Government, through the Minerals Commission, has out doored a mercury-free technology for processing gold ore as part of efforts to sanitise the small scale mining sector.
The ‘Mercury-free Alluvial Processing Technology’ can extract 90 percent pure gold from the ore without adding any mercury.
The technology introduced by Commodity Monitor, a Ghanaian-owned engineering firm is captured by the Minerals Commission as Mining Support Services.
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, who inaugurated the technology in Accra, said the adoption and operationalisation of the technology is in sync with government’s vision of getting rid of mercury in gold processing due to the health and safety risks it pose to miners and the environment in general.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Ayisi, said the technology has been piloted in some mining communities with the outcome being positive.
He said the technology will complement the fight against galamsey since miners will no longer require mercury and much water for processing the gold ore.
The technology is as well adopted to help government fulfil a requirement under the Minamata Convention which prohibits the use of mercury in gold processing.
By: Felix Cofie.
