Mining Weekly

Sierra Leone wants mining companies to connect to the grid and help reassure renewable-energy investors there’s enough demand in the West African nation to justify an ambitious $10.9-billion power plan. Most mining firms rely on their own diesel supplies to extract iron ore, diamonds, rutile and bauxite in the resource-rich country. Sierra Leone would require them to switch over to the grid by 2040, according to an energy-transition roadmap launched earlier this month.

Australia-listed Lucapa Diamond Company announced on Thursday that Nick Selby had resigned as MD and CEO, citing health issues. His departure is effective immediately.

Canada-listed Montero Mining and Exploration has reached a resolution in its long-running dispute with Tanzania over the expropriation of the Wigu Hill rare earth element (REE) project, confirming a $27-million settlement. Tanzania pay Montero in three installments, the first $12-million has already been received, with the remaining amounts due next year.

Africa-focused Marula Mining has opted to accelerate its initial work programme at the Northern Cape lithium and tantalum (NCLT) project and also seek to leverage its flexible mining and processing capabilities at Blesberg, owing to the significant increase in tungsten APT prices. The NCLT project extends over 15 000 ha and is located contiguous to and immediately north of the company’s existing Blesberg lithium and tantalum mine.

As the world demands more “new” minerals such as copper, lithium and rare earths for use in smart technologies for decarbonisation and clean energy production, African countries have some key considerations to take into account to garner investment in its rich endowment of these minerals. In a panel hosted by Creamer Media on November 20, experts in the critical mineral sector and technology sphere discussed the importance of exploration and defining what critical minerals mean for the African continent.

Euronext- and Frankfurt-listed Akobo Minerals, alongside the Ethiopian government, has announced the official inauguration of the Segele mine, in the Gambella region. Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed joined the ceremony on November 20, which included a gold pour as a symbolic act. The gold pour yielded 6.5 kg of gold.

ASX- and LSE-listed Resolute Mining has confirmed that its CEO Terence Holohan and two other employees have left Mali after finally being released from detention. "All three employees are safe and well," the company says.

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who is Eskom’s shareholder Minister, has reiterated his opposition to the utility receiving a 36.15% tariff hike next year, while also indicating that various policy interventions are being considered to reduce the increase. Speaking at a briefing in Pretoria that coincided with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) nationwide public hearings into Eskom’s sixth multiyear price determination (MYPD6) application, Ramokgopa expressed confidence that the hike would be “significantly” lower than what Eskom was requesting.

South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has granted Whale Head Minerals (WHM), a subsidiary of Aim-listed investment company Kazera Global, an environmental authorisation for the Perdevlei (2a) concession in the Northern Cape. The authorisation was granted well ahead of the anticipated date of January 2025 and brings WHM closer to securing a mining right for the 3 095 ha Perdevlei concession, which contains about 170 ha of high-grade heavy mineral sands (HMS) deposits that are believed to be suitable for immediate mining.

Gold miners Centamin and AngloGold Ashanti have reported that the Jersey Court has sanctioned the scheme of arrangement between the two parties that will result in AngloGold acquiring all of Centamin's share capital.

A remodelled Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for electricity will be released to the public next week and is expected to deviate materially from the heavily criticised draft IRP2023, which was published for public comment in January. Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says the revamped document has taken account of changes in the electricity supply industry since the publication of the draft IRP2023, as well as the 4 338 stakeholder comments received on the document, including 136 “substantive” comments.

A total of 25 countries and the EU are pledging to commit to no new unabated coal power in their next round of national climate plans, the latest global pledge aimed at curbing use of the fuel. Signatories to the agreement, outlined during the ongoing COP29 climate talks in Baku, include Canada, the UK and Germany, according to a statement published Wednesday. China and India, the world’s largest coal consuming nations, aren’t among backers so far, and neither is the US.

Potash development company Kore Potash, which owns 97% of the Kola and DX projects in Congo-Brazzaville, has signed a final engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with PowerChina International Group for the construction of the 2.2-million-tonne-a-year muriate of potash (MoP) Kola project. The EPC contract has been signed at a fixed price of about $1.93-billion, with $708.9-million of that allocated for the construction of transportation links and utility pipelines that will enable the project to avoid relying on State infrastructure.

It is imperative that South Africa and industry decarbonises and, with the transition towards more sustainable forms of energy already occurring, stakeholders should focus on how the transition is implemented in a just manner at the pace that is required, and the steps and strategies this would entail. This was highlighted by Seriti Resources Group CEO Mike Teke, delivering the keynote address during the first day of the C&I Solar+Storage Summit, being held this week in Sandton.

London-listed emerging graphite miner Blencowe Resources has responded to shareholder questions following a capital raise of £1.6-million to fund the completion of a definitive feasibility study (DFS) on the Orom-Cross project, in Uganda. The company aims to complete the DFS by the second quarter of next year.

Japanese trading house Mitsui & Co. has emerged as the highest bidder for a stake in First Quantum Minerals’ Zambian copper mines, according to people familiar with the matter. Mitsui submitted an offer that’s higher than a rival proposal from Saudi Arabia’s state-backed Manara Minerals Investment Co, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. The Japanese company is considering buying a roughly 20% interest in First Quantum’s Sentinel and Kansanshi mines for about $2-billion, according to the people.

A day after halting trading in its shares on the LSE owing to liquidity constraints, integrated vanadium producer Bushveld Minerals has placed its principal operating subsidiary Bushveld Vametco Holdings (VBH), along with Bushveld Vametco Alloys and Bushveld Minerals SA – its South African entities – in business rescue. A business rescue proceeding affords the South African entities protection from legal action while their future is assessed and potential plans to rescue the business are implemented.

Zambia's government has reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a favourable investment climate in the mining sector, citing significant production increases as evidence of the success of its policies, Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has said in a media release. Following a recent visit by the Ministers of Finance and National Planning Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe, Information and Media and chief government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa, and Labour and Social Security Brenda Tambatamba, as well as North-Western province Provincial Minister Robert Lihefu to FQM’s Kansanshi and Trident mining operations, government highlighted a substantial rise in copper production, exceeding expectations and bringing the country closer to its ambitious target of three-million tonnes a year by 2031.

TSX-V-listed Koryx Copper has appointed Heye Daun president and CEO effective immediately. Daun will also retain his position as chairperson.

A new brand that offers a comprehensive portfolio of hydrogen application support off a single platinum group metals (PGMs) company base has been launched at the European Hydrogen Week 2024 by Heraeus Precious Metals, a German-based entity with long-standing association with Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Northam Platinum. The new brand of Heraeus’ Hydrogen Systems Business Line is hailed as providing the collective platinum, iridium, ruthenium and PGMs recycling answers from a single source that the hydrogen economy needs.