en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Tharisa chrome and platinum group metals mine near Rustenburg in South Africa's North West Province has recently reached a new development milestone. Tharisa has officially signed a five-year cooperation agreement with underground mining contractor Cementation Africa, under which the latter will undertake the mine's underground mining development and construction work.

This collaboration does not follow the traditional fee and risk transfer model but instead adopts an alliance contracting structure based on an open-book and cost-plus mechanism, aiming to align the interests and objectives of both parties.

The finalization of this contract is also seen by Tharisa as a key step towards transitioning to underground mining, which is expected to fully unlock the multi-generational resource value of the orebody. On March 31, Tharisa successfully completed its first blast at the mine site, marking the commencement of development work on the first portal chamber.

Tharisa stated that the collaboration with Cementation Africa will enhance operational efficiency, improve access to deeper orebodies, and help extend the overall life of mine. Tharisa specifically noted Cementation Africa's deep technical expertise and consistent track record in the safe delivery of innovative underground mining solutions.

Tharisa CEO Phoevos Pouroulis commented on the agreement: "This agreement is an important step in unlocking the full potential of our resource base. Cementation Africa's proven capabilities and safety-first philosophy make them the ideal partner for expanding our underground operations."

Cementation Africa Managing Director Japie du Plessis added that the company greatly values the trust Tharisa has placed in its ability to safely execute underground mining operations.

While the underground mine development progresses, Tharisa's own open-pit mining operations at the mine will continue as usual.

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