Новости за 28.01.2022

Canada’s Fortuna Silver Mines has suspended activities at the Lindero mine, in Salta, Argentina, after a fatality on Thursday. The company explained that the accident happened at the conveyor stacking system and that there were no other injuries associated with the incident. Stacking activities at the heap leach pad had been suspended for 48 hours and the operation would also take a safety stop for the day.

Mitsui Mining & Smelting is increasing zinc prices this year in annual contracts by at least 35% for the Japanese company’s customers in Asia as supply tightens and freight rates soar. The constrained availability of cargo ships is a big contributor to the rise, Kenji Sugawara, general manager of the Tokyo-based smelter’s metal sales department, said in an interview on Thursday. The price increases mark a turnaround from the previous two years when Mitsui Mining was forced cut the premium it charged overseas buyers, he said.

Aluminium has strong potential to outperform other London Metals Exchange base metals this year, having again breached the important milestone of $3 000/t at the start of the year, diversified mining major Eurasian Resources Group CEO Benedikt Sobotka said in a statement on January 27. He said the aluminium market would remain in a sizable deficit for the second consecutive year, with visible inventories at the lowest level since the global financial crisis – a period of extreme stress in global... Читать дальше...

The surge in the cobalt price, which increased by 119% in 2021, is expected to continue unabated this year, with cobalt supply increasingly unable to keep pace with demand, diversified mining major Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) CEO Benedikt Sobotka said in a statement on January 27. The global price of cobalt more than doubled last year, reaching its highest levels since 2018, he noted.

Independent power producer Zenith Energy is partnering with ASX-listed IGO at its Nova nickel/copper/cobalt operation, in Western Australia, to trial running the mine site of 100% renewable energy continuously for up to nine hours a day. The mine site is currently powered by a hybrid solar and diesel engine system and Zenith will expand its renewable energy capabilities through the addition of an extra 10 MW of solar panels, and a 10 MWh battery energy storage system.

Diversified mining group Teck Resources has increased Covid-19 capital guidance for the Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 (QB2) project, in Chile, by up to $500-million, citing cost pressures as a result of absenteeism and labour inefficiencies related to the pandemic. The company now assumes that the impacts of Covid-19 will not end prior to the completion of construction and that it has to counter the adverse effects associated with construction in this environment.

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discusses South Africa’s hydrogen roadmap targeting societal well-being; South Africa offsetting losses from the eventual decline in coal export by using hydrogen direct reduced iron technology; and the Richards Bay Coal Terminal's lowest volume of coal exports since 1996.

Chile's Senate on Thursday pushed forward an amended version of the country's mining royalty bill, which would raise tariffs on firms operating in the world's top copper producing nation despite being watered down amid industry pushback. The upper chamber's Mining Commission waved through the amended draft, which seeks to address concerns within the copper and lithium industries that higher tariffs will hit Chile's competitiveness and hurt new investment. The commission approved the adjusted bill that proposes royalties based on two areas... Читать дальше...

The Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco) on Thursday maintained its projection for 2022 copper prices at $3.95/lb as prices trend moderately down following a surge last year. Cochilco sees average prices of $3.80/lb for 2023. "For this and next year, the beginning of a moderate downward cycle of the average annual price of the metal is expected, which is still at historically high and positive levels for the industry," Cochilco said in a statement.

Market development organisation the World Gold Council’s (WGC’s) latest ‘Gold Demand Trends’ report shows that yearly demand, excluding over-the-counter markets, has recovered many of the Covid-19-induced losses from 2020 to reach 4 021 t for the 2021 full-year. Demand for gold reached 1 147 t in the fourth quarter of 2021 – its highest quarterly level since the second quarter of 2019. It is also an increase of almost 50% year-on-year.

Global coal prices have shot back towards record highs as the Ukraine crisis raises expectations that European buyers will start loading up on the fossil fuel for fear that a standoff between Russia and western nations will cut off gas supplies. The benchmark Newcastle coal index has soared by over a third this month to $262 a tonne, fuelled initially by a month-long export ban by top supplier Indonesia and now by worries that any military engagement in Ukraine will sever gas supplies from Russia.

Platinum prices are expected to steadily rise over the next two years and palladium prices to gradually fall as automakers switch to using platinum in autocatalysts to cut costs, a Reuters survey Thursday showed. Both metals are used in engine exhausts, where they neutralise harmful emissions. Platinum is also used in other industries such as glassmaking, in jewellery and for investment.

The transition to a low or net-zero carbon economy is here. The United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow last November called for rapid action to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. This means substantially reducing global greenhouse gas emissions to limit the global temperature increase in this century to not more than 2 °C above preindustrial levels, states strategy consulting organisation EY-Parthenon Africa leader Paul O’Flaherty. O’Flaherty highlights two points. Читать дальше...

Global commodity prices and economies have rebounded strongly since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, which left many companies facing mammoth financial challenges to sustain themselves. This resurgence in the mining sector is closely connected to the rollout of vaccinations, which was strongly supported by the industry. Investment company Menar believes South Africa can benefit from rising commodity prices if it addresses industry challenges.

The JSE has a role to play in creating an enabling environment for more sustainable practices, particularly in terms of South Africa’s transition to using renewable energies, JSE chief sustainability officer Shameela Soobramoney stated at the Southern Africa-Europe CEO Dialogue event hosted in Johannesburg in November. “Given the role that capital markets play in South Africa, coupled with the need for private-sector involvement, it’s obvious how important these are in encouraging more sustainable energy practices. Читать дальше...

Environmental, social and corporate governance is central to diversified miner Sibanye-Stillwater’s strategy, and guides the company in how it operates and generates shared value for its stakeholders. Core to this strategy is building “climate-change-resilient businesses”, states Sibanye-Stillwater energy and decarbonisation manager Jevon Martin.

With a background in electrical engineering, “a knack for business, and a passion for sustainability”, Norwegian global renewables company Scatec Southern Africa GM Jan Fourie has specialised in renewable energy projects for over a decade. He says his love for South Africa and the natural environment is core to his passion for sustainability, noting that his current role at Scatec perfectly encapsulates his three-pronged passions for sustainability, business, and the technical side of large-scale power generation.

Emerging mobility applications for hydrogen, such as heavy-duty mobility and materials handling equipment used in mining, provide an ideal market for the increased uptake of green hydrogen technology in South Africa, states hydrogen technology provider Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser Division SVP Filip Smeets. An ideal example of this is diversified major Anglo American’s Rhyno Phase 1 project, in which the miner has partnered with energy company ENGIE to develop and fuel the world’s largest hydrogen-powered mine haul truck, he adds. Читать дальше...

As part of diversified miner Sibanye-Stillwater’s development of renewable-energy projects, the miner has created an Infrastructure for Impact programme to benefit all its relevant stakeholders while executing these energy infrastructure projects, explains Sibanye-Stillwater energy and decarbonisation manager Jevon Martin. “A portfolio of renewable-energy projects will enable socioeconomic development. Functioning and modern infrastructure is central to not only economic development but also fostering... Читать дальше...

Local gold producer DRDGold CEO Niël Pretorius says the market response to the global transition to clean energy, as well as the strategy and energy plans of the company’s majority shareholder, diversified miner Sibanye-Stillwater, are important considerations in shaping DRDGold’s strategy for the future. “Owing to the effect of cleaning up mine waste sites on groundwater quality and the rehabilitation of land, the gold we produce is probably among the greenest on the planet. Add more solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to that... Читать дальше...

As South Africa prepares to transition to renewable sources of energy, carbon-intensive companies such as coal exporter Thungela can assist in this energy transition by ensuring delivery of higher quality, responsibly-mined coal, states Thungela CEO July Ndlovu. “This transition is going to require looking at sustainability from a broader environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) perspective. When discussing climate change and risks, we also need to discuss land stewardship, land management... Читать дальше...

Overcoming energy transmission congestion is vital to stabilise energy supply in South Africa and, to ensure that energy supply meets demand, transmission assessments and upgrades need to be conducted to allow for energy access from resource-rich solar and wind areas, states renewable-energy producer Enel Green Power (EGP RSA) country manager William Price. Energy transmission is similar to traffic, as energy can flow both ways, but the location of the transmission grid in relation to the energy... Читать дальше...