Tag Archives: PGMs

Anglo American and Finnish Minerals Group look to progress Finland’s battery strategy

Anglo American and Finnish Minerals Group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together to explore opportunities to, they say, further support Finland’s battery strategy.

Finnish Minerals Group is a holding and development company that manages the Finnish Government’s mining industry shareholdings and supports the development of the Finnish battery value chain. Among other assets, it holds the Terrafame nickel heap leach mine.

Alison Atkinson, Projects & Development Director at Anglo American, said: “Finland is a highly attractive investment destination and has a strong heritage in both mining and innovation. We look forward to working with Finnish Minerals Group, whose mission is to responsibly maximise the value of Finnish minerals, to explore the wealth of opportunities that our agreement could offer.

“This agreement further strengthens our commitment to Finland as well as to our Sakatti project, a true polymetallic orebody very much aligned to Finland’s and the EU’s critical minerals priorities. Sakatti is designed as the next generation of FutureSmart Mining™, building on what we have learned in terms of minimal surface footprint and using technology and innovation to deliver ever better environmental and social outcomes, whilst producing essential raw materials needed to transition to a greener, low carbon energy future.”

Atkinson said last year during a sustainability performance update that Sakatti was set to be “a remotely operated, low carbon-underground mine with an electric mining fleet using technology and mining methods that will create zero waste and enable high degrees of water recycling, contributing to a sustainable supply of critical minerals”. The company also sees the potential to use sorting technologies for coarse particle rejection and material recovery opportunities at the project.

Jani Kiuru, Senior Vice President, Raw Materials at Finnish Minerals Group, said: “Exploring joint opportunities with Anglo American is a natural choice for us as they already know the Finnish operational environment. In addition, the company has a long history in mining and is a forerunner in sustainability. We believe this collaboration reinforces both parties by combining local and global knowhow in sustainability and technological development, thus maximising the value of Finnish minerals responsibly. We see there is a mutual understanding on the vast possibilities and importance of Finnish minerals for the green transition.”

As a Finnish state-owned company with a mandate to foster the Finnish mining and battery industry, Finnish Minerals Group is a natural potential partner for Anglo American in Finland, Anglo American says. The company’s main assets are: Terrafame, a subsidiary that produces nickel and cobalt sulphates; project Sokli, a phosphate and rare earths deposit; and a 20% interest in Keliber, a battery-grade lithium project aiming to start production in 2025. Additionally, Finnish Minerals Group is advancing several greenfield investments further downstream in the battery value chain.

Canada Nickel to leverage trolley assist, IPT carbon capture & storage at Crawford

Canada Nickel Company has released the results of a bankable feasibility study (BFS) on its wholly-owned Crawford nickel sulphide project in Ontario, Canada that highlights the potential use of trolley-assist trucking and the company’s proprietary carbon capture and storage technology.

The BFS, prepared by Ausenco Engineering Canada, displayed an after-tax NPV (8% discount) of $2.5 billion and an internal rate of return of 17.1%. This is based on a long-term nickel price of $21,000/t, a C$:$US of $0.76 and an oil price of $70/bbl.

Crawford, in Timmins, Ontario, is the world’s second largest nickel reserve, according to Wood Mackenzie. Once in production, it is also expected to become one of Canada’s largest carbon storage facilities and be a net negative contributor of CO2 over the project life.

The study was based off proven and probable reserves of 3.8 Mt contained nickel from 1,700 Mt of ore grading 0.22% Ni, providing annual average nickel production of 38,000 t over a 41-year life, with production of 48,000 t/y of nickel, 800 t/y of cobalt, 13,000 oz of palladium and platinum, 1.6 Mt/y of iron and 76,000 t/y of chrome over 27-year peak period.

Crawford will produce two concentrates with life-of-mine average concentrate grades as follows:

  • Nickel concentrate: 34% Ni, 0.7% Co and 4.1 g/t combined Pd and Pt; and
  • Iron ore concentrate: 55% Fe, 0.3% Ni, 2.6% Cr.

The project’s carbon footprint has been calculated at 4.8 t CO2 per tonne of nickel in concentrate, or 2.3 t CO2 per tonne of nickel equivalent, largely due to the use of an electrically powered mining fleet, including trolley-assist trucks, that are expected to reduce diesel consumption by over 40% compared to diesel powered equipment.

Crawford will mine two separate open pits that contain approximately equal tonnages of ore. Approximately 89% of material mined will be rock, which will be drilled and blasted before being loaded by electrically powered rope shovels or large hydraulic excavators into 290 t trucks equipped with trolley assist. Over 70% of uphill hauls by this fleet will be conducted on trolley, reducing diesel consumption by approximately 1.5 billion litres, while faster speeds will reduce the fleet by 12 units, the company says. The remaining material will be overburden that will not require drilling and blasting and will be loaded and hauled with a mixed fleet of smaller equipment.

The concentrator will process ore using a conventional milling circuit. Unit operations include crushing, SAG and ball mill grinding, desliming, nickel flotation, magnetic separation on the flotation tailings and carbon storage using the company’s proprietary IPT (In-Process Tailings) Carbonation technology.

Crawford, and the company’s other properties in the Timmins Nickel District, are hosted in ultramafic rock, which contain minerals such as brucite that naturally absorb and sequester CO2. Canada Nickel has developed the novel IPT Carbonation process which involves injecting a concentrated source of CO2 into tailings generated by the milling process for a brief period of time. This simple process stores CO2 chemically in the tailings while they are still in the processing circuit, rather than after they have been finally deposited.

This technology is anticipated to allow capture and storage of 1.5 Mt/y of CO2 during the 27-year peak period, the bulk of which will be sold to third parties.

Mark Selby, CEO of Canada Nickel, said: “This BFS is a significant milestone for Crawford and a major step forward in demonstrating the value of our Timmins Nickel District and its potential to anchor a Zero Carbon Industrial Cluster in the Timmins-Cochrane region. Crawford is poised to be a leader in the energy transition through the large-scale production of critical minerals, including nickel and cobalt, and is expected to become the sole North American producer of chromium, while also supporting Canada’s climate objectives through industrial-scale carbon capture and storage.

“I am very proud of our team for accomplishing this milestone in a very short amount of time. Just four years ago, Crawford had only five drill holes. Today, we believe it is a world-class project with tremendous momentum. We are fully focused on pursuing our next milestones of obtaining permits, developing a financing package, and moving towards a production decision by mid-2025, with a goal of first production by the end of 2027.”

Murray & Roberts Cementation hits the accuracy mark on Platreef ventilation shaft development

Murray & Roberts Cementation is helping Ivanplats deliver the Platreef project in South Africa through the provision of drilling services at the ventilation shaft.

The dual purpose use of the new ventilation shaft at Ivanplats’ Platreef project required extreme pilot hole accuracy, according to Murray & Roberts Cementation.

The vent shaft, or Shaft 3, which meets horizontal development at a depth of 950 m, also needs to be equipped with a hoist and rope guides to carry personnel in the case of emergency. The rope guides for the hoist require the shaft to be drilled vertically within tight parameters. According to Dirk Visser, Senior Project Manager at Murray & Roberts Cementation, this meant offering the client minimal deflection of the pilot hole using a continuous steering tool.

“Using the well-proven German-designed-and-manufactured Micon, Rotary Vertical Drilling System (RVDS), we were able to achieve the set parameters required for a rope guide installation,” Visser says. “The worst deflection was no more than 0.05% – or 452 mm – and, by the time we bottomed out, the deviation was only 0.02% or 226 mm off centre over a final drilling depth of 950 m.”

Micon’s specialised RVDS is a continuous self-steering tool working on a close loop system which steers the tool using two-axis gyro inclination sensors that activate the hydraulic steering system. It can determine in real time if there is any deviation from the vertical course, and communicate this information to the operator on surface via pressure waves in the drilling water by converting the pressure waves into information through transducers, according to the company.

The Murray & Roberts Cementation drilling team not only ensured accurate directional results, but also optimised the performance of the RVDS. By keeping an eye on key variables like voltage levels and water cleanliness.

Visser highlights that drilling to these tolerances with this highly technical equipment demands a very experienced team. On this project, for instance, the most ‘junior’ person has worked with the RVDS for 15 years, while another member has 28 years of experience in raiseboring.

Platreef is owne 64% by Ivanhoe Mines. A 26% interest is held by Ivanplats’ historically disadvantaged, broad-based, black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) partners, while a Japanese consortium of ITOCHU Corporation, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, and Japan Gas Corporation, owns a 10% interest in Ivanplats.

In May, Ivanhoe Mines said that underground development work had been focused on the vertical development of waste passes between the 750-m, 850-m and 950-m levels, and lateral development towards the orebody, as well as lateral development required for underground infrastructure on each level including access to the bottom of Shaft 3 on the 950-m level. Shaft 3, with a diameter of 5.1 m, is currently being reamed with approximately 150 m of 950 m completed to date, it said. Planned completion was scheduled for the December quarter of 2023.

Platreef’s commercial production is expected in 2024, with Shaft 2 now expected to be commissioned in 2027. The initial scope of the phased development plan is to fast-track Platreef into production, starting with an initial 700,000-t/y underground mine using the existing Shaft 1 and a new on-site concentrator. Platfreef, Ivanhoe says, is projected to be Africa’s lowest-cost producer of platinum-group metals, nickel, copper and gold.

Vale partners with MIRARCO on bioleaching, bioremediation processing project

Vale Energy Transition Metals, a leading global supplier of nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group metals, says it is moving to accelerate commercial recovery of critical minerals from mine waste in partnership with the Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation, and Applied Research
Corporation (MIRARCO) at Laurentian University, in Canada.

As part of efforts to reduce mine waste and capture additional value from mined material, Vale has committed C$875,000 ($635,769) over five years to MIRARCO to support a new industrial research chair program in biomining and bioremediation. The announcement was made during the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada 2023 Convention, in Toronto, Canada.

The industrial research chair program, led by Dr Nadia Mykytczuk (pictured in the centre), will develop, pilot and work towards commercialising bioleaching and bioremediation processes including efforts to recover nickel and cobalt from low-grade pyrrhotite tailings and other waste.

Luke Mahony, Chief Technical Officer at Vale Energy Transition Metals (pictured second from left), said: “This builds on our extensive R&D history and proven track record of lab-to-plant process development and represents a significant opportunity for waste-stream reprocessing here in Ontario. We see this as a triple-win, with potential to reduce liabilities, accelerate commercial recovery of critical minerals and capture additional value from mined material.”

The Government of Ontario will also contribute C$750,000 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. to support this industrial research chair program.

Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development (pictured second from right), said: “The new and improved Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation is supporting innovative solutions in the resource extraction sector that will change the way we see mining traditionally. By partnering with Vale and Laurentian University, we are committing to Made in Ontario solutions that will reduce mine waste and enhance value for materials already involved in the mining process.”

Dr Mykytczuk, President and CEO of MIRARCO, said: “This funding and collaboration will accelerate the development of new tools to help us extract value from wastes, producing the metals we need in an environmentally sustainable way.”

Vale Energy Transition Metals is one of the world’s largest producers of high-quality nickel and an important producer of copper and responsibly sourced cobalt. With headquarters in Toronto, Canada, and operations in Newfoundland & Labrador, Ontario, Manitoba, Indonesia and Brazil, the business delivers critical building blocks for a cleaner, greener future.

MIRARCO Mining Innovation is in its 25th year and has been a leader in the development of innovative solutions in response to the needs of the mining industry. Located in Sudbury, Ontario, MIRARCO works collaboratively with industry, private sector, government, academia, and community stakeholders, building fit for purpose teams to effectively deploy knowledge, technology, and sustainable practices across the mining life cycle.

Future Metals makes mining and processing ‘breakthrough’ at Panton

Future Metals says the latest flotation and ore sorting test work for its Panton platinum group metals project in Western Australia represents a mining and processing “breakthrough”.

Results from bulk ore sorting and flotation optimisation and repeatability test work for its Panton project demonstrated a significant de-risking for the future mining and processing of the company’s 6.9 Moz palladium-equivalent JORC resource and provide a credible path towards developing a low capital, high margin PGM-Ni operation, it said.

The company has also commenced scoping study and test work evaluation with PGM downstream processing technology providers.

Previous test work on Panton concentrate has demonstrated recoveries of 99%-plus for a majority of metals contained in the concentrate. These processes produce upgraded metals products for direct sale to refineries, or refining on site, improving payabilities, reducing logistics costs and reducing emissions relative to the smelting process route.

Initial assessment of the Lifezone Metals Ltd hydrometallurgy technology – which is already in use at the Pilanesberg Platinum Mines operation on South Africa’s Bushveld Complex – suggests that this would be a low capital flowsheet addition with significant operating and economic benefits.

Jardee Kininmonth, Managing Director of Future Metals, said: “We have now demonstrated a credible metallurgical solution which places Panton firmly on the development pathway. Panton is the highest grade PGM deposit in Australia, enabling us to progress a low capital and high margin operation with significant growth upside.

“Optimisation and variability flotation test work has demonstrated highly repeatable results with strong recoveries at high concentrate grades.”

New flotation results from this latest program of optimisation and variability test work yielded positive results on the high-grade chromitite samples with PGM recoveries of 75.7-81.4% with concentrate grades from 167-387 g/t PGM with an average of 286 g/t PGM.

Kininmonth continued: “The ore sorting results are significant, as it is the key to increasing mineable tonnes while ensuring the ore reporting to the mill is high grade. This allows for increased economies of scale within the mine, utilising conventional underground mining methods, while decreasing processing plant capital costs by increasing the grade of the mill feed, with negligible losses of high-grade ore.”

Following “sighter” test work success, a bulk sorting test was completed with Steinert Sorting Solutions using its X-ray Transmission (XRT) and 3D Laser combination sort program, due to the chromitite in the Panton samples being substantially higher in atomic density.

The bulk test work involved compositing separate chromitite and dunite samples to replicate the expected feed mix from a mine stope. The chromitite and dunite were crushed and screened into to three size fractions: plus-25 mm, plus-10 mm, and -10 mm.

The bulk ore sort test work validated the sighter test work on multiple size fractions, demonstrating 96.7% recovery of high-grade ore and rejection of low-grade and waste, increasing the PGM grade of the potential mill feed by 10.7% and reducing the throughput volume by 12.7%.

Kininmonth concluded: “Additionally, we have been progressing discussions with potential technology partners to assess a low-capital downstream integration option at Panton. Downstream integration enables the production of high-margin metals products while also significantly decreasing the emissions profile associated with those products, thereby differentiating Panton from the majority of South African and Russia producers, which use coal-fired power and generate other emissions such as sulphur dioxide.

“Downstream processing also closely aligns Panton with the Australian Government’s critical minerals strategy which incentivises onshore upgrading and development of strategically important deposits such as Panton.”

Total Eren, Chariot and Tharisa to build solar PV plant at PGM mine

Total Eren, a renewable energy independent power producer, and Chariot, an Africa-focused transitional energy company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tharisa plc to develop, finance, construct, own, operate and maintain a solar photovoltaic project for the supply of electricity to the Tharisa PGM mine, in the North West province, South Africa.

The solar PV project is initially anticipated to be 40 MW peak with demand expected to increase over the life of the Tharisa Mine. This MoU is the first step towards implementation of the project and signing of a long-term Power Purchase Agreement for the supply of electricity on a take-or-pay basis, the companies said.

Fabienne Demol, Executive Vice-President & Global Head of Business Development of Total Eren, said: “We are very pleased to be entering into this MoU with Tharisa. Through our partnership with Chariot, we are keen to assist mining companies in Africa to reduce their carbon intensity and energy costs, via implementing renewable power solutions into their operations. We are eager to bring our global expertise in solar generation to Tharisa mine and we look forward to delivering further renewable projects for our mining customers in Africa and worldwide.”

Benoit Garrivier, Chariot Transitional Power CEO, added: “This is a great outcome for Chariot’s Transitional Power division and demonstrates the financial and sustainable benefits that our offering can bring to mining companies operating in Africa. The Tharisa team are very forward looking and understand that the addition of a solar PV project at their mine in South Africa will bring significant benefits to the business. Together with Total Eren, we are excited to start working on the financing and development of the project and we will update the market further on this and other opportunities that we are progressing in due course.”

Tebogo Matsimela, Head of ESG at Tharisa, said: “Tharisa plays a significant part in the global energy transition movement, and we are committed to producing these key metals in a sustainable manner. The solar power solution provided by Total Eren is but one of several steps we are taking to ensure our flagship Tharisa Mine, which has a life of mine of over 50 years, has a reduced carbon footprint.

“Our goal is to reduce our carbon emissions by 30% by 2030 and ultimately become net carbon neutral by 2050.”

Tharisa Minerals produces PGM concentrate and metallurgical- and specialty-grade chrome concentrates from a shallow open-pit mine near Rustenburg, North West province. The Genesis and Voyager plants at the operation have a combined nameplate capacity of 4.8 Mt/y of run of mine.

South Africa’s hydrogen potential validated in Anglo American-led feasibility study

Anglo American, in collaboration with South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the South African National Development Institute (SANEDI), Engie and Bambili Energy, has announced the results of a feasibility study to explore the potential for a hydrogen valley anchored in the Bushveld complex of South Africa, along the industrial and commercial corridor to Johannesburg and to the south coast at Durban.

The feasibility study, which was launched in March of this year, identifies three hubs – Johannesburg, extending to Rustenburg and Pretoria; Durban, encompassing the city itself and Richards Bay; and Limpopo province centred around Anglo American’s Mogalakwena platinum group metals (PGMs) mine (pictured) – with a fundamental role to play in integrating hydrogen into South Africa’s economy, and in establishing South Africa and its renewable energy resources as a strategically important centre for green hydrogen production, Anglo says.

Nine key pilot projects have also been identified across these hubs and are recommended to be prioritised by developers. They span the transport, industrial and construction sectors.

Following the publication of the feasibility study results, Anglo says it will work with South Africa’s DSI and the other partners on the implementation of relevant projects, as well as continue to progress its own company-led initiatives towards development of the hydrogen economy.

Anglo is already investing in renewable hydrogen production technology at its Mogalakwena PGMs mine and in the development of hydrogen-powered fuel cell mine haul trucks (FCEVs) – the world’s largest to run on hydrogen.

Natascha Viljoen, CEO of Anglo American’s PGMs business, said: “The opportunity to create new engines of economic activity through hydrogen has been validated through this feasibility study with our partners. As a leading producer of PGMs, we have for some years been working towards establishing the right ecosystem to successfully develop, scale-up and deploy hydrogen-fuelled solutions. These include investing in innovative ventures and enabling technologies, as well as forging wide-ranging collaborations across industry, to fully harness the transformative potential of green hydrogen for our economy in South Africa.”

Zest WEG carrying out EC&I works at Anglo Platinum’s Mogalakwena CPR plant

Zest WEG is installing a range of electrical control and instrumentation equipment at Anglo American Platinum’s Mogalakwena mine in Limpopo province, South Africa, working closely with engineering group DRA Global.

The construction is taking place within the Mogalakwena mine’s existing North Concentrator Plant, around various plant areas. The Electrical Control Instrumentation (ECI) package is being led by Eben Kleynhans, E&I Electrical Project Engineer from DRA.

According to Calvin Fisher, Electrical and Instrumentation Construction Proposals Manager at Zest WEG, the Zest WEG work is being conducted for the mine’s Coarse Particle Rejection (CPR) plant, and will be completed in the second half of 2021.

“In addition to applying the highest level of workmanship and professionalism, we are carrying out the project in line with our client’s Mining Charter requirements on local procurement,” Fisher says. “This means that over 70% of people involved in our scope of work will be drawn from local communities, and we are sourcing a significant level of our supplies from local businesses.”

Equipment to be installed includes three 2 MVA transformers, stepping down from 11 kV to 550 V, and a 630 kVA mini substation for lighting and small power requirements. Containerised motor control centres (MCCs), complete with variable speed drives (VSDs), an HVAC unit, cable racking, cables, lighting and small power also form part of the scope of supply. In addition, two back-up generators will be installed – one of 630 kVA capacity and the other 330 kVA.

“The three new containerised MCCs and VSD sets will be placed on plinths near the CPR feed tank, CPR process water area and CPR building and a steel roof structure erected over the containers,” he says. “The new transformer bay will be constructed next to the MCC, also with a roof over the transformer.”

About 70 km of cable will be laid – ranging from low voltage to medium voltage cable – as well as 3,300 terminations and almost 2.5 km of cable racking. The various structures that Zest WEG will install require some 9 t of steel. The instrumentation to be installed will comprise about 170 instruments including flow transmitters, pressure gauges, level switches, temperature gauges and density transmitters. There will also be around 250 lights installed, mainly outdoors.

Fisher notes that the electrical installation specialists are typically among the last contractors on a project, and must be quite flexible to accommodate certain modifications that may have been required in the civils, structural and mechanical work completed beforehand.

“Wherever necessary, we work closely with the client to implement the plan smoothly while meeting their need for safe access to the equipment being installed, to allow maintenance to be readily conducted,” he says.

In addition to the installation contract, Zest WEG is supplying some of the actual items of equipment for the expansion project, including WEG motors and containerised generators. The electrical installation work is expected to take about six months.

“We are proud of the high level of quality that we bring to projects like this, where we apply our successful model of procurement to support our clients in meeting their critical local expenditure targets,” he says. “This also allows Zest WEG to make a valuable contribution to uplift local companies wherever we can.”

Scantech launches GEOSCAN GOLD to help digitalise and control ore quality

Scantech International Pty Ltd has released GEOSCAN GOLD, a premium elemental analyser that, it says, uses the highest specification PGNAA (prompt gamma neutron activation analysis) technology available.

The analyser, which builds on Scantech’s GEOSCAN-M high-performance elemental analyser, provides previously unattainable levels of risk-free, real-time measurement performance to the resources sector to help digitalise and control ore quality, according to the company.

GEOSCAN GOLD provides high-quality, real-time elemental analysis for conveyed flows where precision and short measurement times are essential for optimal control. This makes it ideal for bulk diversion (bulk sorting) and fine control where elements at parts per million levels need to be measured or determined from proxies such as gold, platinum group elements, silver and toxic contaminants (eg mercury, cadmium, chlorine, etc), Scantech says.

The analyser incorporates a high performance proprietary detector array for a “better, cleaner spectrum” at lower concentrations for superior element recognition. The array overcomes limitations of conventional, low efficiency detection systems, according to Scantech. It can also operate at extremely high count rates with negligible pulse pile-up.

“This innovation vastly improves the signal to noise ratio and spectral peak resolution, enabling elemental detection at lower levels,” the company said.

Just some of the advantages of GEOSCAN Gold that Scantech highlighted include:

  • An ultra-compact design that can install between standard idlers;
  • Unmatched proven performance;
  • Operational at completion of commissioning;
  • Customised calibrations;
  • Three models cater for belts 600 mm to 2,400 mm and bed depths to 530 mm;
  • No contact with material or conveyor belt;
  • No sampling necessary during normal operation;
  • No wear parts, therefore, low maintenance requirements;
  • Optional customised SUPERSCAN console;
  • Interface to most process control systems; and
  • Proven short paybacks in many applications (bulk diversion, blending, monitoring, feed forward, etc) to optimise plant performance.

The company says GEOSCAN GOLD measures elements in primary crushed rock in conveyed flows at <100 t/h to >10,000 t/h irrespective of belt speed, particle size, mineralogy, dust, moisture, or segregation/layering,

It covers most elements from carbon onwards in the periodic table, including gold, over various measurement times and concentration levels. It can also analyse selected elements to below 1 parts per million, and even register accurate results where conveyor belts contain chlorine or steel cords.

It can register gold directly over 5-10 minute increments and other elements, including proxies for gold (eg sulphur, copper, etc), with high precisions over each 30 seconds of flow.

Measurement data is used concurrently for various applications: bulk sorting, ore blending, ore reconciliation, ore tracking, feed forward control, metal accounting, etc.

“GEOSCAN GOLD is the new standard in representative, real time, conveyed material measurement using Scantech’s Rocks2data customisation module,” the company said. “Successful performance is already proven in many challenging bulk ore sorting applications in base metals and PGMs. It builds on the very successful, world-leading GEOSCAN-M with over 100 installations in the minerals sector in more than 10 commodities. Paybacks are in a few months and sometimes weeks. Non-contact design minimises maintenance and remote access ensures trouble-free operation and high data accessibility.”

Nornickel backs responsible sourcing and production practices with blockchain agreement

Norilsk Nickel says it is joining the Responsible Sourcing Blockchain Network (RSBN), an industry collaboration among members across the minerals supply chain using blockchain technology to support responsible sourcing and production practices from mine to market.

The move to join RSBN comes after Nornickel announced a broad strategy to use sophisticated digital technologies to create a customer-centric supply chain, which would include metal-backed tokens on the global Atomyze platform, a tokenisation platform that represents physical assets in digital form. Both the Atomyze and RSBN platforms were developed by leveraging Hyperledger technology, with IBM’s participation, the PGM and base metal miner said.

With Nornickel joining the RSBN, a series of its supply chains will be audited annually against key responsible sourcing requirements by RCS Global. The audits cover each stage of the company’s vertically integrated operations from mines in Russia to refineries in Finland and Russia.

Once audited against responsible sourcing requirements, each supply chain will be brought on to the RSBN and an “immutable audit data” trail will be captured on the platform, proving responsible nickel and cobalt production, its maintenance and its ethical provenance.

“Integration with RSBN is yet another step for Nornickel towards achieving greater business sustainability by creating a permanent record of minerals on the blockchain,” the company said.

At a later development stage, data such as upstream carbon intensity and other ESG attributes will be tracked, it added.

Built on IBM Blockchain technology and powered by the Linux Foundation’s Hyperledger Fabric, the RSBN platform helps improve transparency in the mineral supply chain by providing a highly secure and immutable record that can be shared with specified members of the network, Nornickel says. Additionally, RCS Global Group assesses each participating entity both initially and annually against responsible sourcing requirements set by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and those enshrined by key industry bodies, including the Responsible Minerals Initiative.

Anton Berlin, Nornickel’s Vice President, Sales and Distribution, said: “As one of the largest industry groups globally and the producer of the minerals essential for the transition to a carbon-free world, Nornickel is well aware of its responsibility to make the metals supply chains sustainable and highly transparent. We believe that the digital technologies of RSBN and Atomyze will create the path for Nornickel and its partners to participate in a circular value chain, tracing commodity flows in near real time as well as replacing cumbersome paperwork.”

RCS Global CEO, Dr Nicholas Garrett, added: “The RSBN has proven that responsible sourcing can be traced and documented using blockchain technology. Assuring Nornickel’s supply chains is another milestone engagement for RCS Global and Nornickel’s commitment to the RSBN and demonstrates momentum for blockchain backed responsible sourcing platform in the metals sector.”

Manish Chawla, Global Managing Director, Chemicals, Petroleum & Industrial Products, IBM, said: “Norilsk Nickel is an important addition to the Responsible Sourcing Blockchain Network and we look forward to their contributions to help advance the assurance for responsible sourcing and the group’s sustainability goals that have a direct impact on successful and accountable development for entire industries.”

RSBN is designed to be adopted across industries by original equipment manufacturers in automotive, electronics, aerospace and defence as well as their supply chain partners such as mining companies and battery manufacturers.