A 30MWp to supply Karo platinum mine in Zimbabwe is set to be constructed. Total Eren, the subsidiary of the French oil company TotalEnergies, and the British company, Chariot inked power purchase agreement (PPA) to see the development implemented.
The power plant will be developed Mashonaland West province, approximately 80 km southwest of Harare and 35 km southeast of Chegutu. The solar project for the Karo mine is targeting an initial installed capacity of 30 MWp, with a potential expansion to 300 MWp.
Karo mine
The Karo project’s resources are split between platinum (45%), palladium (42%), rhodium (4%) and gold (9%). As part of the mining plan, Tharisa will target mining 2.1Mtpa of run of mine material for the Phase 1 operations, at a grade of 3.0 g/t (5PGE+Au). The mining operations will include development of four sequential open pits, up to a maximum depth of 100m over a total strike length greater than 20km.
Operations at the Karo mine were officially launched on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 in the presence of the Zimbabwean authorities. The site covers an area of 23,000 hectares approximately 80 km southwest of the capital Harare and 35 km southeast of Chegutu. Karo Mining Holdings, the operator of the Karo platinum mine, is majority owned by Tharisa, a mining company based in Paphos, Cyprus.
“Our solar project will allow Karo Platinum Mine to be powered by low-carbon electricity during its operating life, thereby reducing its carbon footprint,” said Fabienne Demol, deputy managing director and global head of business development at Total Eren.