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REGIONAL NEWS - AFRICA Anglo American Platinum Pioneering Fuel Cell Locomotive Dignitaries at the fuel cell locomotive launch, from left: Godfrey Gomwe, executive director Anglo American SA; Cassel Mathale, Premier Limpopo Province; Susan Shabangu, Minister of the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR); Cynthia Carroll, CEO Anglo American plc; Neville Nicolau, CEO Anglo American Platinum; and Rudi Rudolph, general manager, Khomanani mine. The fuel cell locomotive breaks through a banner announcing launch (inset). Anglo American Platinum unveiled a prototype platinum-based fuel-cell-pow- ered mine locomotive in South Africa in mid-May 2012. Surface testing of the locomotive is planned to take place dur- ing the third quarter. The industry-lead- ing project was delivered in collabora- tion with Vehicle Projects, Trident South Africa and Battery Electric. After the initial testing period, the partnership will construct five fuel-cell locomotives for underground use at one of Anglo American Platinum's mines. "As part of Anglo American Platinum's commitment to the develop- ment of fuel cells, in 2011 the compa- ny identified uses for fuel cells in its own operations," the Anglo American Platinum announcement said. "Mining locomotives were identified as an ideal opportunity. Partners were identified through a global search to pioneer this development. Current original equip- ment manufacturers were integrated with the fuel cell developers to ensure seamless system integration. "Anglo American Platinum, with its partners, aims to demonstrate the supe- rior energy efficiency and productivity 36 E&MJ; • JUNE 2012 of fuel-cell-powered locomotives. The new technology is also believed to offer an environmentally-friendly and safer means of underground transportation." Neville Nicolau, CEO of Anglo American Platinum, said, "These inno- vative locomotives will provide us with an opportunity to mine platinum in a more economic, energy-secure, and environmentally-benign manner. The locomotives will not require any elec- tricity from the grid to function and will not emit noxious gases." Anglo American Platinum is the world's largest platinum producer. The company is collaborating with the South African government and technol- ogy partners to explore uses of fuel cell energy sources that contribute to a reduced carbon footprint. The company and South Africa's Departments of Mineral Resources and Science and Technology are also working to encourage and support greater local beneficiation of platinum. Among its objectives, this partnership is seeking to develop a local fuel cell manufacturing, distribution, marketing and servicing industry that will be globally competitive. African Barrick Adding New Circuit at Bulyanhulu African Barrick Gold is adding a new 2.4-million-mt/y carbon-in-leach circuit at its Bulyanhulu processing plan in northwest Tanzania. The new circuit will provide for hydraulic reclamation of the current tailings storage facility and simultaneous treatment of all current flotation tailings through a purpose- built plant. An existing 300,000-mt/y plant will be decommissioned following the start-up of the new plant. Feed for the new plant for the first six years will be made up of the histor- ical material reclaimed from the tail- ings storage facility and from cleaner and rougher tailings generated at the existing flotation plant. The tailings storage facility has an indicated resource of 8 million mt at a grade of 1.23 g/mt, for 315,000 oz of contained gold. Once the tailings facility is exhausted, the plant will process the flotation circuit tailings, supplemented by lower-grade rougher tailings stock- piles (approximately 1.9 million mt at a grade of 0.65 g/mt), which will be cre- ated in advance of the expansion. A new life-of-mine tailings storage facility will be constructed for future tailings at Bulyanhulu, which requires an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment but does not impact the project timetable. The project will add more than 40,000 oz/y to Bulyanhulu gold pro- duction during its first six years of oper- ation, beginning in the first half of 2014, and further incremental produc- tion for the remainder of the mine life. Added life-of-mine production will total about 576,000 oz at a total cash cost of $554/oz. Pre-production capital investment for the project is estimated at $167 million, inclusive of contingency, and life-of-mine sustaining capital is esti- mated at $18 million. Site works were scheduled to begin by the end of July 2012. Construction of the plant and associated infrastructure, together with commissioning, is expected to take up to 18 months. www.e-mj.com