Gold mining company Pan African is completing a feasibility study into the construction of a 10 MVA solar power plant at its Elikhulu Tailings Retreatment Plant, in Evander, Mpumalanga. The R1.74-billion project uses a conventional carbon-in-leach circuit with a proprietary preoxidation process through which one-million tons of tailings is processed a month at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of production of between $650/oz and $700/oz. The 14-year-life, 40-employee Elikhulu, which is performing better than anticipated, is producing at a rate of 55 000 oz/y of gold.
