Global mining giant Rio Tinto has announced that its mineral sands operations Richard’s Bay Minerals (RBM) , located in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, will be supplied with renewable solar power through an agreement with international energy company Voltalia and local Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) partners. Under the agreement, Voltalia will begin construction of the Bolobedu Solar…
Anglo American and EDF Renewables have agreed to form Envusa Energy, a new jointly owned company, to develop a regional renewable energy ecosystem (“RREE”) in South Africa. In March 2022, the two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the ecosystem’s development, designed to meet Anglo American’s operational power requirements in South Africa and…
South32’s Hillside Aluminium operation has partnered with Solana Energy to bring sustainable energy to one of South Africa’s most important commercial hubs. Launched in June 2022, the multi-phased project will see the establishment of renewable solar power infrastructure in the Richard’s Bay and King Cetshwayo District (KCD) economic regions, which is expected to add between…
Bloomberg reports that Zimbabwe Minister of Finance has called on mining companies in the country to pay royalties in cash and commodities. Zimbabwe wants gold, diamond and platinum miners to pay half of their royalties to the government in the commodities themselves and the rest in cash, as the southern African country seeks to build its…
Rio Tinto this week announced it will join the First Movers Coalition, a global initiative to help commercialise zero-carbon technologies by harnessing purchasing power and supply chains. More than 50 companies with a collective market value of about $8.5 trillion across five continents now make up the coalition to create early markets for innovative clean…
Mining and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says the Mpumalanga towns of Ermelo, Middleburg, Witbank, Hendrina and those within range of the coal-fired power stations would perish if the power stations were to be switched off. Addressing investors at the Limpopo Provincial Mining, Energy & Industrialisation 2022 Investment Conference on Thursday morning, Mantashe told delegates that…
Anglo American Platinum announced the launch of a new employee share ownership plan (“ESOP”), envisaged to be implemented during Q4 2022. The ESOP will see employees receiving Anglo American Platinum listed shares to the value of R8,000 each per year, in addition to participation in the evergreen ownership of 2% of Rustenburg Platinum Mines (“RPM”),…
Australian-listed Invictus Energy Ltd IVZ.AX has started drilling one of two exploration wells for oil and gas in the northern part of Zimbabwe, Reuters reported on Monday. The 3.5 kilometre (2.17 miles) deep well, situated in the Muzarabani-Mbire area, is part of the Cabora Bassa project in Zimbabwe, which is 80% owned and operated by Invictus through…
While global investment in renewable energy has increased, a new Bloomberg report shows that half of the countries that pledged to phase out coal at the COP26 talks saw an increase in coal generation in 2021. The continued use of coal-fired energy has resulted in a 7% increase in sector emissions beginning in 2021. More…
Business groups have urged the South African government to postpone the implementation of new carbon tax increases until after 2035. Business Unity South Africa (Busa), Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), and others have called for the government to consider a higher carbon price only “after 2035,” a delay in annual carbon tax increases until “at…
