{
  "id": 3675312,
  "title": "Can we give refineries more cheap power? – Chamber of Mines pushes energy solution for local gold refining",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/can-we-give-refineries-more-cheap-power-chamber-of-mines-pushes-3675312",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-27T05:05:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Joy Business",
    "slug": "joy-business",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/can-we-give-refineries-more-cheap-power-chamber-of-mines-pushes-energy-solution-for-local-gold-refining/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Ghana Chamber of Mines is advocating for targeted energy solutions to make local gold refining more economically feasible as Ghana seeks to retain greater value from its gold resources. The Chamber's CEO, Dr Ken Ashigbey, highlighted that high costs associated with power, taxes, and other operational expenses could make refining locally more expensive. Dr Ashigbey emphasized that government and industry must collaborate to reduce these costs, stating, \"But before I even get to the time scale, in terms of the issue about the cost, you know, and again, we should all realise the fact that you know, when you want to do this local content, it comes with some cost.\"\n\nDr Ashigbey called for discussions on taxes and levies affecting the refining sector, noting that the government should take a leading role in this regard. He also urged private refinery operators to invest in technology that could lower their operational costs. Energy, particularly hydroelectric power, emerged as a critical concern, with Dr Ashigbey suggesting that policymakers could consider giving refineries access to cheaper hydroelectricity. He questioned whether the energy mix could be adjusted to provide \"a lot more of the hydro that is cheaper.\"\n\nThe CEO of the Chamber expressed optimism about the 24-hour economy's plans to develop large solar plants, which could significantly reduce energy costs to around 3 to 4 cents per kilowatt-hour. He emphasized that these discussions are already underway, and the Chamber is committed to working collaboratively with the government to ensure the successful implementation of the refining policy. Dr Ashigbey reiterated that while the policy is necessary for Ghana's economic development, it requires a collaborative effort from all stakeholders to reduce costs and maximize local value retention.",
  "summary": "The Ghana Chamber of Mines is calling for targeted energy interventions to help make local gold refining commercially viable as Ghana moves to retain more value from its gold resources.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "We’re already subsidising gov’t – Chamber of Mines flags extra cost of Ghana’s local content push",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/were-already-subsidising-govt-chamber-of-mines-flags-extra-cost-of",
        "published": "2026-08-27T00:35:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Adom Online",
        "title": "Chamber of Mines demands tax, power relief for local gold refining",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/chamber-of-mines-demands-tax-power-relief-for-local-gold-refining",
        "published": "2026-08-27T07:35:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}