[SMM Precious Metals Express]

Northam Platinum is advancing large-scale renewable energy and energy storage deployment, with a plan to turn its Eland mine into South Africa’s first PGM mine operated entirely on renewable energy. Chief Executive Officer Paul Dunne stated at the annual results briefing on August 28 that Eland not only has the conditions to switch to fully green power, but has also achieved a positive water balance. The company plans to phase out external water sources by the end of this decade, moving the mine toward a truly low-carbon, low-water-dependence "green mine" model.

A research team at Utkal University in India has published a review on organoiridium(III) anticancer complexes, focusing on how Schiff base and oxime ligands affect the biological activity, cytotoxicity and mechanisms of action of Ir(III) complexes. Platinum-based drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin have demonstrated that platinum-group metals (PGMs) can be developed into large-scale clinical therapeutics. However, nephrotoxicity, drug resistance and non-selective damage to healthy cells are driving metal-drug research to extend toward other PGMs including ruthenium (Ru), iridium (Ir) and osmium (Os).

Tharisa launched fixed-income investor meetings on September 2, planning to issue a five-year senior secured bond with an initial size of USD 300 million through its wholly-owned subsidiary Arxo Finance. The proceeds will primarily fund remaining capital expenditure at the Karo Platinum mine in Zimbabwe and for general corporate purposes. DNB Carnegie and HSBC act as joint bookrunners, with Absa as co-manager. It should be noted that whether the bond will be formally issued, as well as the final coupon rate and size, remain subject to investor meeting outcomes and market conditions, and should therefore be viewed as a financing arrangement rather than a completed fundraising.