Highlights

• Copper 360 has delivered the first copper concentrate from the Northern Cape Province in 21 years marking the start of a new era in copper production in South Africa.
• The achievement is remarkable in light of the fact that the record concentrate grades in excess of 30% were produced during the commissioning of the MFP 2 (the Nama Copper plant) that was recently acquired.
• The plant produced 136 tonnes of concentrate over a commissioning period of 3 weeks achieving our plan.
• The plant is forecast to produce in excess of 1,000 tonnes of concentrate per month within 3 months – 2 months ahead of planned production.
• The Company’s second concentrate plant MFP 1 is planned to start production at the end of July 2024, with a target capacity of 1,400 concentrate tonnes per month.
• The SX/EW plant that produces copper cathode, also delivered record performance in March 2024 producing some 60 tonnes of pure copper metal and is well on track to ramp up to 100 tonnes of copper per month within the next quarter.

Jan Nelson, CEO of Copper 360 commented: “Copper 360 is extremely proud of this achievement heralding not only the first copper concentrate production from the area in 21 years but also because it marks the start of a new era of copper production in South Africa. We have delivered on plan and at copper concentrate grades that are world-class. Copper 360 is also the only producer of copper cathode from the area.

Copper 360 is South Africa’s only listed pure copper producer and has made history in terms of being the first major copper producer in the Namaqualand region. We salute the tenacity and spirit of the people of Namaqualand who support us tremendously and the drive and passion of our team. We remain humble but we celebrate this historic success which marks South Africa’s return to being a major copper player. Our focus is now to bring our second concentrate plant into production and ramp up copper output. We look forward to reporting further production results in due course.”

Any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement have not been reviewed nor reported on by the Company’s auditors.

On Friday 19 April, in a crucial step towards achieving justice for the children and women who allege lead poisoning caused by a former Anglo American lead mining operation in Kabwe, Zambia, the Johannesburg High Court granted permission to appeal an earlier judgment that dismissed certification of the class action. 

In granting permission Justice Leonie Wendell found that an appeal against her earlier judgment had ‘reasonable prospects of success on at least one ground of appeal’ and that there were ‘compelling reasons to grant the appeal, as class action law is still being developed in South Africa’, and that ‘there are current matters of law of public importance which directly implicate constitutional rights’. The Kabwe Claimants will now take their case against Anglo American South Africa (“AASA”) before the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa later this year. 

This is a major step forward in the longstanding lead poisoning class action claim against AASA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of London headquartered Anglo American Plc. The December judgment effectively blocked access to justice for the people of Kabwe. 

Scope of case

Kabwe was an Anglo American mine from 1925 to 1974. The evidence submitted to the court by the Claimants in support of this claim is clear. From the early 1970s, reports by the Mine doctors showed that several children had died  of lead poisoning from the mine, and a high proportion of  children in the local communities were suffering from massive blood lead levels.

Due to the increase in demand, Hytec Fluid Technology (HFT), a Bosch Rexroth Africa Group company, reopened its Oil Analysis Laboratory in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, on 3 January 2024 with a bolstered service offering.

The state-of-the-art laboratory caters to a range of industries where the reliability and performance of hydraulic fluids, glycols, and related substances are crucial for manufacturing and industrial facilities, power generation plants and chemical processing plants.

To further enhance the laboratory’s service offerings, it now features new technologies. These technologies include the CIX system, which assesses particle level contamination in hydraulic fluids, assisting clients in achieving industry-required ISO 4406 levels of cleanliness in their oil. Another new technology includes the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) machine, which identifies various elements and provides detailed chemical breakdowns of materials.

“The reopening of the laboratory marks an impressive milestone for HFT and Bosch Rexroth Africa. It is equipped to assist clients in achieving optimal performance through advanced analysis techniques. The reopening reflects a continued commitment to resuming full-scale operations and contributes to meeting the industry’s demands for analysis of hydraulic fluids,” said Abigal Nel, Laboratory Analyst, HFT.

With its experience in Africa and its agility in executing projects rapidly, Trafo Power Solutions is supplying three mini-substations and two transformers to a copper-zinc mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

David Claassen, Managing Director of Trafo Power Solutions, says the pressure was on from early in the planning stages to ensure this critical equipment would be available on time – to facilitate the continued  mine expansion. From the date of the contract award, the company will deliver the units to the mine site within just four months – despite most of South African industry taking an annual December break.

“We have conducted projects previously with the end-client and the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, so have a good understanding of their requirements,” explains Claassen. “This experience – combined with our history in the DRC and in the mining sector – gave us the edge in expediting the whole process.”

The order was for two 2000 kVA transformers to step down the electricity supply from 6,6 kV to 550V, as well as three dry-type miniature substations. Two of the mini-substations are rated 315 kVA and 6,6 kV to 400 V, while the third is a 630 kVA unit which also steps down from 6,6 kV to 400 V.

“This equipment is an important part of the mine’s electrical infrastructure upgrade,” he says. “Of particular interest were the dry-type mini-substations, which were quite unique in certain respects.”

As a specialist in dry-type transformer applications, Trafo Power Solutions designed the mini-substations in an IP54 configuration – ensuring that the units are completely sealed from dust and water. This level of insulation usually requires a forced air solution to ensure adequate air movement for cooling.

“For this application, the requirement was for natural air cooling – so the installation would not include external fans and related control instrumentation,” he says. “This option enhances simplicity and further reduces any chance of ancillary equipment needing attention.”

The design of the enclosure and the transformer therefore took account of this configuration, allowing enough natural cooling despite the high ambient daytime temperatures in the region. Another demanding aspect of the contract was that the two 2000 kVA transformers are to replace units in the mine’s existing substation. This required innovative design to ensure that the new equipment fits into the available space.

“Our replacement units have a higher power rating than the ones they will replace, so the design was customised to ensure the mine does not have to re-engineer the space,” says Claassen. “This highlights our flexibility in designing solutions to optimise ease of installation.”

Delivery to site will take place after a factory acceptance test (FAT) has been conducted. While the functional commissioning of the units is not part of Trafo Power Solutions’ scope of supply on this contract, the company offers a standard commissioning and assistance service. This is part of its value-add to any of its contracts.

“The rapid pace of this project indicates a growing trend not only in mining but in other sectors, towards fast tracking new developments and expansions,” he notes. “Clients are expecting their supply partners to deliver on shorter timelines, so one of our key strategies is to learn from each project and apply those lessons going forward.”

This keeps Trafo Power Solutions at the forefront of efficient project execution, focusing actively on quality and communication. This ensures first-time accuracy and customised designs, so that no time is lost by unnecessarily revisiting aspects of the project as it progresses.

“Our non-corporate approach means that we can take decisions and act quickly on matters commercial and technical,” says Claassen. “Our proven skill is in achieving these goals without compromising on quality.”

Contact information

On behalf of Trafo Power Solutions

Website: https://www.trafo.co.za/

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