NORTHAM Platinum expects output from a "very distressed" South African platinum industry to continue falling from its 2006 peak, and is taking advantage of its strong balance sheet to double output to 800,000oz of platinum group metals (PGMs) in coming years.Northam has a number of projects on its books including building a R4.2bn mine at Booysendal South that are the assets it bought from Aquarius Platinum, expanding its operational Booysendal North mine for R270m and installing a R750m 20MW furnace at its Zondereinde processing facility to accommodate the output.Northam has set itself an "aspirational target" of being a 1-million ounce a year producer of PGMs and its suite of projects will within years take it to 800,000oz from 436,960oz in the financial year to end-June, which was a 16% increase on the previous year’s output.Through these projects, Northam will double its chrome concentrate production to 1-million tonnes a year, a substantial segment of the about 7.6-million tonn...
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