Gold exploration and mining company Akobo Minerals has announced that its Segele processing plant, in Ethiopia, is now operational.

The commissioning process has successfully activated the majority of the Segele plant, enabling the company to process a substantial amount of ore.

The first phase of commissioning was completed a week ago, with industrial technology companies Gekko Systems and Solo Resources overseeing the setup of the milling, grinding, Falcon concentrator, InLine Leach Reactor (ILR) and furnace in the gold room.

The final phase, which saw the activation of the ILR, was completed by Gekko Systems. The company expects an extraction efficiency of 76% from the concentrator and ILR system.

“This is a great achievement for our team and a testament to the quality and build of the processing plant. We have received solid feedback and are proud of the strong work from our team. We look forward to processing our first ore and moving forward with the project,” Akobo CEO Jørgen Evjen said on July 23.

Akobo Minerals acknowledged the support and interest from the Ethiopian government in the Segele project. The company recently hosted a delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, Mines Minister Habtamu Tegegne and Gambella president Omod Ojulu, who were on-site to oversee the first run of operations.

In line with a phased approach to boosting operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness, Akobo said the commissioning of the carbon-in-leach (CIL) system will be deferred until production volumes are increased. This strategy will allow the team time to familiarise themselves with the initial phase of the plant. Tailings from the current ore will be stored and reprocessed once the CIL tanks are operational.

The plant is designed with the capability to produce 4 000 oz of gold a month, with an expected recovery rate of 96%. Its modular design allows for future upgrades as the Segele mine and adjacent targets are developed, ensuring the plant remains adaptable to evolving operational needs.

Currently, the company is blasting and mining ore from the Western winze and expects to process low-grade ore through the plant in the coming weeks.