Opinion: African minerals are critical for the green energy transition

Opinion: African minerals are critical for the green energy transition: In this article, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung – South African Institute of International Affairs scholar Danielle Marais writes about the importance of Africa's mineral resources for the global green energy transition.

BVian's SOUTHERN AFRICAN MINING AND RESOURCES NEWS: Green hydrogen truck trials going well – Anglo

BVian's SOUTHERN AFRICAN MINING AND RESOURCES NEWS: Green hydrogen truck trials going well – Anglo: Green hydrogen truck trials going well – Anglo : The 500 t world-first haulage truck powered by green hydrogen last week underwent fully loa...

Stock Trading now!

 There seems to be a recovery taking place in the United States as recovery still continues amongst the larger companies as profits are up, in key areas of the market. 

Europe struggles on as they are nearer to the war in Ukraine. How ever they are mostly showing a strong resolve to become power resource independent and at the same time boosting their clean air comitments!

The war in Ukraine is so obviously a fight between right  and wrong, that no one is in doubt that the Ukranians are being bullied to give up their freedoms and independence that have had for the last 50 years!

Remarkable unity,amongst  the Europeans has been shown and although it is costing its own citizens a steep price they realise ,if Russia gets its evil way they will then be next in the firing line!

We in South Africa have opted for neutrality in this war as our diverse society is split down the middle on actions to be taken. Fortunately we have minerals that will always be needed in all circumstances.

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Single mineral mines can suffer as supply might be interupted by oversupply.

 How ever we have the platinum group metals of which we along with Russia and Canada are the main suppliers. The main minerals in this group are Platinum,Palladium and Rhodium, Each is a seperate mineral found in the same vein(groove) in the mine. There is always at least one that is in short supply as the others drift into over supply form time to time!

Other minerals produced in smaller quantity by these same mines is Iridium,Osmium,Silver and Gold!

Please America do not abandon us as we are looked upon with covetous eyes by China and Russia!

Make green hydrogen part of official economic recovery plan, Dept of Science & Innovation urges

Make green hydrogen part of official economic recovery plan, Dept of Science & Innovation urges: South Africa should leverage the hydrogen opportunity as part of its official economic reconstruction and economic recovery plan. Dr Cosmas Chiteme, the director of hydrogen and energy at Department of Science and Innovation, highlighted this as the top key message on the way forward at the conclusion of his address to the Seventh Platinum Group Metal (PGM) Roundtable, hosted by South Africa’s Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra). (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Botswana Diamonds agrees 3% royalty with Petra for data on Reivilo prospect

Botswana Diamonds agrees 3% royalty with Petra for data on Reivilo prospect: London-listed Botswana Diamonds has entered into a data licence agreement with fellow-listed Petra Diamonds to gain access to the full library of data on the Reivilo kimberlite cluster. Botswana Diamonds was recently awarded a prospecting licence over the Reivilo prospect, with Petra having been the prior holder of the licence.

Transnet announces three-year deal with key union after brutal strike

Transnet announces three-year deal with key union after brutal strike: Transnet announced on Monday that it had reached an agreement with the United National Transport Union (UNTU) for a three-year wage deal. UNTU represents 54% of unionised employees at Transnet.

Business appeals for swift resolution to Transnet strike, as miners lose R815m a day

Business appeals for swift resolution to Transnet strike, as miners lose R815m a day: As the impasse between Transnet and its two recognised unions – the United National Transport Union (Untu) and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) – continues, organised business has called for a “swift, sustainable resolution”, while government Ministers have expressed “extreme concern” over the negative economic fallout of the strike. In a joint statement, Business Unity South Africa (Busa) and Business Leadership South Africa rejected short-term solutions, such as temporarily increasing levies, which they said could have unintended consequences.

On a knife edge !

 The market is on a knife edge! Usually when there has been a drop of 30% to 40 % there is a consolidation  then a slow rise of stock prices and then as further gain at a faster pace going well above the price at which the market started declining. Especially after a sharp sell-off of the whole market as now occured, with the war in Ukraine and world powers moves to lower the pain for their citizens financially.

The elephant in the room is of course Russia with threats to use mini nuclear bombs to again gain the upper hand as they are losing the war at the moment. A dreadful thought at the moment of course as this is a red line which would up the ante as they would not be allowed to get away with it!

All southern hemesphere countries are rich  in mineral resoures and their products will always be in demand as what ever happens the world  needs most of them so they are a better bet than manufactured products a this stage. In our opinion only this seems as a good time to start nibbling at the stratregic mines .

.All the latest updates are in the right hand column.

Major platinum mining company planning 520 MW renewable generation ....

Major platinum mining company planning 520 MW renewable generation: Platinum group metals mining and marketing company Implats is planning to introduce 520 MW of renewable power as part of an ambition to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% by 2030 and become carbon neutral in 2050. The current carbon generation of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company is about 3.3-million tons of carbon a year, which it aims to reduce to 2.2-million tons, a saving of 1.1-million tons.a

Forward Looking Ideas.

  Resource Stocks climbed quite nicely as the word recovered from the Covid scourge.How ever the Ukraine war did not cause much slow down in this early activity as many felt this would fizzle out in some sort of agreement and every thing would continue as normal.

  As this now turned into a struggle between the major Western Democratic and Axis Russia and China power blocks we must realise this indeed a war which might not end soon.

  Russia might turn to more dreadful weapons as they don't value human life and suffering as we in the west do if they feel they are losing the contest.

   In these circumstances it would be wise not to buy in to stocks at this stage.In the last couple of months resource stocks have fallen by an average of 30% here in South Africa. This has happened during many particular recessionary phases and they always recover to greater heights quickly after that. 

   How ever this time it would be wise to wait till real sign of recovery persists.

   REMEMBER HASTE CAN CAUSE YOU TO GET IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND THEN FIND THAT YOU GET OUT IN THE BASEMENT !

Do read the updates in the right hand column 

Platinum could see at least 400 000 oz/y of demand from green hydrogen sector

Platinum could see at least 400 000 oz/y of demand from green hydrogen sector: The World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC) finds in its Platinum Perspectives August 2022 research that platinum’s role in enabling the achievement of global decarbonisation targets could be highly significant, given its use in proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers. In turn, PEM electrolysers, when powered with renewable energy, generates green hydrogen. The WPIC explains that zero-emissions green hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be used in a range of applications to replace fossil fuels.

President Ramaphosa’s got it right, says ex-Eskom CEO on new energy plan

President Ramaphosa’s got it right, says ex-Eskom CEO on new energy plan: African Rainbow Energy and Power CEO and former Eskom CEO Brian Dames concurs fully with the energy plan unveiled by President Cyril Ramaphosa. “I think he’s got it right,” was Dames's summing up of the President's energy initiative during a discussion at the Coal & Energy Transition Day, covered by Mining Weekly. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

See the right hand side column for all the latest Updates

Decarbonisation, renewables can create new economic sectors in SA – Anglo Platinum

Decarbonisation, renewables can create new economic sectors in SA – Anglo Platinum: Anglo American Platinum CEO Natascha Viljoen on Monday expressed the firm belief that decarbonisation and renewable energy have the potential to create new economic sectors in South Africa. On the renewable energy front, Viljoen also revealed that Anglo Platinum is itself ahead of schedule in the development of its broader national renewable energy strategy, which involves deeloping between 3GW and 5GW of wind, solar and hydropumping and storage power.

See the right hand side column for the latest Updates

Russia ban seen tightening coal market that’s already surging

Russia ban seen tightening coal market that’s already surging: A looming ban on Russian coal imports by the European Union will add to supply pressure that’s sent prices of the fossil fuel hurtling to a record, according to a key Australian producer. Global supply constraints and strong demand pushed Asia’s benchmark Newcastle thermal coal to a quarterly record of $377-a ton in the three months through June, Whitehaven Coal said Monday in a statement. The company expects to report a jump in earnings to A$3-billion ($2-billion) from A$204.5-million when it next month reports financial-year results.

'The losses are enormous': Mpumalanga shutdown hits coal, chrome exporters

'The losses are enormous': Mpumalanga shutdown hits coal, chrome exporters: Blockaded roads and disruption of transport routes associated with the Mpumalanga shutdown have served to twist the knife in commodity exporters already struggling to move product out of the country. A shutdown campaign gripped Mpumalanga on Wednesday when taxi and truck drivers blockaded critical transport routes, and even offloaded tonnages of coal onto highways, in protest of escalating fuel prices. On Thursday, disruptions spread to the R34 connecting Richards Bay and Empangeni.

Eskom confirms strong flow of grid-connection applications for Bid Window 6 of renewables programme

Eskom confirms strong flow of grid-connection applications for Bid Window 6 of renewables programme: Eskom’s Grid Access Unit reports that it has received payments for 179 cost estimate letters, or CELs, and has issued 53 such letters, following the April 6 issuance of a request for proposals (RFP) for Bid Window Six (BW6) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). Speaking during a virtual bidders conference hosted by the IPP Office, the unit’s head, Azwimbavhi Mamanyuha, reported that a total of 219 grid-access applications had been received by Eskom in relation to BW6, the bid submission date for which is August 11.

Negatives and Positives

Our winter period is always a slow time for stocks in the Southern Hemesphere!

This time the market has retreated more than usual  ,burdened by the war in Ukraine,uncertainty as to when it will end and the knock on effect of rising prices as sanctions against Russia have caused energy producing products to increase.

China also has increased its preperations to invade Taiwan and seems to be using older methods to counteract their latest covid outbreak.

Inflation is increasing worldwide as populations are finding it difficult to find work leading to unrest.

On the positive side our minerals and metals which have fallen in price quite sharply will be first to pick up as there will always be a demand for them and oversupply stocks have run down.

We are supposedly neutral in this conflict,but it would good for our rulers to remembeer that the West are our main buyers!

Green hydrogen’s business case significantly strengthened, summit hears

Green hydrogen’s business case significantly strengthened, summit hears: Green hydrogen, when earlier identified as a necessary clean energy source to help the world achieve net-zero emissions in the coming decades, was higher up the cost curve than fossil fuels. Now that has changed with this week’s Financial Times Hydrogen Summit emphasising that green hydrogen’s competitive price position, brought about by rising fossil fuel prices, is likely to be entrenched.

Venture capital funded greenfield exploration is world’s riskiest pursuit, Junior Indaba hears

See latest updates of pages in  the right side column

Venture capital funded greenfield exploration is world’s riskiest pursuit, Juright hand side colunmthe nior Indaba hears: A deep understanding of the critical drivers of greenfields exploration by junior resource companies and by the majors. “You can’t hope to attract them to invest in your country if you don’t understand how their business model works,” Minerals Council South Africa CEO Roger Baxter said during his keynote address on day one of the 2022 Junior Indaba covered by Mining Weekly. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Bushveld’s VRFB value chain to benefit the economies of several provinces

Bushveld’s VRFB value chain to benefit the economies of several provinces: Vanadium producer Bushveld Minerals’ strategy to establish itself in all stages of the vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) value chain will benefit the local economies of three of South Africa’s provinces, claimed Bushveld Minerals subsidiary Bushveld Energy business development manager Neo Kgatuke at the Mpumalanga Energy Summit in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, on May 25. The company’s vanadium processing plant Vanchem is also located in eMalahleni.