The green hydrogen sector now has a digital platform on which users can buy and sell green hydrogen by the click of a button, it was announced on Tuesday.  Euronext-listed Lhyfe, the French group devoted to energy transition, has begun taking of orders for green hydrogen in Europe and facilitating contacts between buyers and sellers. (Also watch attached video.)

Copper production increasing by 11% as Quellaveco achieved its highest plant throughput rate in Peru, and Collahuasi and El Soldado in Chile benefitting from higher copper grades were among the first-quarter performance aspects that pleased diversified mining company Anglo American in the three months ending March 31. “We’re driving operational excellence across our assets, focusing on stability and effective cost management as levers to deliver significant value through the cycle,” Anglo CE Duncan Wanblad highlighted in a release to Mining Weekly on Tuesday.

Platinum group metals (PGM) miner Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has reported a decrease in 5E metal-in-concentrate production of 7% to 834 100 oz for the quarter ended March 31, compared with the 901 200 oz produced in the same quarter of last year. Notably, the group’s own-managed PGM production decreased by 6% year-on-year to 504 300 oz, while the purchase of PGM concentrate decreased by 10% year-on-year to 329 000 oz.

Diversified mining company Anglo American is taking steps to help to restore an Amazon rainforest equivalent of which less than 10% remains intact. The Mata Atlántica carbon forest is located near Anglo’s Minas-Rio iron-ore mine, in Brazil.

Independent commodity research group CPM Group managing partner Jeffrey Christian has dispelled some of the common myths in the platinum market, which can lead to bad investment decisions on the part of producers, investors, governments and other financing sources. “There are high costs to making financial decisions based on a desired future rather than a realistically probable future based on an erroneous understanding of present market conditions and probable outcomes,” he explains in a market alert issued on April 19.

The mining industry makes a significant difference in the lives and livelihoods of employees and society in South Africa through economic and socioeconomic contributions, but more can be done on the governmental administrative front to enable increased benefits, says Minerals Council South Africa chief economist Hugo Pienaar. He told Mining Weekly that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy had expressed commitment to reducing red tape and processing applications, such as mineral right exploration applications quicker.

Little over three weeks ago the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (NPA AFU) obtained three orders granting the unit permission to seize assets worth some R18 million from alleged illegal mining kingpins. This gesture sends a clear message that illegal mining will be dealt with thoroughly. Hosted by Pinpoint Stewards the annual Mine Security conference will take place at the Indaba Hotel on 19 and 20 June, bringing stakeholders together to collaborate on various mining threats. The theme for this year’s conference will be: protecting mineral resources & infrastructure by applying stronger mine security measures through intelligence sharing.

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discussing palladium and platinum playing a key role in battery electric vehicles; the opportunity around the market development aspect of the platinum group metals industry; and talk of South Africa being well placed to benefit from huge green hydrogen outlook.  

Gold surged past $2 400 an ounce as concerns over rising tensions between Israel and Iran stoked haven demand. Bullion rose as much as 1.3% and headed for a fifth weekly gain after unverified media reports of explosions in Iran, Syria and Iraq.

The emerging use of electrofuel (eFuel) as an interchangeable substitute for petrol, diesel and aviation fuel has the potential to create important new demand for Southern Africa’s platinum group metals (PGMs). This is because eFuel is a combination of green hydrogen and waste carbon dioxide (CO2) and demand for PGMs will arise when proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers are used to generate the green hydrogen. PGMs and PEMs go hand-in-glove.