President, Nana Akufo-Addo will soon cut sod for work to start on a $450 million manganese refinery at Nsuta in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region.
Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, who announced this said the Government had already concluded negotiations with the majority shareholder of Ghana Manganese Company Limited.
The refinery would upgrade the quality of manganese from the current 27 percent to about 40 percent, leading to the production and export of various refined products, including battery grade manganese, one of the key components in the production of batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
Mr Jinapor announced this in Tarkwa at the opening of the 8th University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa Biennial International Mining and Mineral Conference.
The event was on the theme: “Innovations in Mining and Mineral Processing: Expanding the Frontiers of Mining Technology”.
The move, according to the Minister, clearly demonstrates the government’s preparedness for value addition to critical minerals produced in the country, adding that “We believe, this will result in economic diversification and job creation, and position the country to leverage her mineral wealth to drive industrialization and enhance our competitiveness on the global stage.”
The minister said it was imperative to invest in a comprehensive geological investigation to identify and quantify their critical mineral resources, as a basis for a diversified and information-based mining sector.
