The phases of the Project’s implementation

The implementation schedule of the project consists of 3 phases.

The first phase is the construction of the project and its duration will be 18 months at least.

The second phase, the duration of which is estimated to 8 years, includes the process of exploitation of the gold deposit with open-pit excavation, and the “extraction” of precious metals (gold and silver) with a hydrometallurgical method in the presence of activated carbon. The operating specifications of the project that are provided for by the legislation ensure the total elimination of dust, with water spraying at the points of excavation and of transport of the ore. At this stage this ore is processed in a sodium cyanide solution that has the property of separating gold and silver from the rest of the rock. Afterwards, the gold deposit goes to the extraction circuit with electrolysis for the production of a gold and silver alloy (Doré). The rest of the material is subjected to a process of cyanide neutralization, with the use of the INCO^ΤΜ method, after which the final cyanide content is less than 1ppm, that is less than 1 gram per ton, 10 times less than what is required by the European legislation. The material, which is now pure, passes through filter presses, is compressed, dehumidified and a dehumidified solid residue with a humidity of 15%, the so-called filter cake, remains. Water from the filter press is recycled back to the production process, offering high water consumption savings, since 93% of the required water quantity comes from recycling. The filter cake is transported to the sealed repository. In a former design of the project there was the provision of a tailings pond which would cover an area almost double than the one of the present repository, but with the actual design, this is avoided. The commitment of the company that not even a cubic meter of water that is useful for irrigation or drinking of the villages and the entire area will be used, must be pointed out.

The third and last phase of the life of the project will have a duration of 1.5 years and will include the safe closure of the mine as well as the environmental rehabilitation of the activity areas with the dismantling of the gold plant infrastructure and of all the auxiliary installations and the parallel plant cover of the area with suitable endemic flora species. The final form of the rehabilitation plan will be agreed with the local authorities, however, the afforestation of a large part of the intervention area is certain, as well as the development of innovative agricultural cultivation. For this purpose, the construction of a nursery at Perama has already began in cooperation with the Democritus University of Thrace, where a large number of Black Pine trees of the area as well as many other species will be produced.

The proposed eight year exploitation regards the oxidized part of the Perama gold deposit. During the second phase, research works in the non-oxidized part of the gold deposit will be performed, which will extend the lifetime of the mine for many more years, after the appropriate environmental authorization.