Government targets 70% gold recovery rate with new processing centres for small-scale miners
The government is working to establish gold processing centres for small-scale mining cooperatives, with the first facilities expected to be introduced in the first quarter of 2027 as part of efforts to improve gold recovery and reduce the environmental impact of mining.
The proposed centres are expected to increase gold recovery rates from about 30 per cent to approximately 70 per cent, allowing miners to obtain more gold from the ore they process. The initiative is also intended to reduce dependence on mercury and cyanide, chemicals associated with environmental pollution.
Some investors have already submitted proposals to support the project, while the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is working to facilitate the establishment of the facilities.
The government also plans to sign memoranda of understanding with interested investors to speed up implementation.
The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has expressed interest in helping to facilitate the establishment of some of the centres, which are expected to support efforts to formalise small-scale mining and improve the traceability of gold purchased by the Board.
The initiative forms part of a wider government plan to promote more regulated and environmentally responsible mining, with authorities targeting the registration of nearly 100 small-scale mining cooperatives by the end of 2026.
The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Dr Yusif Sulemana, disclosed the plans in an interview with Channel One TV on the sidelines of the Mining in Motion Summit in Accra.
He said the new facilities could significantly improve recovery rates, explaining: “As it stands now, we are told that 30% is what they get when they use mercury and cyanide. But if they use these facilities that we are asking them to agree to use, they will be recovering about 70%.”
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