Mining Magazine: ACG Metals’ smart SART plan to boost production from ‘waste’ rock

ACG Metals Founder, Chairman and CEO, Artem Volynets recently spoke with Mining Magazine about our Enriched Ore Treatment Project at Gediktepe mine in Türkiye and the company’s impressive 160% share price growth over the past six months.

The SART Solution

Between Gediktepe’s oxide and sulphide ore layers lies 3.3 million tonnes of enriched ore, typically classified as waste, but containing copper, gold, zinc, and silver. ACG’s solution is a SART (Sulphidisation, Acidification, Recycling, and Thickening) plant that will process this material starting when oxide production ends in late 2026.
“We spent most of this year working on a technical solution that can give us the best economic result,” Volynets explained. “It’s probably an understatement to say that we are very pleased with the progress.”

Exceptional Returns

The project delivers an estimated after-tax NPV of $212 million and a 185% IRR. “If anybody showed me a project with 185% IRR, I would say it’s total BS,” Volynets admitted. “But the reality is that it is the case here, because we are processing waste. The mine costs have already been incurred.”
The plant eliminates potentially acid-draining waste while providing technical flexibility across three processing facilities: heap leach, flotation, and SART.

On Track

Our sulphide plant remains on schedule for full production by June 2025, with expected copper costs below $2 per pound of copper equivalent. Volynets praised Türkiye’s operating environment, including government support, competitive contractors, and favorable currency dynamics with only four expats on site.
The recent $15.5 million fundraising was significantly oversubscribed. “We are poised to repeat that,” Volynets concluded, referring to the potential for continued strong share price performance.

To read the full interview, please visit: MiningMagazine.com.