Burkina Faso inaugurates first domestic gold refinery

Burkina Faso has inaugurated its first gold refinery, Raffinor BF, in Ouagadougou. The state-owned facility, which cost approximately €16.8 million, aims to process doré—semi-pure gold bars—into gold with 99.9% purity. The refinery has a reported capacity to process between 150 and 164 tonnes of gold annually.

President Ibrahim Traoré stated that the project reflects an ambition to move beyond the mere extraction and export of raw materials toward local mineral transformation. By refining gold domestically, the government seeks to increase public revenue, improve control over gold flows, and combat fraud within the sector. The complex includes a laboratory, foundry, storage areas, and a jewelry workshop.

This development is part of a broader trend across West Africa, including Mali, Ghana, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire, as nations attempt to retain more value from their mineral resources. However, these regional efforts face challenges regarding international certification requirements, which can complicate the integration of major mining companies into domestic refining systems.