Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) is nearing completion of a $62m platinum group metal smelter at its Unki mine in Zimbabwe, meeting that government’s demands for greater beneficiation of the industrial and precious metal. The smelter is 70% complete, still needing electrical systems to be installed, and would be operating from mid-2018. This would ramp up to steady state production the following year, local Zimbabwean media reported smelter project manager Clifford Mutevhe as saying during a visit to the Unki mine. Amplats, Impala Platinum (Implats) and Sibanye-Stillwater all have mines in Zimbabwe. Under former president Robert Mugabe, the government instructed platinum group metals (PGM) miners to consider beneficiating or adding value to its output in the country, or face a 15% export levy on shipments of concentrate south to smelters and refineries in SA. Implats CEO Nico Muller said in September during his maiden results presentation that the imposition of the 15% tariff could...
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