| Wed 2 Jun 2010, 9:00 | | JBL - Jubilee Platinum Plc - Mintek`s demonstration furnace smelts 50 000 Tons |
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JBL
JUJLP
JBL - Jubilee Platinum Plc - Mintek`s demonstration furnace smelts 50 000 Tons
of PGM Containing Feed and concludes the development programme of the ConRoast
Smelting Process
Jubilee Platinum Plc
AIM: JLP
JSE: JBL
Registration no: 4459850ISIN Code: GB0031852162
("Jubilee") or the "Company")
Mintek`s Demonstration Furnace Smelts 50 000 Tons of PGM Containing Feed and
Concludes the Development Programme of the ConRoast Smelting Process
("ConRoast")
Jubilee and Mintek are pleased to announce the successful completion of the
development programme for the ConRoast Smelting Process. In March 2010 the
demonstration DC-arc furnace passed the significant milestone of smelting 50 000
tons of material containing platinum group metals ("PGM") as part of the
development of ConRoast.
Highlights
- ConRoast development programme successfully concluded;
- ConRoast established as the solution for platinum industry: smelts 50 000
tons of PGM concentrates during its development programme;
- ConRoast outperforms the traditional smelting process on treatment of -
chrome rich PGM concentrates; and
- Jubilee now focussed on construction of new commercial-scale ConRoast
facility.
Abiel Mgomuzulu (CEO of Mintek) said "The successful conclusion of the research
and development phase for the ConRoast smelting solution, affirms Mintek`s
successful track record of forming partnerships with Industry for the
development of technologies that provides solutions to the challenges faced by
the Mining and Minerals Industry. Mintek remains committed to this process and
will continue with technical support to Jubilee as they commercialise the
ConRoast process."
Colin Bird (CEO of Jubilee) said "Jubilee is delighted that the research and
development phase has been successfully concluded. The ConRoast process has
throughout its development phase demonstrated that it is an environmentally
friendlier, safer and more efficient processing solution than the traditional
matte-collection furnaces for the recovery of platinum group metals from chrome
rich concentrates. To date the demonstration facility at Mintek has achieved
the necessary results confirming that the ConRoast smelting route is the
industry solution for chrome rich concentrates. We thank Mintek for the support
as our technical partner and look forward to our ongoing relationship during and
after the commercialisation phase."
At the end of March, Mintek and Jubilee concluded that the technology
development necessary for the first commercial ConRoast smelter has been
completed. Consequently, treatment of material in the Mintek facility for
demonstration purposes ceased at the end of March, so that Jubilee could focus
on the commercialisation of ConRoast. Jubilee is well advanced in the
establishment of a commercial ConRoast facility. Mintek continues to support the
process, and looks forward to seeing the first commercial project being
implemented soon.
As part of the conclusion of the research and development programme, Mintek and
Jubilee have agreed that ownership of the Braemore-installed demonstration plant
at Mintek will pass to Mintek.
The furnace has been in operation for the past six years, primarily acting as a
large-scale demonstration unit for Mintek`s patented ConRoast process, to which
Braemore Platinum (Pty) Ltd ("Braemore"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Jubilee,
holds the exclusive worldwide rights. ConRoast is now widely recognised as an
environmentally friendly and safe way of smelting PGM concentrates, especially
for the troublesome high-chromium concentrates emanating from the UG2 Reef that
have resulted in a number of furnace failures in the PGM industry over the past
few years.
Since October 2007, the enlarged demonstration furnace at Mintek has been
treating a wide range of PGM-bearing feed materials on behalf of Braemore. These
final trials marked the conclusion of a very successful development period
during which ConRoast established itself as the new, safe and environmentally
friendly smelting solution for PGM containing concentrates. Braemore has funded
the further development of ConRoast through pilot plant testwork at Mintek and
overseas as well as the expansion of the smelting facilities at Mintek.
Consequently Braemore holds the exclusive rights to ConRoast for the roasting,
smelting and downstream refining of PGM-containing feed materials.
Mintek will continue to investigate opportunities to use the facility for a
combination of further development work, process demonstration, for revenue-
generating and training purposes. This work will assist in establishing further
opportunities for the use of DC-arc furnace technology, especially with regard
to facilitating opportunities related to junior and black-economic-empowered
entities.
Note to editor
The ConRoast technology, developed and patented by Mintek (South Africa`s
national mineral research organization). has been licensed (to year 2020)
exclusively to Braemore Platinum Smelters SA (Pty) Ltd (a wholly owned
subsidiary of Jubilee). ConRoast is a robust, clean and safe DC-arc smelting
process for treating especially difficult high chrome-bearing platinum
concentrates from UG2 reef ore. ConRoast offers increased metal recovery, low
SO2 emissions and improved furnace reliability for chromite-bearing platinum
concentrates; all being significant improvements over the matte smelting process
currently employed in the Platinum mining industry
2 June 2010
Sponsor
Sasfin Capital
(A division of Sasfin Bank Limited)
For further information please contact:
Colin Bird Matthew Robinson/Ed Frisby
Jubilee Platinum plc FinnCap
Tel +27 (0) 11 253 3280 Tel +44 (0) 20 7600 1658
Tel +44 (0) 20 7584 2155
Andrew Sarosi Leonard Eiser/Sharon Owens
Jubilee Platinum plc Sasfin Capital
Tel +44 (0) 1752 221937 Tel +27 (0) 11 809 7500
Leon Coetzer Michael Kinirons
Braemore Platinum (Pty) Ltd Bishopsgate Communications Ltd
Tel +27 (0)83 455 7749 Tel +44 (0) 20 7562 3350
Date: 02/06/2010 09:00:01 Produced by the JSE SENS Department.
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