit of 992 000 oz in 2024 and a deficit of 896 000 oz in 2023.

Moreover, looking at the WPIC two-to-five-year forecast through to 2029, deficits are forecast to occur every year.

ROBUST DEMAND

Consecutive supply deficits are expected to see above ground stocks run out by 2029. Meanwhile, platinum supply remains challenged, both in terms of primary mining and secondary recycling supply.

At the same time, the demand outlook is robust. Demand for hybrid vehicles and slower-than-expected battery electric vehicle adoption is supportive of platinum automotive demand, while strong demand growth in investment and jewellery is being experienced in China.

Data supports the view that both platinum supply and platinum demand are largely price inelastic in the medium term.

One chart displayed by WPIC illustrates that historical movements in the platinum price did not trigger an immediate change in supply or demand, with responses often lagging by several years. On the supply side, platinum's inelasticity is structural, the chart shows.

A second chart highlights that even sharp price signals take years to translate into new supply, with most mines requiring eight to nine years to reach full production capacity. Moreover, investment decisions need to consider platinum's price potential as well as the price potential of the overall platinum group metals basket plus base-metal by-products.

Demand is also unlikely to fall in the short term, despite the price rally making platinum more expensive for industrial end-users.

Across the automotive, jewellery and industrial sectors, platinum consumption has historically shown limited volatility in relation to short-term price movements.

Between 2003 and 2008, for instance, automotive demand rose by over 25% even as prices climbed from around $600/oz to $2 000/oz, only falling after the global financial crisis precipitated a broader widespread commodity downturn.

Industrial demand has shown some delayed inverse relationship with price, but volumes tend to adjust over multiple years.

Jewellery is structurally more elastic, yet platinum's relatively more attractive affordability versus gold is now emerging as a counterforce.

The gold-to-platinum price ratio reached 3.5x in May 2025, its highest level since 2015, prompting some Chinese fabricators to switch to platinum, the WPIC release, covered by Mining Weekly, shows.

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South Africa's derelict and ownerless mine rehabilitation programme has gone beyond rehabilitation to include the closure of hazardous old shaft openings as well as apertures created by illegal mining activities, Mineral and Petroleum Resources Deputy Minister Phumzile Mgcina outlined to Parliament during this week's budget vote 2025.

"Given the additional funding of R180-million for the derelict and ownerless mine rehabilitation programme during the previous financial year, I can report to you that Mintek has successfully rehabilitated at least four asbestos mines in Limpopo and Northern Cape and closed a total of 280 mine openings," Mgcina reported.

For the current 2025/26 financial year, the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Department (MPRD) has been allocated R2.86-billion, of which R1.16-billion, or 40.55%, would be transferred to public entities, municipalities, and other implementing institutions to enable them to fulfil their constitutional mandates, Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe told Parliament.

Adding to the operational funding for the entities was, Mantashe outlined, an allocation for specific projects including R134.7-million for the rehabilitation of derelict and ownerless mines implemented by Mintek, R22.4-million for the Mine Rehabilitation Research Project implemented by the Council for Geoscience (CGS), and R32.3-million allocated to the CGS for the Mine Water Ingress Project.

In cognisance of the dangers associated with derelict and ownerless mines, Mintek, the Deputy Minister pointed out, had made significant strides in addressing this pressing issue.

"These efforts have not only led to improvements in environmental and health outcomes but have also provided a positive economic impact. On average, each rehabilitation site has created 60 job opportunities for local community members, contributing to local economic growth.

"If we are to address the legacy of derelict and ownerless mines across the country and contribute to a safer and healthier environment, much more work remains to be done, hence we welcome the additional funding for this programme during the current financial year," Mgcina commented during her budget vote speech covered by Mining Weekly.

In partnership with the Mining Qualifications Authority, Mintek had, the Deputy Minister revealed, made progress in supporting aspirant artisanal and small-scale miners by empowering them with the expertise required to participate in the mining industry through the skills training programme.

"By the end of the previous financial year, at least 300 learners across the country have been equipped with valuable skills for a career in mining.

"This initiative exemplifies our commitment to fostering inclusive economic growth, gender equality, and social empowerment in the mining sector," Mgcina reported.

This follows the enactment of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Policy in 2022.

CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE

The characterisation of geological sites for the permanent storage of CO2 had also been made by CGS on a pilot site in Mpumalanga, where the Carbon Capture, Storage and Utilisation project had, Mgcina said, outlined the preliminary findings on suitability to store carbon in a safe manner.

Further research on the capture and utilisation aspects of carbon would continue, as well as how this could relate to the establishment of carbon trading markets.

To realise this ambition, a collective approach by government and business would will be required, the Deputy Minister added.

DIAMOND TURNAROUND

Parliament was told that the challenges faced by South Africa's diamond sector threatened its contribution to inclusive economic growth. These included the competition from lab-grown diamonds, economic and geopolitical risks,...

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In fewer than three years, Major Johannesburg Stock Exchange-secondary listed mining giant BHP will in be shipping ore from Australia to Asia in a greener manner amid intensification of transportation greening across the world.

Living up to its stated purpose of helping to build a better world, the Melbourne-headquartered BHP, founded as Broken Hill Proprietary as long ago as 1885, has signed contracts with the Shanghai-headquartered COSCO Shipping Bulk colossus for the initial charter of two green ammonia dual-fuelled Newcastlemax bulk carriers, which will transport iron-ore from Western Australia to Northeast Asia from 2028.

Interestingly, this green ammonia initiative is emerging at a time when South Africa's own $5.8-billion Hive Hydrogen Coega Green Ammonia Project at Nelson Mandela Bay, in the Eastern Cape, is working hard to give the lead in low-cost ammonia output from Nelson Mandela Bay, in the Eastern Cape.

Globally, greening strides are continuing, even in the US, where the Senate's passing of its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill has extended the clean hydrogen tax credits, which had the US-based Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association declaring the outcome as "a significant win for our sector".

Simultaneously, Canada's Ballard has announced the signing of a new supply agreement with California rail operator Sierra Northern Railway for the supply this year of 1.5 MW of green hydrogen fuel cell engines.

Also, French multinational rolling stock manufacturer Alstom, which has strong South African ties, has opened its Delta hydrogen fuel cell megafactory in Aix-en-Provence, accelerating Europe's zero-emission mobility future and scaling up hydrogen infrastructure.

DHL Freight, along with BMW, last month put two trucks into real operation as part of the green hydrogen-based H2Haul project. Funded by the EU's Clean Hydrogen Partnership, the H2Haul project is testing and researching hydrogen trucks with fuel cell drivetrains under realistic conditions. The project is intended to pave the way for the commercialisation of fuel cell trucks in Europe.

On June 18, Toyota Motor Europe and VDL Groep announced a collaboration to integrate Toyota's fuel cell system into heavy-duty trucks. Following the first demonstration truck, Toyota has now deployed four more vehicles on its logistics routes across Belgium (Diest), France (Lille), Germany (Cologne), and the Netherlands (Rotterdam and Weesp).

MINERALS SHIPPING

When run on lower or low to zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions green ammonia, ships are capable of reducing GHG emissions by up to 95% on a per-voyage basis compared with a conventionally fuelled voyage.

The BHP-COSCO advance towards a decarbonised shipping future is poised to strengthen the demand for lower or low to zero GHG emissions marine fuels, which is important in the effort to scale up production of alternative fuels.

As one of the world's largest dry bulk charterers, BHP sees this as an opportunity to help establish a pathway for green ammonia to be a marine fuel for a globally significant industry where emissions can be difficult to abate.

"Our tender process for the design and charter of ammonia dual-fuelled bulk carriers has brought together shipowners, fuel suppliers, engine-makers, and regulatory bodies from around the world," BHP VP maritime and supply chain excellence Emma Roberts stated in a release to Mining Weekly.

The deal boosts the transition to net zero led by the 'Australia-China Green Shipping Corridor' aspiration.

"Ammonia is one of the most promising marine fuels with zero-carbon potential. These vessels will stand at the forefront of technological and environmental advancement," said COSCO shipping VP Ji Lin.

"Looking ahead, COSCO Shipping will continue to work closel...