Gold miners operate in a landscape shaped as much by regulation as by geology. To meet modern standards and keep processes commercially viable, producers are leaning harder on an old workhorse material: lime. Once viewed as a basic input, lime has become integral to maintaining chemical stability, environmental compliance, and process efficiency, all essential in protecting return profiles over the life of a mine.
At the heart of its role is cyanide leaching, the dominant method for gold recovery worldwide. Without strict pH control, the process becomes unstable, inefficient, and hazardous. Lime is used to elevate and stabilise pH, making the environment safer for workers while reducing the volatility of cyanide. This directly reduces operational risk and helps miners stay within environmental parameters, increasingly a non-negotiable for project approval and long-term asset viability.
The same pH control also supports clearer downstream performance. Lime aids in the precipitation of impurities and metals, improving gold recovery rates while reducing processing waste. It is also critical in tailings treatment, particularly in managing acid mine drainage. With ESG scrutiny intensifying, and with legacy liabilities attracting greater financial and reputational cost, consistent lime use has become a practical hedge against environmental risk.
Firering Strategic Minerals plc (LON:FRG) is an emerging quicklime producer and critical minerals explorer, with operations in Zambia and West Africa.
