Aya Gold & Silver reaches commercial production at Zgounder expansion, Morocco

Aya Gold & Silver Inc. [TSX: AYA; OTCQX: AYASF] has reached commercial production at its 100%-owned Zgounder mine, located in Morocco.

The new Zgounder mill first started processing ore on November 4, 2024. The first silver pour from Zgounder’s new processing plant was achieved on November 27, with commercial production reached on December 29, less than two months after the mill began processing the first ore.

Over a 30-day period ending on December 29, a total of 45,683 tonnes of ore were processed at the new mill. Processing rates averaged 84 tonnes per hour (tph), at 75% availability. As such, the mill processed an average of 1,523 tonnes per day (tpd), equivalent to 76% of nameplate capacity. Silver recovery was 79%.

Recently, between December 19 and December 29, mill throughput averaged 1,834 tpd and reached 2,152 tpd on December. 27, with stable operating conditions. Mill availability and silver recovery were 86% and 79%, respectively, and improving 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 the mill nameplate throughput of 2,000 tpd. This milestone was reached on December 29, and 45,683 tonnes were processed for the period, averaging 76% capacity.

“I am proud to announce the start of commercial production of the new mill at Aya’s expanded Zgounder mine, completed on budget,” said president and CEO Benoit La Salle. “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 [environmental, social and governance] financing in the global mining industry. 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 in the past two months has progressed to company’s expectations. Commercial production has been achieved, and throughput and recovery are improving. Aya continues to ramp up production to reach nameplate as soon as possible, targeting the first quarter of 2025.

Aya operates the high-grade Zgounder silver mine and is exploring its properties along the prospective South-Atlas fault, several of which have hosted past-producing mines and historical resources. Aya’s Moroccan mining assets are complemented by its Tijirit gold project in Mauritania, which, subject to the announcement of Sept. 12, 2024, will be developed by Mx2 Mining, a new spinout gold growth company.