and receive alerts when they’re in the news Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists Proactive news team spans the world’s key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London We are experts in medium and small-cap markets we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies commodities and broader investment stories This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation Orion Minerals Ltd (ASX:ORN, JSE:ORN) managing director and CEO Errol Smart talked with Proactive's Stephen Gunnion about the completion of definitive feasibility studies (DFS) for both the company’s flagship Prieska copper-zinc project and the Flat Mines project at its Okiep copper project “It’s taken us eight years now to put them together… but it's really a great outcome for us.” The studies confirm robust development pathways for both operations in South Africa's Northern Cape with both projects fully permitted and development-ready Smart said Orion is in a unique position globally with capital intensity figures below key industry benchmarks The combined production profile is expected to deliver 30,000 tonnes of copper annually at around $9,500 per tonne capital intensity placing the company in the lower quartile of the cost curve The Prieska project will follow a two-phase development plan with a modest $25 million start-up operation set to begin production within 13 months followed by a ramp-up to full-scale output Smart also confirmed that discussions are underway with strategic partners including the Industrial Development Corporation and offtake-related financiers He highlighted that smelters and traders are actively seeking long-term copper supply “We represent a very interesting opportunity for them Visit Proactive’s YouTube channel for more company updates and interviews and enable notifications for future content #OrionMinerals #CopperMining #PrieskaProject #OkiepProject #BaseMetals #MiningInvestment #FeasibilityStudy #SouthAfricaMining #CopperProduction #ZincProduction Sign up to receive alerts and news direct to your inbox Race Oncology Ltd managing director Daniel Tillett talked with Proactive about the company's recent milestone in dosing the first patient in its Phase 1 clinical trial of RC220 for advanced solid tumours.Tillett explained the years-long development effort behind RC220 All Rights Reserved - Proactive Australia PTY LTD ACN:132787654 ABN:19132787654 Market Indices, Commodities and Regulatory News Headlines copyright © Morningstar. 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Terms of use Home | South Africa Police in the Northern Cape have arrested three men aged between 20 and 30 years on charges of possession of suspected stolen goods in Prieska The trio were found carrying boxes and a backpack during patrols and were apprehended for being in possession of alleged stolen Telkom batteries Provincial police spokesperson Sergio Kock says “During the execution of safer festive season operations the Prieska SAPS crime prevention members spotted three suspicious-looking males carrying boxes and a backpack whilst conducting patrols in the Prieska CBD The police stopped and searched the suspects and recovered 30 Telkom batteries that were allegedly stolen at a nearby Telkom building The three male suspects are aged between 20 and 30 years They were arrested and are expected to appear in the Prieska Magistrates court soon on charges of possession of suspected stolen goods” — SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) November 24, 2024 THE LAW came knocking in Prieska this weekend - and it wasn’t just illegal miners feeling the heat According to Northern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Molefi Shemane the multi-disciplinary Operation Vala Umgodi team backed by the Prieska SAPS Crime Prevention unit swooped in on suspected illegal mining hot spots in the Pixley ka Seme District on Saturday But what started as a mission to tackle unlawful digging quickly uncovered another layer of crime targeting multiple locations where drugs were allegedly being sold found himself R2,000 poorer after being fined for running an unlicensed liquor operation The bust netted drugs with an estimated street value of R48,000 along with confiscated liquor and cash - a clear message that law enforcement is tightening the noose around criminal enterprises operating under the radar Sergeant Shemane said the Vala Umgodi team has reaffirmed its commitment to rooting out illicit mining and its criminal offshoots urging the public to blow the whistle on illegal activities by calling SAPS Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or using the MySAPS app Hawks in the Northern Cape successfully arrested three suspects in connection with fraud, corruption and money laundering his wife Leolene Pienaar and Patricia Booysen face 39 counts of corruption 48 counts of fraud and 78 counts of money laundering They were arrested at different locations and made a brief court appearance before Prieska Magistrate’s Court and were granted bail The allegations date back from April 2020 to October in which the trio allegedly defrauded a company called GWK of over R700 000 Pienaar was employed as a supervisor at a fuel-station and he fraudulently registered his wife Booysen was the administration clerk and allegedly submitted falsified invoices “The Hawks Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Team arrested a 37-year-old Schalk Pienaar 34-year-old Leolene Pienaar and 34-year-old Patricia Booysen They made a brief court appearance before Prieska Magistrate’s Court All three accused persons were granted bail of R1 000 for Mr and Mrs Pienaar and Booysen was granted bail of R300 The matter was remanded for February 12.” The first of two copper redevelopment studies shows potential prize Already have an account? Sign in here Looking for the industry's top publication for ASX-listed mining activities and market trends MiningNews.net gives you instant access to breaking news each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector brought to you by the Mining News Intelligence team The MNN Research Report 2025 provides insights into critical mining themes in Australia/Oceania priorities and preferences of 130+ mining investors and top factors influencing investment decisions in 2025 A detailed analysis of mining investment risks across 117 jurisdictions globally assessed across six risk categories and an industrywide survey The Mining Company ESG Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars Site visit to Prieska and Okiep copper projects Mining Magazine provides comprehensive technical insight into mining operations It aims to inform and support mine management in decision-making regarding mining techniques brought to you by the Mining Magazine Intelligence team MMI Future Fleets Report 2025 looks at how companies are using alternative energy sources to cut greenhouse gas emmissions Exclusive research for Mining Magazine Intelligence Automation and Digitalisation Report 2024 shows mining companies are embracing cutting-edge tech The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies A comprehensive review of exploration trends and technologies highlighting the best intercepts and discoveries and the latest initial resource estimates Aspermont Media is a company registered in England and Wales Orion Minerals’ Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS-25) for the Prieska Copper Zinc Mine (PCZM) in South Africa reveals strong financial and technical outcomes from a de-risked The study envisions an initial ‘Upper-Level Phase,’ tapping near-surface ore via an existing decline with first production targeted within 13 months of construction start Capital expenditure for this phase is estimated at AUD49 million the ‘Deeps Phase’ will commence after mine de-watering and shaft refurbishment Key financial highlights include a pre-tax NPV of AUD797 million (8% discount rate) The payback period from construction start is projected at 5.8 years Undiscounted life-of-mine free cash flows are estimated at AUD1,782 million (pre-tax) Peak funding is required to be AUD578 million with a total project capital expenditure of AUD607 million Capital intensity is USD9,174 per annual copper equivalent production tonne with annual production targets of 22kt of copper and 65kt of zinc All-in-sustaining costs are projected at USD4,550/t of copper equivalent metal sold dropping to USD2,359/t net of by-product credits This all-in-sustaining margin is anticipated at 52% Ore processing rates will be 240ktpa for the Upper-Level Phase and 2.4Mtpa for the Deeps Phase The mine boasts mineral resources totaling 31.0Mt at 1.2% copper and 3.6% zinc containing 370kt of copper and 1,120kt of zinc Probable Ore Reserves stand at 15.6Mt at 1.1% copper and 3.1% zinc representing 164kt of copper and 458kt of zinc Orion is firmly on track to become a near-term base metals producer contributing significantly to the Northern Cape’s economic development Copyright Finance TV Pty Ltd All Rights Reserved Would you like to receive our daily news to your inbox a subsidiary of German construction group JUWI has announced plans to build 340MW of new solar capacity in South Africa The portfolio will consist of three projects, and an offtake agreement has been signed for each facility. A 120MW project in the Free State Province will supply power for Teraco Data Centres; a 120MW project independent power producer (IPP) Mulilo and investor the Reatile Group will provide power for chemicals and gas suppliers Sasol and Air Liquide; and a 100MW project will supply power to a mine operated by Glencore JUWI Renewable Energies expects to invest US$320 million (ZAR6 billion) into the projects and did not provide a timeline for their construction and commissioning the three projects will account for around 5% of South Africa’s operational PV capacity “These projects underscore the critical role of private sector leadership in driving South Africa’s energy transition,” said Richard Doyle managing director of JUWI Renewable Energies “As one of the pioneers of the country’s renewable energy sector JUWI is proud to partner with energy-intensive industries and IPPs to deliver innovative projects that enhance energy resilience South Africa is currently aiming to install 26GW of new renewable energy capacity by 2030 a figure that would require an average of 6GW of annual solar and wind installations until the end of the decade South Africa’s energy transition has been hampered by a weak national grid where load shedding often removed access to electricity for consumers and while recent growth in the country’s residential solar sector has helped to minimise this phenomenon it has simultaneously lowered interest in the rooftop solar sector Last year executive director of Africa Sustainable Investors told PV Tech Premium that there has been a “dampening” in demand for residential solar amid unfavourable economics for the sector we have upgraded our product offerings and features to bring you the best experience please check your email inbox for password reset message from PV Tech and follow the instructions Can\'t find the email? Try to sign in again and use the "Forgot Password" button If you have any questions please contact us There has been a significant dearth of exploration projects and the development of new mines in South Africa over the past ten years But the bottleneck seems to have opened-up slightly since Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources Gwede Mantashe took over the mining portfolio in February 2018 One of the most vocal groups to lobby Mantashe to convince him to level the playing fields for junior exploration and mining companies has been the chairman of the Junior Leadership Forum of the Minerals Council of South Africa A specialist engineering team has been deployed underground to test the integrity of the historical shaft at Prieska understands the importance of exploration and building new mines for future generations Smart is as passionate about the plight of junior miners as he is about developing Australian based Orion Mineral’s Prieska zinc and copper project in the Northern Cape province of South Africa along with Vedanta Resources’ Gamsberg zinc project and Ivanhoe’s Platreef platinum project on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Project in the Limpopo Province shines at least some light on what many would like to believe is a sunset industry in South Africa Smart disagrees and has more than enough reason to do so Prieska promises to be the centre of a whole new mining hub in South Africa – and with new technology and the geological riches of the Northern Cape region only beginning to be understood now it would be gross negligence to disagree with Smart Orion is probing the right commodities – apart from the zinc and copper deposit the company has access to a few large potential nickel and even smaller platinum scatterings in and around Copperton (an old mining town) and Prieska the area’s abundant sunlight and strong winds are attracting an ever-increasing number of renewable energy companies which adds further value to the potential mineral riches underground Prieska is expected to bring its first copper and zinc concentrate to the market by mid-2023 the project is a low risk option where most of the infrastructure is in place mining and processing technologies are conventional “Major work at the project involves re-opening dewatering and re-establishing mining operations in the Prieska Copper Mine originally owned and operated by Anglovaal Mining in the 1970s–1990s Critical infrastructure is in place making the capital cost and time to market particularly favourable to project economics,” says Peacock employee accommodation and the original shaft headgear are available with minimal investment Prieska Copper Mine was operated as a subsidiary of Anglovaal (Anglo-Transvaal Consolidated Investment) The last stope blast occurred in 1989 and thereafter the operation cleared ore passes and processed lower grade surface rock dumps It was a very successful investment for Anglovaal returning over five times the initial investment in dividends to the parent Although the Prieska Copper-Zinc project is the centrepiece of Orion’s asset portfolio in the Northern Cape the company is exploring several other exciting prospects within the Areachap Belt where Orion holds a 1790km2 landholding that offers outstanding potential for the discovery of both Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) mineralisation and intrusive Nickel-Copper-Platinum Group Element ( Ni-Cu-PGE) mineralisation Prieska is one of the world’s top-30 VMS base metal deposits with a recorded historical production of over 430 kilotonnes (Kt) of copper and 1 Million tonne (Mt) of zinc from 46.8Mt of sulphide ore milled Orion completed an updated Bankable Feasibility Study for Prieska in May 2020 based on a 12-year ‘Foundation Phase’ 2.4Mtpa underground and open pit mining operation delivering total payable metal production of 226kt of copper and 680kt of zinc in differentiated concentrates but the potential upside of other deposits in the Belt probably holds the trump cards of whether the venture will turn into a long-lasting legacy or not There are substantial development opportunities at the Namaqua-Disawell nickel and PGE project where the exploration drill rigs have been unleashed at Jacomynspan Orion has delineated a maiden Mineral Resource of 6.8Mt containing an estimated 39 480t of nickel Orion believes the Namaqua-Disawell Project also offers substantial exploration potential for higher-grade massive and semi-massive accumulations of nickel-bearing sulphides analogous to the Kabanga Deposit (Tanzania) and the Nova-Bollinger Deposit (Fraser Range Province of Western Australia) Airborne Electro-Magnetic survey work and geochemical sampling has identified a series of ultramafic intrusions which have collectively been named the Jacomynspan Intrusive Suite The Jacomynspan Intrusive Suite includes the high-priority Rok Optel nickel-copper target where recent drilling has confirmed the presence of massive sulphide mineralisation Orion’s Masiqhame zinc and copper prospecting right is located 80km north of Prieska and comprises almost 980km2 The project area includes three known zinc-copper mineral occurrences at Kantienpan indicating regional potential for hosting VMS copper-zinc and nickel sulphide mineralisation Electromagnetic surveys of Masiqhame have identified high-priority targets at the B1 and B4 conductors At a time when South Africa is desperately in need of good news in the mining industry Click here to send us a message a leading emerging company within the green hydrogen arena announced a partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to advance its green hydrogen project in Prieska Northern Cape The partnership will bring together the expertise of Prieska Power Reserve as well as the IDC’s investment platform and infrastructure financing to deliver technologies to produce green hydrogen and ammonia The IDC’s approval of a facility will ensure that the project reaches financial close in H1 2023 a significant achievement for a journey that began in 2018 The first phase will result in the production of 72 000 tonnes of green ammonia per year with a green hydrogen content of approximately 12 900 tonnes beginning in 2025 “We are thrilled to partner with the IDC,” said Meta Mhlarhi “The dynamic combination of experience and talent has the potential to contribute not just to South Africa’s energy security through innovative sources such as Hydrogen but also the economic recovery and growth of our country.” The Project has met a number of critical milestones to date to achieve its targeted financial close of H1 2023 “Some of the completed milestones include the chemical plant which indicate huge potential for the project,” stated Martin Walzer “The project is currently also in the process of finalising technical design work It is through partnerships such as the one with IDC that we are able to further progress our work.” The location and access to infrastructure allow for the delivery of competitively priced green hydrogen and ammonia to the global market we look forward to creating jobs establishing and growing new enterprises to fulfil the increasing demand for this new industry.” In full recognition of the national significance and importance of this Project Prieska Power Reserve has been identified as strategic in the Northern Cape’s Green Hydrogen strategy and has undergone the process of achieving classification as a National Strategic Infrastructure Project (SIPs) “Prieska Power Reserve will catalyse a collaborative approach between business the province and national government in achieving the country’s hydrogen goal and position the Northern Cape as a hydrogen hub.” The project will drastically reduce carbon emissions with hydrogen identified as a clean energy source that could assist the world in achieving net-zero emissions in the coming decades Learners from Prieska’s Gariep High School together with various local government department representatives and the local Mayor hosted by BTE Renewables’ newest project in the Northern Cape Local participants took part in ‘Timu Moja’ it attracts excellent participation across three nations and six sites in Kenya Staff and communities participate across Cairo (Egypt) 20 participating stakeholders included leaders from the local Department of Education Department of Agriculture and the Department of Social Development all of whom successfully completed the 5km run/walk segment “I felt the need to attend the Timu Moja fun walk in support to MBP Solar to give back as MBP has proven its commitment through their social responsibility towards the Siyathemba Local Community The event was a positive initiative and a health distraction so that learners could explore their talents bringing about other interests other than what they are generally exposed to within our community These programmes motivate us as the local municipality and as a community to explore better avenues to assist our young people and community towards positive activities and events,” said Mayor of Prieska Social Performance Co-ordinator for MBP Solar affirmed the community’s enjoyment and request to be involved with future events such as Timu Moja stating that positive interactions such as this will help combat the prevalence of substance abuse that is impacting the community “Our approach to community development is centred around co-creation and co-ownership which are the driving themes for BTE Renewables as a whole Inviting the community to this event gave us an opportunity to share and showcase our organisational culture of oneness We hope that it will increase awareness of our presence in Prieska and serve as a catalyst for two-way communication between the community and ourselves,” concluded Celiwe Mabaso Senior Social Performance Manager at BTE Renewables The Prieska Project is on 125 hectares of agriculture land in the Northern Cape and is run through Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska, an independent power producer, which was connected to the national grid six years ago. With the deal announced yesterday, BTE Renewables now holds the majority stake in the Prieska Project, and this increases its operating portfolio of renewable energy in Africa to 473MW. BTE Renewables, which is wholly-owned by Actis, has a portfolio of six independent power producers across the continent. The Prieska Project will complement other BTE projects, namely the Aggeneys 46MWp solar project, Konkoonsies II 86MWp solar, Excelsior 32.5MW wind project and Golden Valley 120MW wind projects implemented under the SA Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement programme, and the 102MW Kipeto wind project in Kenya. “This acquisition clearly demonstrates our commitment to growing our renewable energy asset portfolio, as it is complementing our organic growth from our strong portfolio of development projects,” says Robert Skjodt, CEO of BTE Renewables. “The Prieska Project is a natural fit for our two solar PV plants in the same area of South Africa, whilst successfully increasing our operating project portfolio to 473MW. We look forward to working with our new partners, and contributing positively to South Africa’s clean energy production.” The balance of the Prieska Project’s shareholding (40%) includes: Mulilo Energy Holdings (20%); BEE partner Ixowave (15%) and the Prieska PV Community Trust (5%). The BTE transaction comes as more businesses announce major projects in the renewable energy sector as a means of easing pressure on the national grid. South Africa is making steady progress in adding renewable energy sources to the energy mix as some coal plants are reaching their end of life. The country is also looking to move to cleaner sources of energy. Power utility Eskom, which heavily relies on coal to supply the majority of the country’s electricity needs, has been struggling to keep the lights on over the years. The Rotowinner modular pilot plant now commissioned at the Prieska Copper Zinc Mine for water treatment and minerals recovery trials Orion Minerals Limited has commenced a series of field trials for the treatment of mine water at the Prieska Copper-Zinc Mine (PCZM) in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province using a proprietary electrolytic technology to produce saleable products The process has the potential to extract valuable products such as calcium and magnesium for agri-nutrient use from water pumped out of the underground mine at Prieska other products with potential for by-product sales in the chemicals industry will also be extracted The trials have commenced as Orion prepares to start the dewatering of the underground mine and to implement other key elements of its Early Production Plan as it advances the PCZM towards production The extensive underground workings at Prieska hold approximately 9 million cubic metres of water which have accumulated since the mine was closed by Anglovaal in 1991 While the quality of the mine water is relatively benign with pHs ranging between 6.6 to 7.1 (neutral pH is 7.4) and total dissolved solids measured in the shaft water range between 6 000 and 11 000mg/l some water treatment is required if the water is to be considered for off-site discharge and subsequent agricultural or potable applications The water treatment trials are being undertaken in collaboration with Free Radical Process Design (FRPD) a South Africa-based technology company which has developed an innovative and proprietary process and equipment for the continuous extraction of metals and other valuable minerals from water using electrowinning via a rotating cathode (Electrosoftner) This will advance Orion’s vision of establishing a ‘green’ footprint for the Prieska Project with broad stakeholder benefits as part of its objective to have a world-class ESG framework to support its operations The commencement of the field trials follows the success of laboratory scale test work where water samples from PCZM were analysed and were passed through an Electrosoftner demonstration unit calcium hydroxide/carbonate and magnesium hydroxide while concentrating sodium hydroxide that can be bled off as a liquid from PCZM mine water Figure 2: Tailings remediation application of the Rotowinner process consists of pump sets and reticulation that will extract mine water from underground workings at a pumping rate that will build up from 120m3/hr to 500m3/hr some of the water will be treated by reverse osmosis (RO) while the balance will be treated by electrolysis Some brine water will be retained in evaporation dams The treated water will be used for irrigation projects Dewatering is planned to occur over a three-and-a-half-year period mining is planned to commence in those parts of the Prieska deposit above the water level so that copper and zinc concentrate production can commence within less than three years as scheduled in the original project development plan (BFS-20 Plan) FRPD has patented technology for the continuous electrowinning of selected minerals from mineralised leachate using a rotating cathode (Rotowinner) The Rotowinner consists of a rotating cathode submerged in pregnant leachate with a scraper arrangement to remove the precipitation of minerals on the cathode The scraped material is discharged into a collection launder and the spent leacheate is collected to be recycled in the leach circuit (Figure 1) A mobile demonstration scale plant has been constructed that has been successfully used to produce base metals on a continuous basis Figure 3: Cross-section through the Rotowinner illustrating how the continuous rotating cathode harvests minerals from pregnant leachate The process offers the advantage over conventional electrowinning set-ups of: Following on from laboratory-scale test work and water quality assessments of the Prieska Mine water it is anticipated that the Rotowinner will be able to produce agricultural use water while extracting calcium oxygen and chlorine gases and with a sodium hydroxide solution residue (Figure 4) This would result in valuable use of the whole water treatment stream Figure 4: Water treatment and minerals recovery flowsheet for the Prieska dewatering program “As we prepare to start dewatering the underground mine at the Prieska Mine we continually review engineering and technology solutions to find ways of reducing costs and maximising ESG outcomes at our operations Any technology or new process that offers benefits to our key stakeholders and local host communities while supporting shareholder returns will always be prioritised in our operating plans “We are particularly pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with South African technology developers who have worked with The University of Pretoria to develop an innovative technology that could have a global impact in the treatment of contaminated mine water and which is directly applicable to our Prieska Mine dewatering challenge “We look forward to trialing the Rotowinner Technology to treat our Prieska Mine water while simultaneously recovering ‘clean & green’ agricultural nutrients and delivering treated water which would be available for community agriculture purposes other products can potentially be extracted using the Rotowinner Technology which are used in the chemical industry opening up interesting future by-product sales opportunities.” Field trials are expected to continue for six months implementation of a production-scale Rotowinner assembly will be undertaken The current dewatering infrastructure layout has made provision for incorporating the water treatment solution at the end of the trial period SAPS must actIssued by Reinette Liebenberg MPL – DA Northern Cape Constituency Head for Central North11 May 2021 in Press StatementsThe Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is urgently calling on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to reinforce its capacity in Prieska amidst an increasingly volatile situation in the town This has been brought on by a mine related protest that has been carrying for almost two weeks already The DA is deeply concerned that the community and economy of Prieska have been forsaken by SAPS who has failed to act swiftly against criminality in respect of the protest action was to request Orion mine to stop all activities amidst yesterday’s closure of access roads to the mine and wind farms in the area His recommendation might have been perceived as support for protest action It seems that the intimidating protestors now have the upper hand and are being allowed to rule the town despite a court interdict obtained by Orion mine against them as SAPS has failed to enforce compliance to the interdict in effect allowing the town to be shut down and cut off from the rest of the province with even the main road to Upington being affected The consequences of the protest action are damning The local economy has been dealt another blow children have been deprived of going to school while sick people are deprived of health services amidst a pandemic This poses a very serious additional threat Although the situation in Prieska is calm today the DA calls on SAPS to strengthen their own intelligence services as well as policing capacity to bring stability and ensure the safety of all citizens in the Prieska area Instigators of criminality should also be held accountable for damages incurred Stability is essential to ensure investor confidence and in effect for the survival of Prieska’s economy registered non profit organisation in South AfricaReg No: 011-895 NPO You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience The South African project is reportedly experiencing serious problems due to premature module degradation Claims of extensive backsheet failure have emerged and it is said widespread module replacement will be required The modules used in the project were supplied by Chinese manufacturer BYD and South African producer Artsolar The 75 MW Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska solar project This article is part of an ongoing investigation by pv magazine and Green Building Africa into difficulties at the South African project The ZAR1.3 billion (US$89 million) Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska solar farm appears to be encountering significant problems Reports from insiders involved in the project indicate backsheet degradation is affecting power output and widespread module replacement may be necessary The milestone project was developed with South African developer Mulilo Renewable Energy and renewables company Ixowave Women in Power and was built for Sonnedix by the juwi Renewable Energies (Pty) Ltd South African subsidiary of the German juwi group Green Building Africa approached Austin for comment about the problems at the Prieska site “We cannot comment on the quantum or the assertion regarding factory defects and/or underperformance as this kind of information is confidential within projects and the project structures are such that issues such as these that may occur are managed and solved through the related project documents,” he said in a statement “All relevant parties to the project are subject to strict non-disclosure and confidentiality obligations in the construction contract the sub-contracts and the agreements with [South African utility] Eskom and [the] government neither we nor any other party in the project are entitled to deal with any information that is confidential to the project and so are simply not entitled to comment on anything you have raised irrespective of its accuracy or otherwise.” pv magazine and Green Building Africa have spoken with South African PV industry insiders who have confirmed plant remediation work which may include replacing failed modules procurement and construction [EPC] services on that project Questions remain as to the provenance of the modules used on the Prieska project South African module maker Artsolar claimed it was supplying some of the modules used at the Mulilo Sonnedix project “These PV modules were manufactured at the Artsolar plant in KwaZulu-Natal for the Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska PV solar plant project which supplies the electricity it produces to the Eskom Kromos substation in the Northern Cape is the first 75 MWac size REIPPP [Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Program incentives regime] project to have PV modules produced by a South African-owned company.” BYD has not replied to Green Build Africa and pv magazine’s enquiries Sonnedix and Mulilo would not confirm the plant is under-performing “A substantial amount of the panels are from our facility … but certainly not all.” The manufacturer produced the modules on an OEM basis for BYD The challenges at the Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska project illustrate the importance of sourcing durable modules for use in hot climates High temperatures have been shown to cause more frequent backsheet failures – an issue particularly prevalent in rooftop projects where temperatures are typically 15 degrees Celsius higher than for ground-mounted arrays The South African grid has been subjected to an extended load shedding program because of electricity supply problems attributed to the country’s coal-fired generation assets the nation can ill afford its solar power generation facilities to under-perform  Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska 75 MW solar project profile: Authors: Bryan Groenendaal/Jonathan Gifford More articles from pv magazine That stock image looks like it comes from a single axis tracker site Yours is merely a humble copy editor so I would bow to your no-doubt-superior knowledge on that question The Prieska site was fitted with a fixed tilt system I knew our pv magazine community wouldn’t let us down Please be mindful of our community standards and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose 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View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close Home | Politics One South Africa (OSA) Chief Activist Mmusi Maimane and the residents of Prieska in the Northern Cape held a march against what they call illegal power grab by the African National Congress in Siyathemba Local Municipality The Siyathemba Community Movement (SCM) an independent community organisation affiliated to OSA won 40% of the vote during 2021 Local Government Election SCM is accusing the ANC of hijacking power from the people after its councillor was allegedly barred from attending council meetings they are marching against “the capture of municipality.”  Orion Minerals’s Prieska project is one of the most exciting mining developments in South Africa tells Leon Louw more about this great opportunity during the initial stages we will also have access to grid power from Eskom Prieska will require between about 32MW to 35MW of power in steady-state Throughout construction and ramp-up we will use around 12MW of power and we have already applied for a 15MW construction allocation from Eskom The mine will connect into the national grid via the Cuprum Substation located as close as 300m from the main hoist shaft the Prieska region has some of the highest solar yields in the country in addition to exceptionally strong and consistent prevailing winds The high number of renewable projects being developed in the area is testament to the solar and wind potential of the Northern Cape province in general The Prieska mine site is surrounded by the 140MW Garop windfarm and the 120MW Copperton windfarm both currently in construction amongst already existing solar PV energy facilities so it is difficult to turn a blind eye to what is happening on our doorstep One of the major role players in the region is juwi Renewable Energies we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with juwi early in the development of Prieska’s Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) to supply Prieska with renewable energy once the mine is up and running According to our feasibility study Prieska will be able to get 100% of its power from the national grid Initially the mine will receive the 32MW to 35MW from Eskom Thereafter during the first or foundation phase of mining (according to a feasibility study completed by juwi) we will be able to get 52% of our power requirements from a hybrid solar and wind energy facility we would like to have the option to go off-grid We are following the development of energy storage systems and other new technologies as well as the comparative costs associated with different renewable energy sources Prieska’s proposed renewable energy facility will be within 19km of the project site supplied via an overhead transmission line which will be connected directly to the mine site national grid power will give us time to assess the comparative benefits and challenges of going completely off-grid There are certainly significant challenges facing mine development companies Developers are often limited to working within the life of mine duration they can initially demonstrate When constructing a renewable energy facility and the life of mine is planned to 12 years as is the Foundation Phase of the Prieska Project it becomes expensive to carry all the capital costs of construction and storage of a 30-year service life installation in that short period The storage solutions on offer are still relatively expensive It is still cheaper to be using national grid power for the base load there have been great advancements in technology and energy storage especially in the hydrogen/lithium/vanadium space We are positive that we will see improvements over the next five years for now we are 100% sure that solar and wind can supply us with 52% of power at very competitive tariffs If we set up the power supply infrastructure now in preparation for when the technology and economics allows for cheap energy storage we will be able to plug into the gains as they occur and have the option to migrate off grid when it makes commercial sense We are monitoring developments in the storage of solar and wind energy especially the hydrogen and vanadium technology we can economically generate sufficient excess energy finding a cost-effective means of storing that energy is the way to go With a hybrid of 20MW of wind and 35MW of solar PV installed we are able to still generate some renewable energy at night We are also really committed to reducing our carbon footprint and these are the some of the steps we are taking to help with that Orion reached a number of key milestones at the end of 2020 Prieska obtained all the necessary licenses to operate land rezoning and approval of the electrical magnetic interference compliance plan for operating in the SKA area We have started with the selection of a principal Engineering Construction and Management (EPCM) contractor On the funding side our focus is now on securing strategic equity partners we are another step closer to start producing We have identified the mills and winders and made preliminary payment for mills from New Concept Projects When we worked on the improvements and value engineering of our 2019 feasibility study we switched from a Ball to Ball mill set-up to a Semi-Autogenous Grinding (SAG) and Ball mill combination amongst other design and study improvements We took several steps to improve the initial feasibility study we reduced the ore processing plant’s footprint substantially A SAG mill system simplifies the whole comminution circuit in other words the crushing and milling assembly you are able to take larger particle size feed material to your milling section and so reduce the multiple stages of crushing you would otherwise need if feeding into a ball mill configuration we will still retain the ability to run the SAG mill as a ball mill which means that the comminution is carried out more by the metal balls as opposed to the ore tumbling around in the mill When we completed our initial feasibility study we had a processing design that worked well though we also identified where further improvements could be easily made At that stage we also had not completed the test work for SAG milling We subsequently continued with the test work which ultimately confirmed that SAG milling was the better option overall In the end we have a processing plant with a much smaller footprint that is not as cost intensive to construct with the added option of still being able to switch over to a ball-ball mill configuration should we choose Checking the integrity of the underground vertical shaft at Orion Minerals’s Prieska project in the Northern Cape The shaft inspection and water treatment testing was completed as part of the May 2020 feasibility study update We now have a much better understanding of the shaft condition and an additional means of handling water to be pumped from the underground workings which is submerged from 300m below surface to 1km down and taken water samples from the accumulated water surface down to almost one kilometre depth which is close to the bottom of the existing shaft We used an underwater camera to get a visual record of the condition of the shaft We have inspected all the concrete lining of the shaft and checked the integrity of the steel work The water PH remained steadily at or above 6.7 all the way from the surface to the bottom of the mine so is easy is to treat and does not accelerate corrosion We continue gathering as much information as we can the results have confirmed our initial assumptions of an easily serviceable shaft that will make re-accessing the underground workings simpler water treatment has become a key part of our dewatering strategy supplementing forced-evaporation which we will also use to manage pumped out water Water treatment allows us to accelerate dewatering of the underground workings to be done in less than a year of pumping as well as enable us to harvest some of the water at a quality suitable for agricultural use The intention is to make this water available to local farmers to irrigate their land At face value the O’Kiep area is very similar to Prieska in many respects that being previous successful base metals operations existing infrastructural support and common geography with both complexes being located in the Northern Cape province The project lends itself to share some of the administrative costs of Prieska and enjoy economies of scale the area produced more than two million tonnes of copper and was extremely profitable when it was operated successfully first by Newmont in 1940 to 1983 then Goldfields to 1998 and in the end by Metorex to 2003 “We have a lot of historical information on the Jacomynspan deposit which is in an area historically explored by numerous others including Shell Metorex’s decision to shut Okiep was strategic rather than due to mineral resource depletion there is a mountain of data available and according to the preliminary view of our geologists the area remains highly prospective One of the tenement areas has a mining right under application and about to be granted In the near-term plan it can be brought into production quickly the project can easily be re-scaled to levels it operated at under Newmont when it produced between 30 000 and 40 000 tonnes of copper per year Newmont was producing with a run of mine of about 2% copper and ended up mining more than 120 million tonnes of ore Orion’s geologists and mine development teams are applying the lessons we have learnt with the development of Prieska and are making sense of all the historical data at Okiep to grasp its full potential and how to find synergies with Prieska The key focus over the next few due diligence months will be to formulate the best way to expeditiously bring the Okiep operations to production we will have time to continue exploration and mine expansion feasibility studies Okiep really looks like an exciting opportunity that would complement Prieska’s production modern and not labour-intensive mechanised mining methods Although we are still in the early stages of due diligence the indications are that the Okiep project would nicely supplement the Orion project pipeline and slot in as part of early metal production The work at Okiep will not interfere with the activities and timelines at Prieska as these projects are in different stages of development The vertical shaft at Prieska is still in great condition The last noteworthy operations at Okiep were mechanised underground mines and most of the utility infrastructure servicing these are still intact like roads with more than 27 historical mines within a radius of about 25km of the initial mining target area Most of these were shallow underground mines not requiring much infrastructural support as they supplied a centralised ore processing plant The mining right application is for a series of underground mines within a few kilometres of each other and close to amenities and there are power and office buildings already on site is ideal for support services and supplementary accommodation most of the infrastructure that supported those mines still exists from then we have a lot of historical information on the Jacomynspan deposit Anglo American and Anglovaal due to its prospectivity for nickel A historical resource estimate of close to 78 million tonnes at 0.4% nickel had been delineated on a portion of the mineralisation that is now useful as a basis for further exploration work Currently we are re-looking at that whole area and following up on some of the showings that we identified from our earlier target generation work or were historical showings that had not been followed up by previous explorers The Jacomynspan mineralisation is open along both dip and strike though further work is required in search of high grade massive sulphide mineralisation with the current resource constituted predominantly of disseminated lower grade zones Our early assessment work entails determining how best to follow up the extensional exploration around Jacomynspan and determining what mining conceptual model is to be pursued The options are to follow up the opportunity as a large-scale low-grade nickel / copper / cobalt prospect We are looking at past scoping studies and about to carry out further metallurgical test work to help with this for Jacomynspan and our regional exploration programmes in general the preliminary work includes confirming historical targets and following up and consolidating all the historical information Our Areachap exploration team’s focus is shifting to the regional potential to provide the pipeline as production starts at Prieska Opening a new franchise dealership, especially in a rural area, is not something that happens often these days. In the Northern Cape town of Prieska, halfway between Upington and De Aar, it is a different story. The town, in the centre of this vast province, now boasts a complete Toyota dealership for the first time. Prieska Toyota’s story is intertwined with that of the award-winning Upington Toyota, a well-known and independently run dealership that belongs to the Gresse family consisting of Riël, his wife, Elsabe, and his son, Willem. Dealerfloor spoke to Elsabe, director at both Upington and Prieska Toyota, about the new dealership in Prieska. “It originally started as a satellite dealership of Upington Toyota in 2019, with only servicing and repairs and an Automark division for used cars. Although Prieska is 260 kilometres away from Upington, Riël has strong ties with the town as his mother was born there. Furthermore, 260 kilometres is not really a serious distance for us. In the Northern Cape towns are few and far between. “We soon realised there was a demand for new vehicles and one thing led to another. Unfortunately, shortly after opening our doors in Prieska, the pandemic and long lockdown struck, basically forcing us back to square one,” Elsabe says. “Because of all the lockdowns, we officially had our opening function during May this year, and we were overwhelmed by the support and kindness of the people in Prieska. We also bought a house adjacent to the dealership where we stay over weekends or other times when we visit the Prieska dealership. “We sent a few members of our team in Upington to get the dealership off the ground in Prieska and they enjoyed the new challenge and the town so much that they requested to stay there. Two of them are Hardie Koeglenberg, who will act as the Dealer Principal, and Esbe Dobbs, one of our star Service Advisers, who will soon complete her training with Toyota to become a Master Service Adviser,” Elsabe tells Dealerfloor. She says one of the technicians is also in the process of becoming a Master Technician, with both he and Esbe reaching the pinnacle of their respective career paths. “I am a firm believer in training. We are proud of the number of employees who have the Master qualification behind their names and others who are in the process of achieving this certification. “It is not only a one-off qualification, says Elsabe, who is the Chairperson of the Toyota National Dealer Council Training Committee. The Master certification is only valid for two years, after which you must be re-tested. “We did not retrench people during this abnormal time with COVID-19 and neither during the stock supply problems in its aftermath. We use the spare capacity for training, with employees taking turns to train.” Asked about the economic conditions in Prieska and the surrounding areas, Elsabe, says they are positive about the future, notwithstanding some setbacks the town experienced in recent years like a long and serious drought. “A devastating drought had serious implications for farmers not involved in irrigation farming. Although rain fell recently, the drought lasted for several years, and it will take time for farmers to recover from this nightmare experience, especially livestock farmers. “The mining activities scaled down a lot over the years, but there are prospects for renewed copper mining as well as with wind farming to create additional electricity for the national power grid. We are involved as much as possible in the community, and we consider ourselves as part of the Prieska community,” she says. Elsabe tells Dealerfloor they have a very high market penetration in the region. “Not only in Upington but also in Prieska, we have a large and dedicated following that bodes well for all aspects of the business. “With the opening of Prieska Toyota, we filled a gap in and important region and the appreciation from the Prieska community is overwhelming,” she concludes. Isuzu introduced the latest evolution of the MU-X locally with the latest model line-up raising the bar with improved styling, upgraded technology and safety, and refined driving dynamics. The range is also being bolstered with the addition of a new flagship model, the 3.0-litre 4x4 ONYX XT. The 15th edition of the Simola Hillclimb was characterised by difficult emotions mixed with brave competition at the highest level during the King of the Hill challenge. In bygone days, they used to come and go, but the latest generation of Chinese bakkies is here to stay. The dubious first generation bakkies from China did not draw a lot of attention from the South African car-buying consumer, either as a leisure or commercial alternative. You can't buy happiness but you can buy cars and that's kind of the same thing. The transition from a career in the OEM environment to the business at dealership level was like chalk and cheese. Audi Centre Sandton was named 2024 Dealer of the Year, while Hatfield Motor Group walked away with the coveted 2024 Dealer Group of the Year prize during Audi South Africa’s annual Vorsprung Awards. For a dealership to make an 180-degree U-turn within two years and then went on to win the overall Volkswagen Dealer of the Year award, is no small feat. This dealer-focussed innovation is made possible with the support and endorsement of Absa Vehicle and Asset Finance. All content copyright of Panthera Media Pty Ltd 2020. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, and to analyse our traffic and improve our service. You consent to cookies if you continue to use our website. Torys acted as counsel to Triple Flag in a project financing package made available to Orion Minerals Ltd in connection with the Prieska copper-zinc project in South Africa providing for an A$10 million gross revenue return and a US$80 million gold and silver stream “Triple Flag”) announced that its wholly owned subsidiaries entered into definitive agreements with Orion Minerals Ltd (“Orion Minerals”) for the acquisition of the previously announced A$10 million gross revenue return (“GRR”) and US$80 million gold and silver stream (“Stream”) on Orion Mineral’s Prieska Copper-Zinc Mine located in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa The GRR provides Triple Flag with an entitlement to 0.8% of gross revenue from future production Closing of the GRR is subject to obtaining exchange control approvals from the South African Reserve Bank and drawdown of the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Limited (“IDC”) convertible loan and will be drawn down pro rata with the IDC convertible loan The Stream provides for Triple Flag to receive deliveries from Orion Minerals of 84% of payable gold and 84% of payable silver produced from the mine until 94.3 koz and 5,710 koz of gold and silver the stream rate for each of gold and silver is reduced to 50% for the remainder of the mine’s life Triple Flag will make ongoing payments of 10% of the spot gold and silver price for each ounce delivered under the Stream Closing of the Stream is also conditional on obtaining exchange control approvals from the South African Reserve Bank the mine development being fully funded and the finalization of an executable mine plan to Triple Flag’s satisfaction Orion Minerals has granted Triple Flag a right of first refusal over any future royalty-like or stream-like financing over the area of interest as well as over the OCP rights in the process of being acquired by New Okiep Mining (Pty) Ltd Okiep is the core project in a past-producing copper district located 450 km west of Prieska Further information can be found on Business Wire’s website Orion Minerals is a globally diversified metal explorer and developer which is on track to become a new generation base metals producer through the development of its flagship Prieska Copper-Zinc Project and its near term Okiep Copper Project both located in South Africa’s Northern Cape Triple Flag is a pure play emerging senior streaming and royalty company It offers bespoke financing solutions to the metals and mining industry with exposure primarily to gold and silver in the Americas and Australia    View this project on Torys’ Project Map