Anglo American spinning off its thermal coal assets to reduce emissions

Anglo American said on Monday that spinning off its South African thermal coal assets was part of a journey to reduce its Scope 3 emissions. Photo: Supplied

Anglo American said on Monday that spinning off its South African thermal coal assets was part of a journey to reduce its Scope 3 emissions. Photo: Supplied

Published Apr 28, 2021

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JOHANNESBURG - ANGLO American said on Monday that spinning off its South African thermal coal assets was part of a journey to reduce its Scope 3 emissions.

Chief executive Mark Cutifani said Anglo had come a long way, delivering its 2020 target to reduce its emissions by 22 percent a year earlier.

Cutifani said the group’s securing of 100 percent renewable electricity supply across operations in Brazil, Chile and Peru marked another major step, cutting CO2 emissions from those operations by about 70 percent.

He said that Anglo’s development of a hydrogen-powered mine haul truck had the potential to remove another major emission source from its footprint.

“At the same time, we continue working on reducing our Scope 3 emissions,” Cuttifani said.

“Our planned demerger of our thermal coal assets in South Africa is part of the journey.

“However, we have a long way to go, including how we more effectively impact the value chains that we are a part of, and how best to work along value chains to mitigate the risks and maximise the benefits associated with the transition to a low carbon future,” Cuttifani said Miners have been under pressure to reduce their exposure to fossil fuels due to climate change risks.

On Monday Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) said it had partnered with Belgium headquartered materials technology firm, Umicore, to research hydrogen technology that had the potential to transform the way hydrogen can be stored and used to power fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

Amplats said that the technology would help avoid the need for extensive new hydrogen infrastructure and refuelling networks which currently represented one of the main barriers for more widespread adoption of hydrogen in clean, electric transport.

Amplats head of platinum group metals (PGM) market development, Benny Oeyen, said the joint research programme aimed to take the process through which hydrogen was chemically bonded to a liquid known as a liquid organic hydrogen carrier, targeting new PGMs-based catalyst technologies that can be installed directly in FCEVs and other forms of transport.

“Liquid organic hydrogen carrier technology provides an attractive pathway to emission-free and costeffective hydrogen-fuelled transport,” Oeyen said.

“Anglo American believes that the particular catalytic properties of PGMs can further enhance the process by streamlining the logistics, and offer a far simpler experience for consumers – combined with a similarly quick refuelling time and range as conventional petrol or diesel vehicles – while also reducing costs across the entire value chain.”

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