Reducing emissions and cutting power costs at Lydenburg

The Swedish Stirling technology we’re rolling out at our Lydenburg smelter has the same effect on the climate as  renewable electricity, generating power at lower prices than market, while  not increasing CO₂ emissions. With the cost of power an increasing consideration across our South Africa operations, by investing in clean energy generating technology we can pass on these savings to our customers. This means we can produce ferrochrome at lower cost for our customers, who use it to produce the stainless steel that makes everything from cutlery to skyscrapers.

Finally, the innovative technology means at our Lydenburg smelting operation we now generate electricity ourselves and supply it back to the smelter network. It’s another step in integrating sustainability into all of our operations, and helping make responsible and sustainable mining a reality.

We’ve recently signed a deal to build a power-generation facility that will reduce emissions and cut power costs at our ferrochrome smelter at Lydenburg, South Africa. This partnership is another example of our ongoing commitment to supporting a transition to a low-carbon economy through incorporating technological innovations to change how we operate for the better.

The new plant will be built in partnership with Swedish Stirling, a leading global sustainable-energy company, employing their PWR BLOK 400-F solution. Swedish Stirling’s systems use CO₂ emissions from flare and industrial gas to generate electricity with external-combustion Stirling engines. The planned power-generation facility aims reduce carbon emissions by up to 80,000 tonnes per year when it is fully operational, the equivalent of almost 17,000 cars being taken off the road.  It will produce 9.9MW at maximum capacity, enough to power almost 2,000 households, and generate carbon credits that can be traded to offset carbon emissions.