Ghana has substantial manganese deposits and has been a significant producer and exporter of manganese ore. However, in line with government’s value addition policy, plans are afoot to establish a manganese refinery in the country, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has indicated.
Following his participation in the recent China Mining Conference and Exhibition, Mr. Jinapor announced that Ningxia Tianyuan Manganese Industry Group Company Limited – the parent company of Ghana Manganese Company (GMC) – will assist in this endeavour.
The country has exported manganese to various international markets, contributing to its economic development.
Mr. Jinapor was responding to a question in parliament by Dr. Kwabena Donkor on the percentage of gold refined in the country and other forms of value addition being promoted for the gold sector, and said government recognises the importance of adding value to minerals.
Government has been putting together the building blocks to ensure value addition for minerals in their raw state.
In 2018, through a Public Private Partnership, government took steps to establish a gold refinery with daily capacity of 400 kilogrammes – which is now completed and ready for full operation after successful testing.
Currently, all gold is currently exported in the form of dore or bullion due to the absence of a certified refinery in Ghana.
Indeed, since 2017 the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) and Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) have been established in line with the policy of adding value to raw minerals in order to fetch more competitive prices.
According to Mr. Jinapor, government is working on securing London Bullion Marketing Association (LBMA) certification. The LBMA certification aims to facilitate easy export and trade of refined gold on the international market.
The COVID-19 pandemic somewhat stalled discussions with Rand Refinery – the only LBMA Good Delivery accredited refiner on the African continent, and one of only five internationally recognised referees by the LBMA, Jinapor told parliament.
The refinery stage is crucial for purifying dore into ‘Good Delivery’ bars, meeting international certification standards set by LBMA and other recognised schemes.
Lack of capital and absence of a robust downstream industry have somewhat presented major challenges to attaining LBMA certification.
