Heraeus opens new Platinum Group Metals refinery in South Africa
Early February saw Heraeus started up a pgm refinery in Port Elizabeth (South Africa). The Heraeus Refinery S.A. (Pty.) Limited, a subsidiary of the Group's Managing Company, W. C. Heraeus is located in close proximity to the South African automobile industry whose demand makes it one of the main consumers of platinum group metals (pgm) for use in exhaust gas catalytic converters.
The processing plant is the result of a tightly-knit co-operation between Heraeus, the South African platinum producers Northam Platinum and the South African Department of Minerals and Energy. According to the company, it is the first pgm refinery ever in South Africa capable of integrated fabrication of added-value products.
Heraeus has been operating a plant producing pgm products in Port Elizabeth since 2003. These products are primarily for use in the local automobile industry in catalytic converters. At the present time the integrated secondary refining plant for precious metals employs more than 50 people.
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