Newmont’s Ahafo North project is now set to commence in the second half of 2025, according to Mr. David Ebo Johnson, Director of Communications and External Relations for Newmont Ahafo South Mine. “However, as we get closer to the time, we would be able to give more definitive timelines,” he added.
The mine was originally scheduled to start operations by the end of this year, as Andries Havenga, Project Manager, informed Fred Prempeh, Member of Parliament for Tano North, during a site visit in July of last year. The cause of the delay is unclear, but Mr. Johnson explained that construction was halted due to widespread speculative activities that negatively impacted the project.
Speculative activities occur when individuals familiar with the project quickly construct structures within the concession area of a mining company to claim compensation. These structures can range from concrete to makeshift buildings. Such activities can be so extensive that they may force a mining company to halt work and renegotiate with those involved. In extreme cases, security agencies are brought in to control the situation, as these structures often appear overnight.
“Speculative developments have been a huge challenge for us. The project had to be paused for a while to deal with these challenges,” Mr. Johnson told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during an interview in Sunyani, at a media training workshop organized by Newmont to update journalists on the progress of the Ahafo North project.
“Once you stop a project, it actually increases the cost and also extends the time that commercial production would begin. So, speculative structures had a huge negative impact on the project.”
Mr. Johnson further mentioned that with the help of stakeholders, the speculative activities have been brought under control. “And so, we don’t anticipate that we have any more stoppages as a result of that,” he explained, adding that the company now anticipates that commercial production at the Ahafo North project will commence in the second half of 2025.
The Ahafo North project will be Newmont’s third mine in Ghana, following the Ahafo and Akyem projects. Located approximately 30 kilometers north of Newmont’s existing Ahafo South operations, the Ahafo North Project will include four open-pit mines and the construction of a stand-alone mill. The company projects to mine between 270,000 and 325,000 ounces of gold annually. The concession covers about 10,000 acres of land spread across five major communities in the Tano North municipality of the Ahafo Region.
Regarding the resettlement of affected communities, Mr. Johnson explained that the process is handled by the Resettlement Negotiation Committee, which has sufficient representation from the communities and is led by a professional valuer.
“So, through these processes, we ensure that the community doesn’t get short-changed in that whole resettlement discussion. But, I think it’s just important to highlight that it’s a process, very well documented, and so some of these things take time, but we are making sure that we are engaging in a process that stands the test of time in terms of best practices,” Mr. Johnson stated.
