PLATINUM Group Metals (PGM) producer Mimosa Mining Company (MMC) intends to construct a 38-megawatt solar power plant to enhance the provision of alternative power to the company’s operations and contribute to the Government’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
Zimbabwe has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent, from the current levels, by 2050 to avert the catastrophic impacts of climate change.
The country is a member of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, whose major objective is to stabilise and bring down greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
This objective is being fulfilled through the Paris Agreement of 2015 on Climate Change, which mandates all countries to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through Nationally Determined Contributions.
Each country is required to set itself targets on how to reduce emissions and these targets are then reviewed every five years.
Zimbabwe is currently emitting 0,05 percent of all greenhouse emissions, lower than it is capturing. The country has developed the Low Emission Strategy 2020-2050, which identifies mitigation actions to help keep global warming under 1,5 degrees Celsius.
MMC joins other giant companies in the country such as Caledonia Mining Corporation (CMC) and PPC Zimbabwe that are taking a lead in embracing solar energy.
The Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX)-listed company, CMC Plc is generating its power at its Blanket Mine unit in Gwanda, Matabeleland South, in a giant leap towards energy self-sufficiency, following the successful completion of a 12,2MW solar project.
PPC Zimbabwe, the subsidiary of South African cement manufacturing giant, Pretoria Portland Cement Limited (PPC Ltd.), officially commenced construction of two solar energy plants with a combined energy output of 30 megawatts (MW) to power its Zimbabwe operations.
At its Bulawayo plant, PPC Zimbabwe will set up a 10MW solar energy plant, of which 5MW is earmarked for internal use, with the excess fed to the national grid.
The alternative energy project buttresses the country’s shift towards investments in clean energy sources in keeping with global climate change adaptation and mitigation commitments.
At a time when the country and the region are experiencing subdued energy generation, investment in alternative energy projects by such big companies is expected to go a long way in capacitating the company to tackle power outages and trimming down on expensive costs associated with alternative power while enhancing operational efficiencies.
In an interview, MMC general manager Mr Steve Ndiyamba said their company must contribute towards the reduction of carbon emissions and focus on renewable energy.
He said the project is currently under feasibility studies with the project cost expected to be one of the outcomes.
“We are carrying out feasibility studies to see how we can use solar energy. We have put in motion plans to construct a 38-megawatt solar power plant to enhance and provide power to the company’s operations,” said Mr Ndiyamba.
Zimbabwe’s quest to achieve a US$12 billion mining industry by 2023 is on course, with the company ploughing millions of dollars into a plant optimisation project to ramp up production. The mine is developing new mining areas, building a new tailings dam and improving processing efficiencies.
A new tailing storage facility – a dam that stores waste from the mine – is being built for US$65 million.
The company is also spending a further US$38 million for the plant optimisation which is meant to improve processing efficiencies so that the mine can recover more from mineral ore.
With a capacity of producing 2,8 million tonnes of ore per year, the plant optimisation project will see production surging by six percent, and the mine targeting to complete the project before the end of the year.
The mine, which is jointly owned by South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater and Impala Platinum, operates on the southern portion of the Zimbabwean Great Dyke near Zvishavane town.
However, the current mine site, South Hill, is projected to run out in about 10 years.
Plans are now underway to develop a new mining site called North Hill that is expected to add to the mine’s life.
The company is investing between US$90 million and US$100 million into North Hill to get another 12 years.
The company employs over 3 000 workers and also benefits thousands in downstream industries. – The Chronicle
