Uganda Gold Plant to Commence Operations in 2024
Uganda’s Wagagai Gold Mine and Refinery will commence production in March 2024. The large-scale gold mining and refining facility is being developed by Wagagai Mining Limited and planned and designed by gold mining institution Shandong Gold Design Institute of China.
Announced during a site visit at the facility, Wagagai Mining Limited’s General Manager, Tan Jiuchang, indicated that the firm will set up all aspects of the mining value chain, which will include mining, beneficiation, smelting, refining, logistics and foreign trade sales.
“Our target is to get this facility ready for full production by March next year,” Jiuchang stated, adding, “We shall have the commissioning event for the facility between March and April 2024.”
The project’s Cabinet sub-committee – who conducted the site visit – includes Uganda’s Minister of Energy, Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, State Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Amos Lugoloobi, and State Minister of Defense, Jacob Oboth Oboth, among others.
The gold mining project has seen an investment of over $200 million and is poised to process up to five tons of gold per day, grading at 99.99% purity. Meanwhile, covering an area of approximately 9.13km2, the mine boasts proven gold ore reserves of roughly 15 million tons, which is expected to exceed 30 million tons of the facility’s Life of Mine of 30 years.
Jiuchang indicated that during operation, the project will provide over 3,000 jobs for Ugandans, while creating an annual foreign exchange of approximately $100 million, resulting in $10 million in taxes to the government.
The mine boasts a network of underground tunnels, an 800m shaft that will be used to transport gold ore from the mine to the surface for processing, as well as a modern laboratory, storage facilities and machinery housing units.
