BURKINA Faso has opened its first gold refinery as it seeks to process more of its mineral wealth at home, Bloomberg reported.
State-controlled Raffinor BF, built for $19m, can initially refine 164 tons of gold a year, managing director Adama Sawadogo said at the opening in Ouagadougou.
A second phase is planned to lift annual capacity to 515 tons. The refinery is modular, allowing further processing lines to be added.
Burkina Faso produced 94 tons of gold last year, according to the country’s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries.
The move forms part of a wider drive by African gold producers to capture more value locally rather than export unrefined metal.
Guinea banned raw gold exports in June, while Ghana this month stopped exports of unrefined gold produced by small-scale miners.
Mali is also building its first refinery through a joint venture with Russia’s Yadran Group, while Ivory Coast plans to open one in the first half of next year.
Burkina Faso’s military leader Ibrahim Traore said the government wanted mining to play a bigger role in developing local industry beyond gold production.
