JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The London Aim-listed Sylvania Platinum is looking forward to the Thaba Joint Venture introducing a chrome revenue stream.

On its way to becoming the first platinum group metals (PGM) beneficiation facility for primary chrome ore and tailings on the northern part of the western limb of the Bushveld Complex, the joint venture will have chrome beneficiation and PGM processing plants treating a combination of run-of-mine (RoM) material and historical chrome tailings.

Sylvania and Limberg Chrome Mine will share equally in the PGM and chromite concentrate revenue once the on-schedule project comes on stream, which is expected to take place in the second half of financial year (FY) 2025.

Meanwhile, the RoM plant commissioned at Lesedi is expected to achieve steady state operation towards the end of the third quarter of FY2025, specialist studies required by the regulators for the Volspruit project are being finalised to allow for the submission of the water use licence application, and the company continues to explore potential disposal options for the Hacra asset as a result of Sylvania focussing its exploration activities on the shallower mineralisation of the Volspruit and Aurora projects.

Sylvania describes itself as being a lower-cost PGMs producer with its South Africa-based dump operations made up of six chrome beneficiation and PGM processing plants focusing on the retreatment of PGM-rich chrome tailings materials from Bushveld mines.

Millsell, Mooinooi, Lesedi, Doornbosch, Lannex and Tweefontein are chrome beneficiation and PGM processing plants, treating a combination of RoM and current and historical chrome tailings at host mine-sites.

The commissioned column flotation cell at Millsell is in an optimisation phase to improve PGM concentrate quality and payability.

In the three months ended December 31, the company’s dump operations recorded 17%-higher net revenue of $25.7-million quarter-on-quarter.

“The second quarter of FY2025 was a very positive one,” Sylvania CEO Jaco Prinsloo reported in a release to Mining Weekly.

Group earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation were a 104%-higher $6.7-million and the $77.5-million cash balance was in line with expectations.

Cash unit cost fell by 3% while direct operating costs increased 4% compared with the previous quarter.

The annual production target of 73 000 oz to 76 000 oz has been maintained for the year.

Interim financial results are scheduled to be released on February 18.