MiningWeekly.com Audio Articles

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer unpacks the partnership between Rand Refinery and Ghana’s Gold Coast Refinery; Sasol and Valterra Platinum’s CEOs being part of one of the world’s biggest CEOs-only alliances; and experts calling the new blue diamond recovered at Cullinan one o

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.

Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed surface gold mining company DRDGOLD has, through its wholly owned Ergo subsidiary, disposed of its 100% interest in Stellar Energy Solutions to NOA Group Assets for R147.5-million cash.

Headed by CEO Karel Cornelissen, NOA is a South African renewable energy independent power producer, aggregator and energy trader, with a trading licence from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa.

DRDGOLD commenced the development of a 150 MWh solar plant in Polokwane, Limpopo, in collaboration with the Neethling family in 2023. The Stellar project is shovel-ready with most licences and approvals having been obtained, including the budget quote from Eskom.

Stellar represents DRDGOLD's second initiative in the solar energy sector.

During the 2025 financial year, the company successfully commissioned a 60 MWh solar plant and accompanying 160 MWh battery energy storage system at its Ergo gold recovery operation, near Brakpan in South Africa's Gauteng province.

This facility provides 12 hours of off-grid power daily to Ergo, meeting half the operation's total power requirements. Surplus power fed into the national grid is credited by Eskom against Ergo's consumption.

In addition to realising cost savings, DRDGOLD is earning credits from Eskom for this supply and will pursue carbon credits in due course. Abatement of about 182 000 t of CO2-equivalent is expected.

Concurrent with the disposal is DRDGOLD's electricity supply agreement with NOA to provide 76 GWh a year of renewable energy, with supply starting in January 2028. This agreement advances DRDGOLD's objective of reducing its carbon footprint and aligns with the anticipated increased production profile under DRDGOLD's Vision 2028 growth strategy.

The disposal enables DRDGOLD to realise value from the Stellar project while securing a long-term renewable energy supply agreement that supports the company's operational requirements and sustainability objectives.

DRDGOLD's Vision 2028 aims to lift consolidated throughput to three-million tonnes a month and yearly production of 6 t of gold.

Under Vision 2028, the company, headed by CEO Niël Pretorius, is investing about R8-billion over three years in five large projects to extend their operating lives by up to two decades, as well as to significantly increase throughput.

At its Far West Gold Recoveries project, Phase 2 of the expansion continued throughout this year, including detailed engineering for the DP2 plant and a proposed carbon-in-leach circuit. The plant is being expanded to reach a throughput of 1.2-million tonnes a month, sourcing tailings from the Driefontein 3 and Libanon tailings dams.

At Ergo, DRDGOLD is preparing to resume deposition at the Daggafontein tailings storage facility (TSF) and developing the Withok TSF to systematically replace the Brakpan TSF, with the latter operating at a reduced rate of 1.65-million tonnes a month.

Mining Weekly can report that 2026 marks NOA's fourth year of operation in the private power sector, where the company is growing a pipeline of projects across multiple provinces. At its projects under construction, there have been initiatives by NOA and its engineering, procurement and construction partners to develop local communities and economies by employing local workers, enabling small businesses, improving local infrastructure, and supporting environmental education and school initiatives.

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.

Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed South32 is targeting the copper-dominant Arctic project in the Ambler mining district of north-western Alaska with its Canada-based 50:50 joint venture (JV) exploration and development partner Trilogy Metals.

"During the quarter, our Ambler Metals joint venture approved a $35-million work programme to advance the high-grade Arctic polymetallic deposit and test exploration targets within this underexplored, regional land package in Alaska," South32 CEO Graham Kerr disclosed in the diversified mining company's latest quarterly report released on Thursday, January 22.

Mining Weekly can report that Ambler Metals, the operating company for the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects, has signed off on a 2026 programme that prioritises preparation of mine permit submissions for the Arctic project, while advancing engineering, environmental and technical work required to support a future final investment decision.

The JV is targeting 2026 mine permit submissions and assessing the potential to leverage US federal expedited permitting frameworks, including FAST-41, which is a process of reducing environmental review timelines.

Alongside the permitting push, Ambler Metals plans to continue technical and organisational derisking across the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects, with this year's exploration activities focusing primarily on the Arctic project and geotechnical and drilling programmes intended to support mine design, infrastructure placement and production planning.

Also featuring in the 2026 programme is the Bornite project, with the JV is planning to reopen the Bornite camp during the summer field season. Work will include geotechnical and exploration drilling, as well as camp maintenance and capital improvements to enable multi-year use and future exploration campaigns.

Ambler Metals will also re-establish an independent management team during 2026 to oversee the next phase of project advancement. This team will be tasked with progressing permitting for the Arctic project, executing critical drill programmes, advancing technical studies and strengthening community engagement, workforce development and local participation.

SOUTH AFRICAN ALUMINIUM

In South Africa, South32's half-year aluminium production increased by 2% amid the Hillside Aluminium operation in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, continuing to test its maximum technical capacity.

Studies being undertaken on the future power source for South32's Hillside Aluminium beyond 2031 are taking place amid awareness of the different energy levers that can potentially be pulled for Hillside, the southern hemisphere's largest aluminium smelter.

The power agreement, which extends to 2031, is providing time to study power options for Hillside, which draws on 1 140 MW virtually every minute of the day, every day of the week, every week of the year.

The competitive smelter contributes nearly R10-billion to South Africa's GDP and public–private effort could ensure that the aluminium produced can benefit from the green price premium being paid for carbon-light aluminium.

SOUTH AFRICA MANGANESE

Manganese production increased by 58% in the December 2025 half-year, when Australia Manganese returned to normalised production rates and South Africa Manganese completed planned maintenance.

South Africa Manganese is located in the manganese-rich Kalahari basin that hosts 80% of the world's manganese and is made up of the opencast Mamatwan mine, which began operating more than half a century ago, and the underground Wessels mine, which followed a few years later.

The two mines are part of the Hotazel Manganese Mines consortium, in which South32 holds 44.4%. The remaining interest is held by Anglo America plc and broad-based black economic empo...

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.

In a major advance that enables local refining of artisanal and small-scale (ASM) gold and elevates West Africa's responsible sourcing standards to a new high, South Africa's Rand Refinery, as Africa's leading London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) good delivery accredited refiner, has entered a strategic partnership with Ghana's Gold Coast Refinery to provide technical, operational and commercial supervision.

As an LBMA-accredited refinery, Rand Refinery enforces strict, audited compliance to eliminate conflict gold, combat money laundering, and ensure environmental and social responsibility throughout its supply chain.

In a media release to Mining Weekly, Rand Refinery CEO Dean Subramanian hailed the signing of the agreement as a momentous occasion and declared that Rand Refinery, as the leading LBMA good delivery accredited refiner on the continent, stood ready to support the aspirations of the Ghana government for local refining, through the partnership with the Accra-based Gold Coast Refinery, which has a refining capacity of more than 80 t of gold a year and scope to grow.

Gold Coast Refinery, which was established in 2016, has signed an agreement with the government-owned Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) to meet responsibly mined and sourcing standards while refining up to 1 000 kg of ASM gold dore a week.

The GoldBod is the sole entity authorised to buy, sell, and export gold from small-scale miners in Ghana.

Subramanian expressed strong commitment to working with Gold Coast Refinery and Goldbod to implement the necessary framework and to ensure that the material sourced meets international responsible sourcing requirements.

Interestingly, the Rand Refinery, which turns 106 later this year, prioritises sustainability through its "People, Planet, Product and Provenance" framework, which goes all out to ensure Africa's gold benefits local communities and reduces environmental impact.

Through these strategic partnerships, South Africa's illustrious Rand Refinery will further strengthen the footprint that it has on the African continent, as the preferred refining partner that supports and enables local ASM refining while ensuring ethical sourcing and transparency.

"We're committed to supporting and developing Africa's ASM sector as a key enabler of country economic growth," Subramanian emphasised in the release dated Tuesday, January 20, the day the LBMA reported at all-time high gold price of $4 747.80/oz.

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.

In an announcement to Mining Weekly from Brussels on Tuesday January 20, South Africa's Simon Baloyi, the CEO of Sasol, and South Africa's Craig Miller, the CEO of Valterra Platinum, featured prominently as board members of the Hydrogen Council, which is one of the world's biggest CEOs-only alliances and which is now strongly emphasising the take off of its next big delivery phase.

In the words of Hydrogen Council co-chair Jaehoon Chang, who is also vice-chair of Hyundai Motor Group, "we stand at a pivotal moment for the scale-up of the hydrogen industry" and second co-chair François Jackow, who is also CEO of Air Liquide, declared the words "lead, build, and deliver" as the council's new mandate,

As the newest board member, Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli hailed hydrogen as "a versatile, clean energy vector that we firmly believe has the potential to drive meaningful industrial outcomes, from fostering economic growth to reducing emissions and transforming power generation", while Hydrogen Council CEO Ivana Jemelkova let it be known that "strong projects are moving forward", with this month's alone including:

Kawaski Heavy Industries signing an agreement with Japan Suiso Energy to build the world's largest liquefied hydrogen carrier, with a capacity of 40 000 m3. The vessel is designed to significantly increase liquefied hydrogen transport capacity and marks an important step toward scaling international hydrogen shipping infrastructure.Uniper signing a long-term binding offtake agreement with AM Green Group for up to 500 000 t/y of renewable ammonia from India, with first deliveries expected from 2028. The agreement helps anchor one of the first large-scale supply corridors between India and Europe and supports decarbonisation across chemicals, refining, and fertiliser value chains.

Partial production starting at Egypt's 100 MW renewable hydrogen and ammonia project in Ain Sokhna. This project, which is being commissioned by Scatec ASA and backed by the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, Orascom Construction plc, and Fertiglobe, is designed to supply renewable hydrogen into ammonia production for export to Europe under long-term contracts supported by Germany's H2Global mechanism.SK Innovation announcing a $300-million investment alongside the Sylvan group to scale hydrogen mobility in South Korea through the SK Hyverse platform. The initiative plans to deploy 29 liquefied hydrogen refuelling hubs and support more than 6 000 hydrogen-powered buses by 2029, targeting high-utilisation public transport applications.

Meanwhile, the Hydrogen Council is focused on unlocking demand through policy action, putting in place pragmatic regulations, building out infrastructure, aligning on global standards, and fostering strong public-private partnerships, with its announcement out of Brussels following closely on the heels of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, where South African President Cyril Ramaphosa positioned green hydrogen at the centre of Africa's big energy opportunity and he did so during a top-level, on-stage interface with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

It also follows Miller's B20 and G20 drive around Johannesburg in a platinum-based fuel cell electric Toyota Mirai, which was fuelled by hydrogen from Sasol, dispensed by Air Products. In addition, South Africa's women-led Bambili Energy provided locally manufactured membrane electrode assemblies needed in the fuel cells that German giant Bosch provided. With BMW, these companies are all collaborating partners within a key mine-to-market green mobiity ecosystem.

Interestingly, Toyota Motor Corporation is also Hydrogen Council board member, along with an alliance of 140 big-name companies that have a collective market capitalisati...