Anglo American Platinum Limited |
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Profile of operations and products
OUR OPERATIONS
Anglo American Platinum Limited (Amplats) is listed on the JSE Limited and is the sole listed entity for the Group. The Company no longer has a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange or depositary receipts for the Company's shares on the Brussels Bourse.
Amplats is a subsidiary of Anglo American plc, which holds a 79,72% share in Amplats. The word 'Group' in this report, however, refers only to Amplats and its major, wholly owned subsidiaries, primarily Amplats Management Services (Proprietary) Limited; Rustenburg Platinum Mines Limited (RPM); Twickenham Platinum Mine; Lebowa Platinum Mines Limited (until 30 June 2009); and all other subsidiaries.
The Group is also engaged in joint ventures and partnerships. It has governance structures in place with its joint-venture partners, and representation on the boards and board committees of its joint-venture partners, details of which are included in governance. The Group's smelting and refining operations are wholly owned through RPM and are situated in South Africa. These operations treat concentrates from wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures.
In Zimbabwe, the Group is developing the Unki Platinum Mine, and our policies and standard procedures apply to the management of the Unki project, which is expected to come into production in the latter part of 2010.
MAIN PRODUCTS AND NATURE OF MARKETS SERVED
Amplats is the world's leading primary producer of platinum and accounts for about 40% of newly mined production globally. It also produces other platinum group metals (PGMs) including palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium. Nickel, copper, other base metals and gold are also produced.
Some 44% of the world's platinum is used in autocatalysts, which are designed to reduce noxious emissions from vehicles. The demand for autocatalysts declined by 27% in 2009, to its lowest level since 2002. (A more detailed market review appears in the 2009 Annual Report.)
The Group is firmly committed to the development of PGM markets and, in cooperation with Johnson Matthey and others, researches and promotes new products using PGMs, particularly in environmental applications. Amplats created the Platinum Guild International (PGI) in 1975 and provides funding for its jewellery development efforts. The Group is active in other industry organisations, including the International Platinum Association, which is an advocacy forum for producers and fabricators, and attends to sustainability-related matters on behalf of the industry via its Safety & Sustainable Development Committee.
