SO2 Abatement at the Polokwane Smelter – The Project and the Process

Abstract

Anglo American Platinum (AAP) has completed the installation of a new SO2 abatement facility at its Polokwane Metallurgical Complex (PMC) in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The 55000 tpa sulphuric acid plant, which removes SO2 from the furnace off gas, was constructed as part of the group’s ongoing efforts towards sustainable mining and processing.

It allows the smelter to comply with the Minimum Emission Standards (MES) as required by the South African government environmental legislation. The project allows AAP to abate SO2 missions from the Polokwane Smelter and thus continue responsibly operating the largest primary PGM furnace in the world. This paper presents a short history of the project, starting with the scoping study in 2010, when the new law was promulgated, highlighting the development over the years, leading to the construction phase which began in July 2017.

Hatch was appointed the EPCM for the construction of the plant, which stretched over a period of almost 3 years and in the process created around 600 construction jobs in the local community at its peak as well as providing direct contract work for 14 South African companies and subcontract work for many more. The paper also presents the key technologies, major design aspects and the process description of the new SO2 abatement plant. Commissioning of the plant began in Q2 2020 and start up was in Q1 2021.