A platinum junior could become the first to build its own smelter, it has been claimed.

Keith Liddell, executive chairperson of Platmin, has stated that the company has enough concentrate to warrant the building of its own smelter, in a move which would put its production on a par with that of Aquarius.

Speaking at the Africa Downunder conference in Perth, Mr Liddell stated that Platmin's current operations will give it the resource base to produce more than 500,000 oz a year, the level at which Aquarius is today.

Platmin currently has four platinum operations at the Bushveld complex in South Africa, all of which are close to the surface, meaning the mining company would not have to go underground for the first ten years of the project, Mr Liddell explained.

Mr Liddell, who was previously managing director at Aquarius, pointed out that his old company is currently one of only two firms to have "cracked" South Africa's junior platinum sector – the other being Northam Platinum, whose former head Ian Watson is now chief executive at Platmin.


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