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Independent platinum smelter a step closer
Allan Seccombe
Posted: Tue, 25 Sep 2007

[miningmx.com] -- BRAEMORE Resources, which is establishing an independent platinum smelter in South Africa, will produce some 30,000 oz of platinum group metals at a test facility, on which it is basing its plans to build a standalone plant by mid-2009.

Braemore subsidiary Independence Platinum has secured decade-long rights from South African metals researcher Mintek to commercialise the researcher’s patented ConRoast process that can treat chrome-rich concentrate unlike traditional smelters that produce the lions share of the world’s platinum.

Braemore aims to be the first company offering smelting services outside those offered by the platinum producers extracting the world’s single-largest known source of platinum group metals. Smaller miners have complained of onerous conditions in offtake agreements and the government is keen to see the establishment of an independent smelter.
the exclusive club of PGM producers
Braemore does not currently produce platinum ore or concentrate and hopes to secure concentrate from a burgeoning number of junior companies planning to bring projects into production.

Independence is operating a three megawatt (MW) plant at Mintek’s facilities in Johannesburg to test the ConRoast technology. The first platinum group metals (PGMs) will be tapped as alloy from the smelter this week.

“Braemore will join the ranks, albeit in a small way, of the exclusive club of PGM producers,” managing director Hamish Bohannan said.

The smelter will rely on feed from existing producers – some 12,000 to 15,000 tonnes a year – to produce about 30,000 oz of PGMs. Braemore will tweak the capacity of the plant caused by a number of constraints to double throughput early in 2008.

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It has secured feed enough for six months and is in talking for further supplies.

“Braemore has also entered into discussions with both current and potential new suppliers of difficult-to-smelt concentrates, which are increasingly available from existing and new producers,” Bohannan said.

Lonmin, the world’s third-largest platinum producer, has had ongoing smelter problems related to the high chrome content in its concentrate. It is thought to be one of the existing producers in talks with Braemore.

Braemore wants to use the ConRoast technology to treat chrome-rich concentrate that would otherwise be untreated by the existing smelters because the high chrome content causes major metallurgical problems in the process, or which would be very expensive to bring within the specifications required by other smelters.

Braemore will complete a feasibility study by March 2008 into a 10 MW plant to treat chrome-rich UG2 reef on the Western Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex. The plant is planned to be commissioned by July 2009.

In late 2010, Braemore will have completed another feasibility study into a full-scale 35 MW smelter.