Exploration company Tsodilo Resources has been accepted for membership in the ResponsibleSteel organisation – a global not-for-profit multi-stakeholder standard and certification initiative whose mission is to be a driving force in the socially and environmentally responsible production of net-zero steel.
Tsodilo owns the Xaudum Iron Formation (XIF) project, in Botswana. Preliminary work at the project has defined an inferred mineral resource estimate of 441-million tonnes, with an average grade of 29.4% iron, 41% silicon dioxide, 6.1% aluminium oxide and 0.3% phosphorus.
"Tsodilo adopted the International Finance Corporation's (IFC's) Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines for Mining when the IFC became a shareholder more than a decade ago and we have worked diligently to advance the XIF project within those guidelines.
"Becoming a member of ResponsibleSteel furthers our goal of becoming the supplier of an ultrahigh-grade +67% iron product to the industry and doing what we can to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by becoming part of the 'green steel' movement," comments Tsodilo chairperson and CEO James M Bruchs.
ResponsibleSteel CEO Annie Heaton says the organisation is delighted to welcome Tsodilo as a member.
"As the decarbonisation challenge for steel tilts the focus towards the best sustainability opportunities the upstream value chain has to offer, innovative mining companies like Tsodilo are positioned to play a vital role in the journey towards net zero.
"By joining ResponsibleSteel, our mining members make a commitment to the highest social and environmental goals. Tsodilo is laying down an important foundation stone today, to be a force for good in the steel value chain, and we look forward to working with them closely,” she adds.