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Minerals Council South Africa has responded exceedingly positively to the launch by President Cyril Ramaphosa of the third phase of South Africa's Government-Business Partnership for Growth and Jobs, which marks the next chapter of a joint effort between government and business to accelerate inclusive economic growth, unlock investment, strengthen confidence and create jobs.

The goal is to lift South Africa's economic growth to 3% by 2030 and create one-million jobs. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Unlocking R50-billion in capital currently tied up in planned projects facing delays has been flagged along with restoring investor confidence in mining, which has been singled out as the major driver of economic growth.

Phase three will be about deepening implementation, embedding reforms already undertaken to ensure that progress cannot be reversed.

"This phase must be defined by disciplined execution. Every workstream must have clear objectives, measurable targets, firm timelines and accountable leaders. Progress must be monitored regularly and reported transparently. Where implementation falls behind, we must intervene rapidly.

"Where policies or regulations are holding back investment without serving a legitimate public purpose, they must be reviewed. Where institutional capacity is weak, it must be strengthened.

"Where corruption or vested interests obstruct progress, they must be confronted. We must maintain the highest standards of governance and public integrity," Ramaphosa emphasised at the launch.

Commenting on the development, Minerals Council South Africa president Paul Dunne said in a video release to Mining Weekly: "Our President has just launched the Government-Business Partnership phase three, which will be focused on inclusive economic growth, jobs, and confidence. Mining will take its rightful place on the programme. As you all know, we're a very strong economic force, a primary industry with a strong economic multiplier and an excellent capacity to create real jobs."

Minerals Council South Africa president CEO Mzila Mthenjane, who is also the mining workstream's Focal Area Lead, added: "Really happy this afternoon to be at the phase-three launch of the partnership, where mining is one of the four growth drivers that has been identified and it is on the list of sectors that will be very key to driving South Africa's future economy.

"What is really exciting about this is the confidence that it's showing in the success that has been achieved so far with electricity as well as logistics reform and we're also seeing the progress that is being made on crime and corruption.

"It's really exciting for mining. We've always had a huge sense of belief and conviction in the ability of mining to deliver significant growth and benefit to society in terms of employment creation, in terms of livelihood support, looking at the multiplier effect.

"Of course, in this day and age of demand for the minerals, not only for technology but also for infrastructure within South Africa, in Southern Africa, this bodes very well for mining going forward over the next 20 to 30 years, and that is really the outlook that we have, that mining over those next 20 to 30 years will be delivering significant benefits for South Africans," Mthenjane pointed out.

Minerals Council South Africa senior executive Shamini Harrington described mining as one of South Africa's greatest opportunities for the future. "Its inclusion in phase three of the partnership recognises that unlocking growth, investment and jobs depends on unlocking the full potential of the sector.

"At a time of rising global demand for critical minerals, the moment is definitely now. Working in partnership with the DMPR and government, we have a ...

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer unpacks the latest updates on the $5.8-billion green hydrogen-ammonia project in Nelson Mandela Bay, Exxaro scaling its renewable-energy business; and DRDGold’s very good year.

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a global leader in process and laboratory measurement technology, offering a broad portfolio of instruments, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation.

Further to Massachusetts Institute of Technology spinout SiTration and global miner BHP's initiative to trial valorisation technology in the historic Globe-Miami mining district of Arizona, the companies have announced two pilot deployments at BHP's Copper Cities site.

Starting this month, SiTration and BHP will validate continuous and autonomous production of copper from legacy mining water over one month using an initial small-scale pilot plant. A larger deployment is planned for later this year to produce up to two tonnes of commercial-scale copper cathodes over a two-month period.

The historic Copper Cities site produced almost 400 000 t of copper between the 1950s and 1980s. Today, SiTration and BHP see an opportunity to recover value from legacy mining assets such as these, with the potential to create new pathways for domestic US copper supply.

Through bench-scale testing using real feedstock from the site, SiTration has already demonstrated London Metal Exchange Grade A copper production without using any chemicals or generating new waste products. Additionally, preliminary tests have yielded energy consumption below 4 kWh/kg to recover copper from the diluted legacy mine water.

SiTration CEO and co-founder Brendan Smith believes the American Southwest region houses billions of dollars' worth of copper in legacy mining water. "With global copper demand projected to grow by 70% by 2050, tapping into these resources is an excellent pathway to bolster domestic supply chains while producing copper at the bottom of the global cost curve."

BHP legacy assets GM Kevin Ramsay adds that the Copper Cities pilot provides an opportunity to evaluate an innovative approach to recover copper from mining-impacted water while generating valuable technical and operational insights. "We are excited to work with SiTration to test this technology under real operating conditions and better understand its potential to recover value from legacy mining water sources."

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a global leader in process and laboratory measurement technology, offering a broad portfolio of instruments, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation.

Exxaro wants its growing energy and future-facing metals businesses to account for more than half of group earnings by 2030.

"This is the business we are building for tomorrow," Exxaro CEO Ben Magara said while displaying a slide showing a diversified natural resources champion not only providing earnings and reducing carbon intensity, but also providing the career opportunities of many young and upcoming people "to make sure that we remain a key driver to our country's economy". (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

"We're anchored by a long-life, high-quality and cash-generative coal business, a growing renewable-energy business, and future-facing metals that are built globally with significant manganese exposure.

"As we look ahead, we'll continue to anchor our whole business, and we'll continue to drive in line with our prudent and disciplined capital allocation, underpinned by our people and the conviction to achieve zero harm – and to do this ethically.

"These three business pillars of coal, renewable energy, and manganese and future-facing metals position Exxaro continuously as a consistent dividend payer, sustained for growth."

For the first time, manganese formed part of that picture during the Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company's presentation of 15%-higher half-year cash generation to R6.1-billion on 7% higher revenue inflow.

Coal exports are rising, the renewable-energy business is up 12%, and future-facing metals are no longer a mere heading as manganese adds to income.

The Lephalale solar project (LSP), which reached commercial operation in April, is generating green electrons for Exxaro's Grootegeluk coal mine, the output of Matla is up 38% year-on-year.

"This is an underground mine with continuous miners, extensive labour, and workforce underground, working safely and delivering a 38% improvement year-on-year - very pleasing," Magara reported.

Coal export sales increased by 15% to 3.9-million tons as Exxaro was able to switch between domestic sales and export markets to take advantage of considerably higher export prices.

"We continue to see encouraging improvements in rail performance at an industry level. Coal volumes railed to Richards Bay improved, placing this system on an annualised run rate of about 60-million tons.

"Let me move to our next business pillar – Cennergi," Exxaro's renewable-energy subsidiary, said Magara, noting it is contributing 30% of Grootegeluk's energy requirements and reduced the mine's carbon emissions by 22%. It has also cut electricity costs by R100-million a year.

Wind generation was lower owing to weaker Eastern Cape wind conditions, although plant availability was up and strong at 98%.

With the LSP contributing 66 GWh, total renewable energy generation has increased by 12%.

The benefits of having wind and solar dovetail are continuing to be seen in improved performance in earnings before earnings, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) numbers.

The on-schedule and on-budget Karreebosch wind farm project continues to progress, with commercial operation expected in the first half of 2027.

Exxaro CFO Riaan Koppeschaar said a further R864-million was invested in expansion capital, primarily relating to the completion of the remaining work at the LSP and the continued construction of the Karreebosch wind farm.

R160-million was invested at Lephalale during the first half to complete activities ahead of the commissioning in April, and during the same period, R704-million was spent on Karreebosch.

"Our energy projects are typically funded through a structure comprising 75% project finance and 25% equity funding, optimising returns while maintaining disciplined capital allocation," Koppeschaar said during the presentation covered by Mi...

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a global leader in process and laboratory measurement technology, offering a broad portfolio of instruments, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation.

Fortescue's green grid investment in Australia's northwest is set to provide surplus energy that it can sell to data centres as commercial demand develops, although it has yet to ink any supply agreements, it said as it posted in line results on Thursday.

Fortescue is investing heavily in green energy, battery storage and research as it builds a large scale green energy grid in Western Australia's Pilbara region targeting 1.2GW to 1.5GW of total solar capacity by 2028.

It had flagged an investment of $680-million to develop new green energy infrastructure in Pilbara in April.

Fortescue Metals and Operations CEO, Dino Otranto, said the miner was looking to supply energy to third parties including data centres, but had not yet signed any offtake agreements.

"Fortescue continues to invest in technology that will drive down the cost of green energy and help to deliver our own green metal projects," Otranto said on an earnings call.

"We will develop it, test it, prove it, deploy it, and when the technology has a wider commercial market, we will also take it beyond Fortescue and sell it."

The company said this week it had produced green iron at its Christmas Creek facility, nearly a year behind schedule.

The grid supports Fortescue's decarbonisation targets, the most aggressive among Australia's major miners, and will also allow it to shave $2 per ton to $4 per ton of iron-ore costs, given Middle East instability that has raised prices for diesel.

CHINA STATE BUYER

Fortescue flagged that talks with China's State buyer China Mineral Resources Group (CMRG) could affect the price it gets for its iron-ore as the months-long negotiations drag on.

Broker Jefferies, which has an underperform rating on the stock, said that risk was underscored in its fourth-quarter price realisation for iron-ore, falling to 84% from 88% for the full year.

"We continue to engage with China Mineral Resources Group through respectful, patient and good faith negotiations," Head of Energy Agustin Pichot said on the call.

Pichot added Fortescue was concentrating on making an agreement with CMRG, rather than considering using a single selling desk with its Australian peers for iron-ore to China.

Fortescue declared a final dividend of 46 Australian cents per share, down from 60 cents a year earlier, and its lowest in eight years.

It posted a 2.8% rise in underlying net profit attributable to $3.47-billion for the year ended June 30, broadly in line with the Visible Alpha estimate of $3.52-billion.

Record annual shipments of 201.3-million metric tons and higher iron-ore prices helped Fortescue offset higher hematite C1 unit costs, largely driven by elevated diesel prices, and meet market estimates for annual earnings.

Fortescue said it was served with a class action in July alleging workplace misconduct, including sexual harassment and sex discrimination, with potential damages not yet specified.

The miner paid A$150.4-million ($106.95-million) on July 1 after the Federal Court made final orders in the legal proceedings for compensation to the Yindjibarndi people for cultural loss linked to mining on their land. Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation plans to appeal.