Aya Gold & Silver Inc. (TSX: AYA; OTCQX: AYASF) (“Aya” or the “Corporation”) is pleased to announce that the new Zgounder Silver Mine plant has begun processing ore. The Zgounder plant is now mechanically complete, hot commissioning is progressing well, and a silver pour is expected in November.
Key Highlights
- Wet commissioning of the new plant is near-complete:
- Mechanical completion of all subsystems.
- Wet commissioning of all primary systems.
- First ore was introduced into the mill on November 4:
- Hot commissioning of the ball mill was successful.
- Over 4,000 tonnes had been milled as of November 7.
- Milling rate of 95 tonnes per hour was reached, increasing confidence in the ramp-up.
- Low grade ore is being fed to the mill, through reactors, counter decantation circuit, and discharged into the tailings storage facility.
- Silver pour expected in November.
- Ramp-up to commercial production expected through Q4:
- Production ramp-up is underway. The team is targeting commercial production by late Q4.
- Steady-state nameplate capacity is expected to be reached in Q1-2025.
“We are excited to highlight Zgounder’s imminent transition from commissioning to ramp-up,” said Benoit La Salle, President & CEO. “This new milestone marks another achievement by our dedicated team who, over the past two years, have been driving Zgounder’s on-budget transformation into a leading global silver-only producer. We look forward to announcing commercial production before year-end and delivering on Zgounder’s production growth plans supported by strong silver market fundamentals.
”Alongside our ramp-up, we are thrilled to announce that Zgounder has recently received ISO 9001 certification – an accomplishment that reflects our team’s commitment to excellence.”
