Amplats evaluates access to renewable energy options

JOHANNESBURG — Platinum group metals (PGMs) miner and marketer Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), which on Monday reported a record 2021 financial performance, is collectively evaluating options to access multiple forms of renewable energy across South Africa, including hydro pump power and wheeling renewable energy to the grid. The Johannesburg-listed company set 2030 targets to improve energy efficiency and reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 30% against the 2016 baseline and to achieve zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2040, Amplats CEO Natascha Viljoen said on Monday, when the company reported earnings of R108 billion, net cash of R49 billion and a return on capital employed of 183%. Scope 1 and 2 emissions increased to 4.58 million tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent as total energy requirements increased owing to the addition of the recently commissioned sulphur dioxide abatement plant at Polokwane, which continues to draw electricity from Eskom. The roadmap to reach the 30%-by-2030 emission cut is focused on three main areas. The company is implementing solar photovoltaic plants to generate renewable power, with construction of a 100 MW plant to begin shortly at Mogalakwena. “We are developing our 300 t hydrogen fuel cell mine truck and the technology will be rolled out across the rest of our fleet once proven,” said Viljoen. The target of zero waste to landfill is also close to being achieved. “At the start of the year, we still had five outstanding work waste streams to find sustainable solutions for, after which we found solutions for three during 2021,” Viljoen told the results presentation covered by Mining Weekly.