BUNIA, Democratic Republic of Congo, January 15, 2026 — Black & Yellow Minerals SARL ("BYM" or the "Company") today announced the successful implementation of a closed-loop water recycling system across its active concession sites at P3 Central Hub and P1 Northern Anchor. The system, which became fully operational in December 2025, has reduced freshwater consumption by 60% compared to the Company's pre-installation baseline, significantly enhancing the environmental performance of BYM's mining and processing operations.
The water recycling system incorporates a three-stage treatment process: primary sedimentation in engineered retention ponds, secondary filtration through graded sand and gravel media, and tertiary polishing using bio-filtration cells planted with locally sourced wetland vegetation. Treated water is returned to the processing circuit for reuse in gravity separation, dust suppression, and equipment washing. The system was designed by BYM's environmental management team in collaboration with a regional water engineering consultancy.
"Water stewardship is one of the most critical environmental responsibilities in alluvial gold mining," said the Head of ESG & Community Relations. "Our processing operations require significant water volumes for gravity separation, and we recognized early that a linear model of extract-use-discharge was neither environmentally acceptable nor operationally sustainable. This closed-loop system ensures that the vast majority of our process water is recycled, reducing both our freshwater demand and the volume of water discharged to the natural environment."
Key performance metrics since commissioning include: freshwater intake reduced from 850 cubic meters per day to 340 cubic meters per day; water recycling rate of 71% across all process circuits; total suspended solids in discharged water reduced by 88% compared to pre-treatment levels; and zero exceedances of DRC environmental discharge standards during the reporting period. The system also includes a real-time turbidity monitoring station at the final discharge point, providing continuous water quality data.
The capital cost of the water recycling system was approximately US$65,000, which BYM expects to recover within 18 months through reduced freshwater pumping costs and lower sediment management expenses. The system is designed to be modular and scalable, allowing replication at Concessions P2 and P4 as those sites are activated. BYM has documented the design and operational protocols and intends to make the technical specifications available to other mining operators in the region as part of its commitment to industry best practices.
This initiative supports BYM's broader environmental management strategy, which includes progressive land rehabilitation, fuel containment measures, and waste management protocols. The Company intends to publish detailed water management performance data in its forthcoming annual ESG report for 2025. Contact: BYM Investor Relations — ir@bym-minerals.com.