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Operations & Projects

Our portfolio of tier-one assets provides exposure to copper, platinum-group metals, nickel, zinc and other metals essential for the world’s transition to clean energy and a low-carbon economy. Our stakeholders benefit from high-grade, long-life projects with low costs, low-capital intensity and leading ESG programs.

South Africa

Platreef PGM-Nickel Mine

Ownership: Ivanhoe Mines 64%
B-BBEE Partners 26% | Japanese Consortium led by ITOCHU Corporation 10%

The Platreef Project is a tier-one discovery of platinum-group metals, nickel, copper and gold by Ivanhoe Mines’ geologists on the Northern Limb of South Africa’s Bushveld Igneous Complex, the world’s premier platinum producing region. Platreef is distinguished from other Bushveld projects by its remarkable combination of grade, thickness, geometry, scale and potential for significant nickel and copper by-product credits, and is the world's largest undeveloped precious metals project.

Download Integrated Development Plan

700kt

Platreef's Phase 1 milliong capacity

113koz

Average annual production in ounces of palladium, rhodium, platinum, and gold (3PE+Au), in Phase 1

591koz

Average annual production in ounces of 3PE+Au in Phase 2

95Moz

Mineral Resource Base 3PE+AU

2.7Mt

Mineral Resource Base of Nickel

#1

Shaft 2 will be the largest hoisting shaft on the African continent

Commercial production is expected in Q3 2024, with full utilization and commissioning of Shaft 2 expected to be completed during 2027. The 10-metre diameter Shaft 2, which is required for the Phase 2 expansion, will be among the largest hoisting shafts on the African continent and is currently under construction. The initial scope of the phased development plan is to fast track Platreef into production, starting with an initial 700,000-tonne per- annum (700-ktpa) underground mine using the existing Shaft 1 and a new on-site concentrator.

Construction of Platreef’s first solar-power plant commenced in Q3 2022 with commissioning expected in late 2023. The solar-generated power from the plant will be used for mine development and construction activities.

The Platreef Project is projected to become one of the world’s largest and lowest-cost producers of palladium, platinum, rhodium, nickel, copper and gold.

Renewable Power at Platreef

Commissioning of Platreef’s first solar-power plant is planned for 2023. The solar-generated power from the plant will contribute to mine development and construction activities, as well as to charging Platreef’s battery-powered underground mining fleet.

Builiding the Largest Hoisting Shaft on the African Continent

The 10-metre diameter Shaft 2, which is required for the Phase 2 expansion, will be among the largest hoisting shafts on the African continent and is currently under construction. Construction of the 104-metre-tall headframe commenced in December 2022. Shaft 2’s headframe will be equipped with up to 8 Mtpa of hoisting capacity.

Tailings

Approximately half of Platreef’s tailings will be pumped back underground and used as to backfill mined-out stopes. The remainder will be deposited in a dry-stack tailings storage facility.

Technical Reports

View document library
Platreef 2022 Feasibility Study, March 2022
Platreef Integrated Development Plan 2020, December 2020
Platreef 2017 Feasibility Study, September 2017
Platreef Project – 2016 Resource Technical Report, June 2016
Platreef Project – Prefeasibility Study NI 43-101 Technical Report, January 2015