12 projects were licensed for the production and export of gold, but only 5 started. At a time when the 1st stone was laid for the construction of a refinery.
Seven of the 12 projects licensed for the production and export of gold in Angola have not started activity, reveal data from the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas (MIREMPET) released at the time of laying the foundation stone for the construction of the first gold refinery. from the country. According to information, only five projects with exploration titles have already started production and export of this mineral, and there are another 40 prospecting licenses.
For the responsible minister, Diamantino Azevedo, the country entered the map of industrial gold production in 2019, and the flow of production of this strategic mineral justifies the implementation of a small and medium-sized refinery, although we are still far from the necessary capacity. to supply this infrastructure The minister, who was speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony to launch the refinery, should start operating within a year, said that the refined material could be used internally in various sectors of the Angolan economy, with emphasis on the areas of technology, jewelry, financial market, among others.
The refinery will have the capacity to produce 25 kilos of gold per day, with the possibility of increasing this figure with more work shifts. The industrial unit will count on the tender of 30 workers and will operate autonomously, although it will be located in Geoangola’s facilities.
The infrastructure that is being implemented in the Industrial Pole of Viana (PIV), is a promotion of Endiama and Geoangola. In terms of costs, it will cost 4.4 million euros. Diamantino Azevedo stressed that, with a view to complying with the executive’s actions, the ministerial body he directs guided Endiama, through Geoangola, to “find mechanisms for the implementation of this important undertaking, which will add value to the precious metals segment exploited in the country”.
On the other hand, he continued, with the implementation of this project, we will have created the real conditions for locally produced gold to be accepted internationally, with the possibility of reaching the degree of purity accepted in the various stock exchanges, markets and financial institutions. The refinery project is divided into three segments, namely refining, laboratory and contrast, and production is expected to start in February 2023.
