Jubilee Platinum makes ConRoast breakthrough

[miningmx.com] — AGREEMENT between Jubilee Platinum (Jubilee) and Northam Platinum (Northam) over utilisation of the ConRoast smelting technology is a major breakthrough, according to Jubilee executive Leon Coetzer .

He told Miningmx: “It’s a pivotal development. Up until now it has been Mintek and Jubilee trying to convince people of the advantages of this new technology. Now the platinum industry is starting to come on board.’

The ConRoast technology was developed by Mintek which granted an exclusive commercial licence to Braemore Platinum, now a wholly-owned Jubilee subsidiary.

The technology uses a DC arc smelting process able to treat high chrome-bearing platinum concentrates produced from UG2 ore, which can cause serious problems with conventional smelters.

Jubilee and Northam have signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint venture which will evaluate the construction of a ConRoast furnace.

The furnace will be sited near Middelburg and will treat platinum group metal (pgm) concentrates from Northam’s Booysendal mine, which is currently under development.

Northam projects manager Rene Rautenbach told Miningmx: “The furnace will be able to produce between 200,000 ounces and 300,000 oz of pgm annually, depending on the grade of the concentrate which is fed to it.

“The site at Middelburg is close to the Booysendal mine and will also be independent of Eskom power, because we will provide our own power from generators using gas from Sasol. That’s a huge plus for us.’

Coetzer declined to estimate the likely cost of the new smelter at this stage, saying this would be determined by the bankable feasibility study which would now be carried out by the JV.

Rautenbach pointed out it would cost considerably less to build the ConRoast smelter than a conventional smelter with the same capacity.

Braemore’s stated strategy has always been to use the ConRoast technology as a way of gaining equity stakes in promising platinum mining ventures.

Coetzer said the Northam JV would be a straight commercial deal and Jubilee would not be looking for an equity stake in Booysendal.

“Using our technology to gain equity stakes in mining projects remains our strategy, and we will look to earn back equity positions in future deals utilising Conroast,’ he said.

Rautenbach said: “This will be a 50/50 JV which will toll smelt concentrates from Booysendal.’