Platinum group metals miner Impala Platinum (Implats) has issued a request for information (RFI) to buy an unspecified volume of electricity, through wheeling from renewable energy sources, for its South African operations.
Implats, whose electricity consumption accounts for 74% of its total energy consumption and almost 10% of its operating costs, has ambitions to secure 30% of the electricity for its new projects from renewable sources by 2030.
In addition, the miner is planning to introduce 520 MW of renewable power as part of an ambition to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% by 2030 and to become carbon neutral in 2050.
As such, Implats requests potential independent power producer (IPP) bidders – with the relevant competencies, capacity and experience – to register by emailing renewables@implats.co.za between now and January 16, following which RFI documents and templates will be issued to registered bidders.
Implats, with an overall carbon emissions contribution of 3.3-million tonnes, aspires to reduce its carbon footprint in South Africa by 780 000 t.
At its Rustenburg operations, Implats has aspirations to introduce 290 MW of renewable energy, 170 MW of it being through a solar photovoltaic plant and 120 MW the subject of a wheeling arrangement.
CEO Nico Muller says the 290 MW will be made up of several individual projects, typically aimed at supporting mine shafts that have lives sufficient to support a renewable energy project.
Alternatively, they could be introduced at shafts close to smelters, so that power supply can be rerouted to smelters with the least effort in the event of shaft closure.
The miner also has plans to introduce 30 MW of solar power at its Marula mine.
In Springs, Implats’ refinery aims to receive 15 MW of renewable energy as part of a wheeling arrangement as insufficient property there exists to erect a solar or wind project.
Implats notes that its RFI is not for a behind-the-meter initiative, nor is it for an engineering, procurement and construction initiative; however, a behind-the-meter process will follow some time in the future.
Implats intends for the wheeled electricity to be delivered to energy delivery points at its nominated sites in South Africa.
The RFI also comes as Implats aims to achieve its strategic objective of being carbon neutral by 2050.
Through the RFI, Implats requires potential bidders to include the members of the bidder’s project company, the anticipated IPP project structure diagram showing ownership of the project company, such a company’s existing or anticipated black economic empowerment ownership, the high-level legal and funding structure to be used for bidding and key experience related to executing similar projects.
Other critical information required by Implats involves developmental readiness of bidders' proposed IPP facilities. This includes, but is not limited to, site availability, proposed renewable energy technology and an energy yield assessment thereof, grid connection confirmation and the status of different site studies, licensing and permits.