Every Friday, SAfm’s radio anchor Sakina Kamwendo speaks to Martin Creamer, publishing editor of Engineering News & Mining Weekly. Reported here is this Friday’s At the Coalface transcript:

Kamwendo: Next year’s Olympics will be hydrogen driven which is a big boost for South Africa’s platinum mining.

Creamer: That’s right, in Paris next year, all transport will be hydrogen driven, which means that they will use fuel cells, which means that they use platinum from South Africa. This will be implemented by Toyota and will provide transport for spectators, athletes, and officials who use cars, trucks, buses, boats and even forklift trucks. What they want to do is show that they can cut emissions by half and really it will a great visibility for the world that this is the only way to have zero carbon in your air. So, it will be a great advert for green hydrogen and therefore for our platinum.

Kamwendo: Critical rare earth minerals being mined in Phalaborwa this week caught the eye of global investors.

Creamer: TechMet came through putting an investment option into this activity, where they get four of the most important rare earths that you need in the world today. These are for wind power and for magnets. People are saying that from this dump in Phalaborwa you are going to do many things, because you will be removing the material from there and getting the rare earths, which mitigates against climate change, while also improving the environment because you will be removing this dump in the area, so killing two birds with one stone there.

Kamwendo: Renewable energy is poised to save South Africa’s biggest gold-mining company a whopping R3.6-billion.

Creamer: It's amazing how renewable energy can save money and at the same time, save the planet. We see the plans that were announced by Harmony Gold. What they have done there, have worked out that by introducing renewable energy in the form of sun and wind over the next 15 years, will save them R3,6-billion. Doing so has already begun with 30 MW of sun energy already being generated and construction of the next 137 MW under way. So, you are not only saving the planet, but you are saving yourself a lot of money by generating your own renewable energy.

Kamwendo: Thanks very much. Martin Creamer is publishing editor of Engineering News & Mining Weekly.