Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX:BGL) has ticked the final permitting box on its to-do list, bringing its namesake project one step closer to minting its first gold bar this year.
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has granted Bellevue’s tailings facility and water storage permits, meaning the WA project is now fully permitted.
With Bellevue poised for commissioning and operation, the team is hard at work getting the project ready to deliver carbon-neutral gold.
Construction and underground development works are running on time and on budget, with first gold set for the December 2023 quarter.
Green and gold
While today’s announcement marks a key achievement in Bellevue’s quest to become Australia’s next high-grade gold producer, there are many permit approvals that precede it.
Back in January, the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety greenlit Bellevue’s mining proposal and mine closure plan, paving the way for construction and underground development work.
Bellevue chased the approval with an A$85 million capital raise, which included a share purchase plan that attracted nearly A$50 million in oversubscriptions.
The funding was earmarked for Bellevue’s underground development and exploration drilling — capital that will come in handy as the company works to become the nation’s first carbon-neutral gold miner.
In other news, the company has agreed to source power from an on-site hybrid station, harnessing wind, solar, thermal and battery energy sources to generate Bellevue gold.
Tier-one power supplier Zenith Energy Solutions will finance, design, build, own, operate and maintain the 88-megawatt power station for the first 15 years of commercial operation.
Back in May, Bellevue also announced it had executed a refining agreement with ABC Refinery, paving the way for its gold to be marketed as a ‘green’ product, and potentially attract a premium price.