Theta Gold Mines has announced the commencement of pre-construction activities at its TGME gold processing plant in South Africa.

The plant will process a combination of underground ore, surface tailings and rock dumps from the TGME Gold Project to produce Doré bars for refining.

The company has started decommissioning the old gold plant and finalising design and engineering packages in preparation for the construction phase. RM Processing has been appointed to oversee the final plant design and cost estimates.

The tender process for construction is in its final stages, and the civil design works and site layout have been fully permitted.

The company has outlined a forecast schedule targeting the second quarter of 2025 for the execution of engineering, procurement, construction and management (EPCM) contracts and the commencement of bulk earthworks.

Predevelopment work included the procurement of electrical and wastewater management systems, engagement of mobile cranes and heavy equipment, and the purchase of machinery to dismantle old structures.

Additionally, the site has been prepared with perimeter fencing, rerouted water supply and temporary reservoir installations.

Theta Gold Mines has also identified a near-term opportunity to process approximately 174,000oz of gold, including 140,600oz of indicated resources, from tailings dams and surface rock dumps located around the processing plant.

Theta Gold Mines chairman Bill Guy said: “We are pleased to report that Theta is nearing build-ready with a fully designed, engineered and permitted gold processing facility.

“The transition from planning to action has begun with the decommissioning of the old plant and site preparation well under way. This is a major step forward in transforming Theta into a near-term gold producer.”

In February 2024, Theta Gold Mines signed a memorandum of understanding with Yellow River, a unit of Power Construction Corporation of China, to construct the first phase of its TGME project.