Modern Mining April 2015

MINING News

Implats unveils fuel cell plans for refinery

True Gold appoints CEO True Gold Mining Inc, listed on the TSX-V, has appointed Christian Milau as its Chief Executive Officer, effective 27 April 2015. Milau joins True Gold from Endeavour Mining Corporation, where he has served as Executive Vice President and CFO, play- ing a leading role in Endeavour’s acquisition, financing, development, and operation of four goldmines (expected to produce almost 500 000 ounces in 2015) in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Mali. True Gold is developing the Karma gold mine (an open-pit, heap leach operation) in Burkina Faso, which will produce 97 000 ounces of gold a year on average over an eight-and-a-half-year mine life. The EPCM contractor is SENET of South Africa. The project has been temporarily shut down after a demonstration at the mine in January led to damage to equipment and property. True Gold says it is currently working on renewing its ties with the community with a view to putting community relations on a firm footing prior to resuming construction. 

from Fuji Electric in Japan. The fuel cells will operate off excess hydrogen piped in for the metal reduction process. They will supply an initial 1,8 MW of power in two tranches and will also produce heat that will be integrated into the operation. The chemical reaction by the fuel cells pro- duces zero emissions except for clean water that can be utilised within the plant. The second phase of the project will involve the installation of a fuel cell facil- ity producing up to 22 MW operating on natural gas and hydrogen that will enable Implats’refinery to realise its aim of operat- ing off the national electricity grid. In the future, Implats will also con- sider opportunities to deploy stationary power plants with the ultimate aim of using fuel cells as the core energy source for its underground mining equipment. This could also provide an opportunity to significantly enhance mine ventilation requirements and reduce heat, as well as noxious and sulphurous emissions. 

Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Implats) announced recently further plans to use fuel cells to provide energy at its platinum group metals refinery in Springs, east of Johannesburg, from early 2016. Implats, which is the world’s second largest platinum producer, continues to play a critical role in the development of markets for platinum fuel cells and intends using fuel cells for stationary power at its refineries. Implats CEO Terence Goodlace says this is a very exciting and timely initiative given the current power constraints in the coun- try. Platinum fuel cells provide an effective alternative energy supply for mining and industrial companies in South Africa. The company has partnered with Mitochondria Energy, a local business, to develop and deliver fuel cell solutions which provide sustainable economic returns. The first phase of the project will see the mining company installing cells using phosphoric acid fuel cell technology

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