Eldorado enters final commissioning stages of Skouries processing plant
TSX- and NYSE-listed Eldorado Gold Corporation has crushed first ore at the Skouries copper/gold project in Greece, with the site now being in the final stages of construction.
Having entered the commissioning phase in July, Eldorado says the first ore is now being processed through the crushing circuit, with first production of copper/gold concentrate targeted before the end of the third quarter.
Commercial production from the Skouries plant is expected during the fourth quarter, subject to Eldorado completing final site energisation and ramp-up activities. In this regard, Eldorado says the final transmission tower has been installed, with full site energisation remaining contingent on final inspection and sign-off by the relevant Greek authority. The company has added additional generators to provide interim power for the processing plant as required.
CEO George Burns comments that the first ore having been fed through the commissioned crushing circuit is an important demonstration that the front-end processing of the plant is operating as expected. He adds that wet and dry commissioning activities are progressing across the crushing, grinding, flotation, concentrate handling and tailings circuits.
Openpit mining at Skouries, meanwhile, continues to run ahead of schedule. The company has an ore stockpile of about 3.9-million tonnes, which will provide ore feed through 2026 and support the first full year of production.
