Sylvania Platinum says that the initial production from the Thaba Joint Venture (JV) chrome and platinum group metals (PGMs) recovery project, which is currently under development on the northern part of the western limb of South Africa's Bushveld Complex, is anticipated to begin in the first half of next year.
The joint venture, which will process chrome and PGM ores from historical tailings dumps and current arisings within the Limberg chrome mine area, is comprised of Liberg Mining Company, a subsidiary of ChromTech Mining Company, and Sylvania Metals, a wholly owned South African subsidiary of PGMs producer Sylvania Platinum.
Company chief executive Jaco Prinsloo said the project will turn Sylvania into a big chrome producer as it continues exploring other options.
He said the design, procurement, and construction components of the project are currently on schedule. This is the initial phase of Sylvania's strategy to diversify its output and income streams.
Sylvania's current core business retreatment of PGM-bearing chrome tailings in the six-plant Sylvania Dump Operations (SDO) is on the brink of advancement through the Thaba JV.
This partnership will treat a combination of historical chrome tailings and run-of-mine (ROM) chrome tailings, resulting in a full-margin chromite concentrate revenue stream.
The group also holds mining rights for the Volspruit, Aurora, and Hacra projects, which are PGM projects in the northern limb of the Bushveld Complex.
Scoping study results for the Volspruit project are anticipated in August.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
