ABC Refinery adopts bullion verification technology

ABC Refinery, part of Australia’s Pallion Group, has announced the adoption of a new technology to allow customers to authenticate the provenance of its gold bars.

The ProvCheck app, developed by Western Australia-based Blockhead Technologies, is designed to help miners and refiners meet the London Bullion Market Association’s (LBMA) Good Delivery Standards and Responsible Sourcing Program requirements.

ABC is currently the only independent LBMA-accredited gold refiner, and the largest facility for refining, assaying and minting precious metals in Australia.

With ProvCheck, miners, refiners and buyers of bullion products can gain clear oversight into the origins of their precious metal investments, ensuring the authenticity of products and that environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance has been met, ABC said.

The app is currently compatible with numbered 1kg gold bars under the ABC Bullion brand. It enables customers to scan their bars and unlock the mine-to-market history of the product, including the gold’s origin and attributable carbon emissions.

Andrew Cochineas, CEO of Pallion, highlighted ABC’s pioneering role as the first adopter of ProvCheck that reinforces its pledge to transparency and innovation in gold refining.

“ABC Refinery’s adoption of ProvCheck strengthens trust in the provenance of 1kg ABC Bullion gold bars, offering customers deeper insight into their origin and sustainability credentials,” Cochineas said in a news release.

“As an LBMA-accredited refiner, ABC Refinery has met the rigorous criteria for inclusion on the LBMA Good Delivery List. Achieving and maintaining this status requires demonstrating ownership structure, production capacity and financial standing, alongside passing exhaustive technical testing.

“ProvCheck now makes this information easily accessible to buyers and traders of 1kg ABC Bullion gold bars via their mobile device. It enables them to review the carbon footprint and offset any carbon emissions attributed to their products directly within the ProvCheck app.”

Ben Kirkwood, ESG lead at Pallion, has worked with Blockhead Technologies to ensure the real-time transparency of the company’s supply chain.

“ProvCheck represents a significant step forward for the precious metals industry, providing a seamless way for investors and buyers to verify the sustainability credentials of their gold,” Kirkwood said.

“By enabling customers to trace the provenance of 1kg ABC Bullion gold bars and offset carbon emissions in just a few clicks, the ProvCheck app aligns with the growing demand for responsible sourcing and carbon-conscious investment in Australia and abroad.”