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South Africa spelled out a detailed green hydrogen pursuit at the United Nations Industry Development Organisation (UNIDO) conference attended by 70 countries in Vienna on Wednesday, April 8, where South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation green hydrogen just energy transition investment plan programme director Rebecca Maserumule outlined the steps South Africa is taking to initiate first-mover green hydrogen project development.

From a critical meetals perspective, South Africa is the host of the overwhelmingly largest global volumes of platinum group metals, which can serve as catalysts in electrolysers that separate water into hydrogen and oxygen and then play a second catalytic role by converting the hydrogen back into electricity that provides emission-free mobility for buses, trucks trains, cars, ships and planes as well as stationary electricity. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Hydrogen anchors the global future energy mix, was Maserumule final statement after reporting that the initiatives that are under way to assist first movers include a 120-question final investment decision as swell as the partnering of first movers to international conferences.

"Next month, we'll be in Rotterdam, and the delegation will led by our Minister of Electricity and Energy," Maserumule reported.

The panel discussion, covered by Mining Weekly, was moderated by UK global green industries head Paul Durrant and participating were Germany international green hydrogen ramp-up head Gunther Grathwohl, Netherlands international and European hydrogen senior policy coordinator Rodrigo Scholtbach, Italy hydrogen and its derivatives senior export Roberto Cianella, and Brazil renewable energy division head Lais de Souza Garcia, who expressed strong optimism about the future of hydrogen in the South American country.

"We're living in uncertain times now, so it's not quite clear how much hydrogen we'll need, but what is clear is that we'll need hydrogen," Grathwohl emphasised, adding that it is also clear that Germany is unable to produce the hydrogen it needs domestically, a situation which is quite the opposite in Southern Africa.

"We have amazing renewable resources in wind and solar to producing the hydrogen molecules and be a partner to the rest of the world," Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme policy planning head Joseph Mukendwa pointed out during the opening panel discussion.

This was outlined shortly after the conference heard that two thirds of the volumes of hydrogen needed in Austria will have to be imported, about which Netherlands international and Scholtbach said ditto in the case of the Netherlands, and Germany.

"We have in Europe one of the main demand centres worldwide and if you look a bit further, Japan, South Korea will also be depending on imported volumes," added Scholtbach, which presents major supply opportunity for the global south.

"We're open to importing hydrogen," said Italy's energy markets DG Alessandro Noce, while adding that hydrogen is not only a decarbconiser but a driver of inclusive growth, to which

Durrant, who moderated the discussion, responded that he loved the fact hydrogen brings economic development and growth with its cleanness.

"Africa clearly has vast potential for clean hydrogen production but many of the projects that we've seen mooted in Africa have yet to reach final investment decision. There is clearly a risk that if producing countries and their institutions are consistently required to underwrite the earliest and riskiest stage of development, without the strength of those offtake agreements and other things in place, those countries are essentially de risking projects for others at their own cost.

"From a South African perspective, what would genu...

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 honour of World Diamond Day on April 8, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has revealed some of the world's most famous and fascinating diamonds it has examined over the years.

GIA helps to uncover the science, history and rarity behind diamonds that have captivated collectors, museums and the public for generations. It has since its establishment in 1931 been recognised as the world's foremost authority in gemology and assesses more than four-million diamonds every year.

Among the most remarkable discoveries have been legendary diamonds such as the Hope Diamond, the Dresden Green, the Winston Red, the Taylor-Burton Diamond and the recently examined Motswedi diamond, the largest single crystal diamond ever examined by GIA.

These remarkable diamonds are admired for their beauty and the stories they carry through history.

The 45.52 ct Hope Diamond remains one of the world's most famous coloured diamonds, known for its Fancy Dark grayish blue color and centuries-long journey from India to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.

The Dresden Green, weighing about 41 ct, is recognized as the largest known natural green diamond, while the 2.33 ct Winston Red is one of the world's rarest pure red diamonds and the only Fancy red diamond on public display.

More recently, GIA examined the 2 488 ct Motswedi diamond, recovered from Botswana in 2024. The rough diamond, a high-purity Type IIa gem, drew worldwide attention for its exceptional size and quality.

Being the second-largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered, the Motswedi offers scientists a rare window into how some of Earth's largest diamonds form deep within the planet, where carbon crystallizes into diamond under extreme pressure and temperature hundreds of kilometres below the surface.

"For nearly a century, GIA has been at the center of advancing gemological knowledge, setting the global standards that underpin confidence in gems and jewelry," said GIA president and CEO Pritesh Patel.

Notably, GIA established the standards for evaluating diamonds – the 4Cs of Diamond Quality and the GIA International Diamond Grading System – in the 1940s and 1950s. The association continues to evolve its scientific research and capabilities to bring clarity and confidence to an increasingly complex landscape.

"The examination of these extraordinary stones reflects not only their rarity and history, but also GIA's enduring commitment to rigorous science, transparency and leadership that gem and jewelry buyers rely on," Patel noted.

GIA has also examined royal treasures, such as the Marie-Thérèse Pink diamond, and historic objects such as the Antique Mughal Spectacles with gemstone lenses.

Through grading and research, GIA helps document the characteristics, origin insights and gemological significance of stones and objects that continue to shape culture, design and public fascination.

GIA's role in examining notable stones reflects its broader mission to protect the public trust in gems and jewellery through science, education and unbiased analysis.

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Diversified mining major Anglo American and EDF have switched on more renewable energy in South Africa through their Envusa joint venture's (JV's) rapid back-to-back project execution model.

The latest 140 MW Umsobomvu Wind Farm reached commercial operation date just weeks after Mooi Plaats Solar PV's 240 MW, bringing 380 MW of the Koruson 2 cluster into commercial operation.

The third project, Hartebeesthoek Wind, also with 140 MW, remains on track to turn on commercially in June and complete the full 520 MW cluster.

The renewable electricity supplied displaces coal-fired grid power across platinum group metals company Valterra, iron-ore mining company Kumba, and diamond mining company De Beers.

When fully operational, the 520 MW Koruson 2 cluster is expected to abate 2.2-million tonnes of CO2 a year.

The construction phase of the Koruson 2 cluster generated thousands of direct and indirect jobs across the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape, two provinces with some of South Africa's highest unemployment rates. Mooi Plaats is in the Northern Cape and Umsobomvu and Hartebeesthoek are in the Eastern Cape.

Local procurement targets were embedded in construction contracts, and Envusa has committed R20-million to socioeconomic development for the Inxuba Yethemba and Umsobomvu communities.

Koruson 2's three utility-scale projects are within one of South Africa's richest renewable-energy corridors.

All three projects connect to the Koruson 400 kV main transmission substation, built as part of EDF's Koruson 1 project cluster, the largest privately constructed transmission substation in South Africa, designed to connect up to 1.5 GW of renewable energy to the national grid.

"Umsobomvu reaching commercial operation date confirms what we've always believed about Envusa – that it's a platform built on exceptional execution," EDF Southern Africa VP Tristan de Drouas stated in a release to Mining Weekly.

With Mooi Plaats and Umsobomvu now live, the portfolio wheeling framework of Envusa, an aggregator and trader, is active across the two operational projects, supplying more than ten mine sites. Developed in close collaboration with Eskom, the approach is described as a new model for industrial renewable energy supply in South Africa.

"This is a technically demanding project in a complex grid environment, and every person involved gave everything to meet this milestone," Envusa execution head Hanli Smit explained.

The Koruson 2 projects were structured from the outset to deliver tangible benefit to surrounding communities and to advance black economic empowerment.

Pele Green Energy, an established South African independent power producer, holds a 20% equity stake in the three Koruson 2 project companies and a community trust has been established to ensure that local communities participate directly in the financial benefits generated over the 20-year operating life of each asset.

Envusa is simultaneously advancing an ambitious pipeline targeting 3 GW to 5 GW of wind, solar and battery storage projects across South Africa and the broader Southern African region by 2030.

The company's strategy is to extend beyond its current mining sector clients to supply other hard-to-abate industries, where the need for cost-competitive clean energy is equally urgent.

"Two projects down, one more to come in June – and beyond that, a pipeline that will define the next chapter of South Africa's energy transition. Umsobomvu reaching commercial operation date is not the finish line – it's confirmation that we're on the right track," Envusa CEO Nicole Mason pointed out.

The JV develops, finances and operates utility-scale renewable-energy assets.

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discusses how a flow-through shares incentive scheme could solve the country’s exploration problems; South Africa positioning itself as a platinum-based hydrogen technology leader; and hydrogen becoming a broad demand, strong growth sector.

South Africa's State-owned IDC to convert Orion loan facility into equity

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South Africa's State-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has agreed to convert its convertible loan facility to the Sydney- and Johannesburg-listed Orion Minerals into equity.

Orion is reviving the fully permitted Prieska copper/zinc mine (PCZM) in South Africa's Northern Cape, which last operated in 1991, with a mining resource of 31-million tonnes at 1.2% copper and 3.6% zinc.

The equity will be in Orion's subsidiary, PCZM HoldCo, in accordance with the loan facility agreement dated February 2023 and the implementation agreement executed on Tuesday, March 31. Following completion of the equity conversion, the IDC will hold 23.8% of PCZM HoldCo, an effective interest of 16.7% in PCZM and retain a shareholder loan of R272.4-million.

"With the IDC conversion agreed, we'll now focus on completing the remaining conditions precedent to the Glencore financing and offtake agreements," Orion CEO Tony Lennox stated in a media release to Mining Weekly.

PCZM has a prepayment agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Glencore for a $250-million prepayment facility linked to the sale of bulk copper and zinc concentrates from the Prieska project.

The facility will fund the Uppers development and partially fund the Deeps development at Prieska, highlighted as a significant step in Orion's transition to a fully operational company.

First concentrate from PCZM is now expected at the end of the first quarter of 2027.

IDC executive: industry planning and project development Rian Coetzee pointed out that the take-up of an equity position in PCZM HoldCo underscored IDC's support for the development of the project and its alignment with South Africa's industrialisation and beneficiation objectives.

"IDC's participation reflects our confidence in the project's fundamentals, strategic importance, and contribution to regional economic development, including job creation and supply-chain stimulation.

"This equity participation is consistent with IDC's mandate to support strategically important, commercially sustainable projects that advance industrial development and long-term economic value.

"The equity investment forms part of IDC's mandate to support inclusive growth and industrial capability," Coetzee explained.

Also in the Northern Cape is Orion's Okiep copper project, in which the IDC has a 43.75% shareholding.

Orion Minerals reported on March 19 that it had finalised the settlement of the remaining R14.74-million consideration for the acquisition of a controlling interest in the Okiep copper project. The consideration comprised R2.3-million in cash and R12.44-million in shares.

Orion entered into definitive agreements in 2021 to acquire the mineral rights and associated assets held by Southern African Tantalum Mining, Nababeep Copper Company and Bulletrap Copper through its subsidiary companies New Okiep Mining Company and New Okiep Exploration Company.

Minerals Council South Africa acting chief economist Bongani Motsa this week emphasised the richness of the Northern Cape this week ahead of the upcoming Northern Cape Investment and Jobs Conference 2026, which will take place in Kimberley from April 13 to 15.

Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul told the collaboration session in Sandton that mining is one of the six critical pillars of the province's industrialisation and development strategy, along with infrastructure development and transport corridors to support an expanded mining sector.

Saul described the Northern Cape as one of South Africa's most under-explored and underutilised yet highest potential regions and invited business and investors to reimagine the Northern Cape as a future-facing, globally competitive indus...