Burkina Faso opens first $19 million gold refinery to process more of its mineral wealth locally

Burkina Faso has opened its first gold refinery as the government seeks to process more of the country's mineral resources domestically and retain a larger share of the value generated by its gold industry.

The refinery is part of efforts to reduce the need to send gold abroad for processing and increase the amount of the value chain retained within Burkina Faso.

The government has indicated that the eventual 515-tonne capacity could allow the facility to process gold from other countries in the region, potentially giving Burkina Faso a wider role in regional gold refining.