Anglo American partners with EDF renewables

RNS Number : 2028F
Anglo American PLC
18 March 2022
 

18 March 2022

Anglo American partners with EDF Renewables to secure 100% renewable energy supply for South Africa operations

 

Anglo American has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with EDF Renewables, a global leader in renewable energy, to work together towards developing a regional renewable energy ecosystem ("RREE") in South Africa. The ecosystem is expected to be designed to meet Anglo American's operational electricity requirements in South Africa through the supply of 100% renewable electricity by 2030, thereby also supporting the resilience of the local electricity supply systems and the wider decarbonisation of energy in the country.

 

Anglo American has already secured 100% renewable electricity supply for all its operations in South America, resulting in 56% of our global grid supply expected to be sourced from renewables by 2023.  In South Africa, while there is an abundance of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, there is limited renewables infrastructure to harness it.  As Anglo American progresses towards its 2040 target of carbon neutral operations, this partnership with EDF Renewables is designed to abate the largest single source of its Scope 2 emissions, being its current grid supply in South Africa. The RREE aims to support South Africa's decarbonisation ambitions and the country's Just Energy Transition, creating a sustainable and inclusive future.

 

The RREE will draw on South Africa's natural renewable energy potential to develop a network of on-site and off-site solar and wind farms, amongst other opportunities, offering 24/7 renewable energy to Anglo American's operations. Anglo American anticipates that a number of partners will provide equity financing for the RREE, in addition to the RREE attracting debt financing that is typical for high quality energy infrastructure projects.

 

The partnership is expected to bring a host of benefits to South Africa and the region, including:

· Implementing 3-5 GW of renewable electricity (solar and wind) and storage over the next decade, thereby increasing total grid supply resilience;

· supporting the decarbonisation initiatives of governments across Southern Africa; and

· stimulating the development of new economic sectors, local production and supply chains.

 

Mark Cutifani, Chief Executive of Anglo American, said: "We are targeting carbon neutrality across our operations by 2040 and we are making good progress. Today's announcement is a further major step towards addressing our on-site energy requirements - the largest source of our operational emissions. Our partnership with EDF Renewables to address our Scope 2 footprint in South Africa complements our FutureSmart Mining™ programme's abatement of our Scope 1 emissions through low and zero emission technologies, including our hydrogen haul truck system, and the development of South Africa's Hydrogen Valley. Step by step, we are changing the very nature of mining and how our stakeholders experience our business - while supporting a Just Transition."

 

Bruno Bensasson, EDF Group Senior Executive Vice President Renewable Energies and Chairman & CEO of EDF Renewables, added: "The EDF Group is delighted to take a step forward with Anglo American towards this ambitious partnership. We are committed to supporting industrial players by providing a low carbon competitive electricity that substitutes fossil energies and improves wider social and environmental issues. This project is also contributing to the country energy's ambition to furthering the development of decarbonised energy. It is in line with EDF Group's CAP 2030 strategy, which aims to double its net renewable installed energy capacity worldwide (hydropower included) from 28 GW in 2015 to 60 GW in 2030."

 

 

 

Nolitha Fakude, Chair of Anglo American's Management Board in South Africa, said: "South Africa is embarking on the next phase of its economic development, with clean, reliable and affordable energy playing a critical role in delivering this potential - helping to catalyse new industrial hubs and stimulate local economic activity. Anglo American is committed to supporting this Just Energy Transition, encouraging growth and development for our host communities and South Africa through such projects as the RREE - very much in tune with our Collaborative Regional Development approach. Aligned to our longstanding commitment to economic transformation and empowerment, we intend to incorporate a local Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) partner into our regional renewable energy ecosystem and are exploring a range of community partnership models that will allow our host communities to share in the ecosystem's success."

 

Tristan de Drouas, CEO at EDF Renewables (South Africa), said: "As a significant low-carbon energy player in South Africa, we are delighted to be partnering with Anglo American to develop a regional renewable energy ecosystem, building on from a first project together in 2021. With our global expertise in energy infrastructure development, design and delivery, our grid optimisation technology, and our experience in the region, we are uniquely suited to partner with Anglo American to transform its environmental footprint, while meaningfully supporting the region's decarbonisation efforts."

 

 

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Media


Investors

 

UK

James Wyatt-Tilby

james.wyatt-tilby@angloamerican.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8759

 

Marcelo Esquivel

marcelo.esquivel@angloamerican.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8891

 

Katie Ryall

katie.ryall@angloamerican.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8935

 

South Africa

Nevashnee Naicker

nevashnee.naicker@angloamerican.com

Tel: +27 (0)11 638 3189

 

Sibusiso Tshabalala

sibusiso.tshabalala@angloamerican.com

Tel: +27 (0)11 638 2175

 

EDF

Manon de Cassini-Hérail

manon.decassini-herail@edf-en.com

Tel: +33 (0)6 29 48 43 40

 


 

UK

Paul Galloway

paul.galloway@angloamerican.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8718

 

Emma Waterworth
Emma.waterworth@angloamerican.com
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7968 8574

 

Juliet Newth

juliet.newth@angloamerican.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8830

 

Michelle Jarman

michelle.jarman @angloamerican.com  

Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 1494

 

EDF Renewables is an international leader in renewable energy, with a gross installed capacity of 15.6 GW worldwide. Its development is largely driven by wind (onshore and offshore) and solar photovoltaic power, and more recently battery storage. EDF Renewables operates in majority in Europe and North America but is continuing to grow by moving into promising emerging regions such as Brazil, China, India, South Africa, Australia and the Middle East. EDF Renewables develops, builds, operates and maintains renewable energy projects, both for itself and for third parties. 

 

Since 2011, EDF Renewables has established itself as a leading Independent Power Producer in South Africa, having successfully developed a portfolio of renewable energy projects. The subsidiary currently operates 142MW of wind farms in South Africa and has been awarded over 800MW in new projects in 2021.

 

For more information visit: www.edf-re.co.za

Follow us on LinkedIn:  

 

 

Anglo American is a leading global mining company and our products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Our portfolio of world-class competitive operations, with a broad range of future development options, provides many of the future-enabling metals and minerals for a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world and that meet the fast growing every day demands of billions of consumers. With our people at the heart of our business, we use innovative practices and the latest technologies to discover new resources and to mine, process, move and market our products to our customers - safely and sustainably.

 

As a responsible producer of diamonds (through De Beers), copper, platinum group metals, premium quality iron ore and metallurgical coal for steelmaking, and nickel - with crop nutrients in development - we are committed to being carbon neutral across our operations by 2040. More broadly, our Sustainable Mining Plan commits us to a series of stretching goals to ensure we work towards a healthy environment, creating thriving communities and building trust as a corporate leader. We work together with our business partners and diverse stakeholders to unlock enduring value from precious natural resources for the benefit of the communities and countries in which we operate, for society as a whole, and for our shareholders. Anglo American is re-imagining mining to improve people's lives.

 

www.angloamerican.com

 

       

 

 

 

 

Forward-looking statements:

This document includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this document, including, without limitation, those regarding Anglo American's financial position, business, acquisition and divestment strategy, dividend policy, plans and objectives of management for future operations (including development plans and objectives relating to Anglo American's products, production forecasts and Ore Reserve and Mineral Resource positions) and environmental, social and corporate governance goals and aspirations, are forward-looking statements. By their nature, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Anglo American or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

 

Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding Anglo American's present and future business strategies and the environment in which Anglo American will operate in the future. Important factors that could cause Anglo American's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, levels of actual production during any period, levels of global demand and commodity market prices, mineral resource exploration and development capabilities, recovery rates and other operational capabilities, safety, health or environmental incidents, the effects of global pandemics and outbreaks of infectious diseases, the outcome of litigation or regulatory proceedings, the availability of mining and processing equipment, the ability to produce and transport products profitably, the availability of transport infrastructure, the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on market prices and operating costs, the availability of sufficient credit, the effects of inflation, political uncertainty and economic conditions in relevant areas of the world, the actions of competitors, activities by courts, regulators and governmental authorities such as in relation to permitting or forcing closure of mines and ceasing of operations or maintenance of Anglo American's assets and changes in taxation or safety, health, environmental or other types of regulation in the countries where Anglo American operates, conflicts over land and resource ownership rights and such other risk factors identified in Anglo American's most recent Annual Report. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be construed in light of such risk factors and undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Anglo American expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking (except as required by applicable law, the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, the UK Listing Rules, the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority, the Listings Requirements of the securities exchange of the JSE Limited in South Africa, the SIX Swiss Exchange, the Botswana Stock Exchange and the Namibian Stock Exchange and any other applicable regulations) to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in Anglo American's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

 

Nothing in this document should be interpreted to mean that future earnings per share of Anglo American will necessarily match or exceed its historical published earnings per share. Certain statistical and other information about Anglo American included in this document is sourced from publicly available third party sources. As such it has not been independently verified and presents the views of those third parties, but may not necessarily correspond to the views held by Anglo American and Anglo American expressly disclaims any responsibility for, or liability in respect of, such information.

 

 

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