A good example of how we manage emissions is our lead refinery located close to the Moretusburg district.
- Extraction hood covering the entire roof: The 575 square meter lead refinery has been completely covered by an immense extraction hood since 2018. The extraction hood drastically reduces emissions, because it sucks in an enormous flow rate of air: 124 m3 of air per second, or 7,440 m3 per minute. That is comparable to three Olympic swimming pools per minute. This air is then purified and refreshed six times an hour by a bag filter.
- Closed supply and storage of raw materials: Dust emissions have also been drastically reduced. Raw materials are delivered and stored in a covered hall, directly at the lead refinery. The hall has a lock effect: when new material is delivered, the gates of the hall close. This prevents the dust from escaping from the production hall during the supply and removal of materials. The influences of weather and wind are also limited. The extra closure ensures that the extraction system works optimally.
- Washing wet gases: Most gases are dry, but some processes release moist gases. These are extracted and sprayed to remove metals, for example. The gases then pass through a series of filters, which resemble mats. These are continuously sprayed so that the vapor, together with the metals, precipitates on them. The scrubber captures up to 99% of all solids that would otherwise escape with the water vapor. The metallic water then goes on to our water treatment plant.