Aya Gold & Silver Inc. has announced the start of commercial production at its 100 %-owned Zgounder Mine in Morocco.
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The new Zgounder mill began processing ore on November 4th, 2024. The first silver pour from Zgounder's new processing plant occurred on November 27th, with commercial production taking place on December 29th, less than two months after the mill began processing the first ore.
Over a thirty-day period ending December 29th, a total of 45,683 tonnes (“t”) of ore were processed at the new mill. Processing rates averaged 84 tonnes per hour (“tph”) at 75 % availability. The mill processed an average of 1523 tonnes per day (“tpd”), equivalent to 76 % of nameplate capacity. Silver recovery was 79 %.
Recently, between December 19th and 29th, mill throughput averaged 1834 tpd and reached 2152 tpd on December 27th with stable operating conditions. Mill availability and silver recovery were 86 % and 79 %, respectively, and continue to improve daily.
Commercial production was defined as a period of 30 days of operations during which the new mill operated at a minimum of 60 % of its nameplate throughput of 2000 tpd. This milestone was achieved on December 29th, with 45,683 t processed during the period, averaging 76 % of capacity.
I am proud to announce the start of commercial production of the new mill at Aya’s expanded Zgounder mine, completed on budget. This transformative milestone reflects the dedication and expertise of our employees and contractors who built, tested, ramped up and are now processing ore from both Zgounder’s open-pit and underground operations. With over 600 full-time employees, a fully funded expanded operation and a strong financial foundation, Aya is well positioned to support its growth while establishing a new standard for innovative ESG financing in the global mining industry.
Benoit La Salle, President and Chief Executive Officer, Aya Gold & Silver Inc.
He added, “We remain committed to our sustainability objectives including our near-term decarbonization targets, as we continue with ramp up activities. I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who made this achievement possible, especially our shareholders, whose unwavering support has been instrumental in realizing this vision.”
Construction of the new processing plant at Zgounder began in mid-2022 with a target of declaring commercial production in 2024. Ramp-up of the plant over the past two months has progressed as expected. Commercial production has been achieved, and throughput and recovery continue to improve. Aya aims to reach nameplate capacity in Q1 2025.