Coming off the N4 motorway near the small town of Marikana in South Africa’s platinum landscape, one almost immediately encounters the huge Tharisa Minerals mining operation. This gigantic open cast mine was started in 2009 for the production of chromium concentrate and platinum group metals (PGM) and has already produced several million tons of mineral output.
The Tharisa group holds a South African mining right for a period of 30 years, with the open-pit mining expected to continue until 2034, following which underground operations will be started.
