About

JSE-listed Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has successfully completed the rebuild of its Anglo Converter Plant (ACP) Phase A unit, which will ramp up to full operating capacity by the end of the year. Both the ACP Phase A and Phase B units had been shut down initially in March, following an explosion at the plant. The Phase A unit had since been undergoing a total rebuild, with Amplats advising in November that the Phase B unit would also be undergoing a rebuild. Phase B unit had been suffering a series of water leaks that threaten a safe operating environment and the integrity of the plant, despite the repairs done throughout the year. Amplats CEO Natascha Viljoen says the rebuild of the Phase A unit could be accelerated, despite the impact of Covid-19 on supply chains, as a result of the company being able to procure long-lead-time items to site six months ahead of schedule. The Phase A unit was originally expected to be commissioned in the second quarter of next year. Owing to the early completion and stable restart of the Phase A unit, the company has upgraded its refined production guidance for the year to between 2.6-million and 2.7-million platinum group metal ounces, from the original 2.5-million-ounce expectation. The release of the work-in-progress inventory build-up this year is expected to take up to 24 months.