The period within which interested and affected parties could object to Australian exploration company Southern Palladium’s recent granting of environmental authorisation (EA) approval for a mining right and related infrastructural development activities at the Bengwenyama platinum group metals project has come to an end.
As there had been no objections lodged by interested and affected parties, the EA was granted by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources to Southern Palladium’s 70% subsidiary, Miracle Upon Miracle Investments, with reference to the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998).
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The end of the objection period marks the successful completion of the EA approval process, which in turn represents a key milestone for the award of the mining right to develop the Bengwenyama project.
Southern Palladium is also close to the completion of an optimised pre-feasibility study (PFS) at Bengwenyama. The updated study proposes a two-stage development pathway with lower upfront capital costs than the earlier PFS. Details of the PFS are expected to be announced in early July together with a works programme for the delivery of a definitive feasibility study.