Amplats assures investors that water leak will be mended soon
ANGLO American Platinum (Amplats) told investors yesterday that the water leak at its converter plant would be repaired by next week.
Amplats, a unit of Anglo American plc, said the detailed technical investigation into the cause of the leak showed localised damage to a single cooler tube that was now being replaced.
“The repair work is expected to be completed next week, and recommissioning will then start once a detailed risk-based assurance process has confirmed it is safe to do so,” said the company.
Last week, Amplats temporarily closed the high-pressure cooling section of the Anglo Converter Plant (ACP) Phase B unit for repairs after detecting a leak.
The company confirmed that this leak was unconnected to the repair work recently completed on the ACP Phase B unit.
Amplats said that other maintenance was being carried out and additional controls put in place while the ACP Phase B unit was off-line in order to provide greater operational stability.
“A prudent approach will be taken to safely ramp-up the ACP Phase B unit. Increased monitoring will likely result in intermittent stoppages to inspect the plant until the repairs to the ACP Phase A unit are completed,” said the company.
In March, Amplats shut down its entire ACP plant due and declared force majeure with its suppliers after a chain of events, including an explosion at the ACP phase A converter plant in February.
It also detected water leaks in the furnace at the ACP Phase B unit and temporarily closed it down for repairs.
The R150 million repairs to the water leaks at the ACP Phase B unit were completed in May.
Amplats said that it expected to complete the repairs to phase A by the end of the year. ahead of its previous estimates.
In March Amplats said that it expected to complete repairs to phase A by the second quarter of 2021.
The company maintained its refined production platinum group metals (PGM) guidance.
Amplats shares closed 6.27 percent lower at R1 092.20 on the JSE yesterday.