JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Impala Platinum on Wednesday announced its intention to develop a 100 MW-plus solar energy plant at its platinum group metals operations in North West province.

The subsidiary of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Implats invited engineering, procurement and construction companies with experience in delivering solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants to take part in a request-for-information process for the construction and operation of a PV plant at the Rustenburg operations.

Construction of the PV plant will be on land within Impala’s mining lease and will connect to Impala’s electrical network.

The closing date for submissions is Monday, July 31.

In a production report for the three- and ninth-month periods ended March 31, Implats reported that increased severity of domestic and regional power constraints were notable impediments to the company’s operational delivery.

In March, Mining Weekly reported good response to Implats’ requests for information for electricity through wheeling from renewable energy sources to its South African operations.

How Implats provides alternative energy to the Impala Rustenburg operation is key as it is the group’s biggest consumer of electricity.

Implats is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 with a short-term target of 30% reduction of its carbon emissions by 2030, and the switch to renewable electricity will play an important role in achieving these goals and in eliminating worsening electricity supply disruptions, the company has reported.