Construction of a new gold recovery plant by Zijin RG Gold has kicked off in the Akmola region. The project's total investment will exceed $600 million, reports infohub.kz.
According to the regional administration, the plant is being built at the Raigorodok deposit. The new facility's design capacity will reach up to 10 million tonnes of ore per year. Once operational, the combined capacity of the complex will increase to 16 million tonnes of ore annually, and output of Doré alloy will rise from 6 to over 12 tonnes per year. Additionally, the plant will be able to produce about 7 tonnes of gold per year.
Besides the plant itself, the project includes construction of power and water supply facilities, a tailings storage facility, transport infrastructure, repair and warehouse complexes, and a shift camp for 400 people.
Zijin Mining has already launched a scholarship program for local youth. Students will have the opportunity to study in China and, upon their return, work at the mine and the new plant. Cooperation with universities and colleges in the Akmola region is also planned.
“For our region, the arrival of an investor of this level is a major event. This is a transition to a new, high-tech stage of development for the entire industry with a high level of environmental responsibility,” noted Marat Akhmetzhanov, akim of the Akmola region.
The Akmola region currently accounts for 54% of the national output of Doré alloy. In parallel, Altyntau Kokshetau is expanding its production site and launching underground mining. Altynalmas is modernizing gold recovery plants at the Zholymbet and Aksu mines. The cost of these works is 23 billion tenge.
Regional authorities expect that the implementation of large projects will increase gold processing volumes to 50 million tonnes of ore per year by 2028.