MINE WATER MANAGEMENT
Once approval is given to the D / B firm, designs are finished, detailed drawings are made, the equipment is procured and construction and the foundation go forward. However, instead of being done in separate steps, everything goes forward together, coordinated by the D / B firm. The D / B firm also becomes the mine operator’ s single point of contact, overseeing the work of all contractors and subcontractors thereby streamlining communication and decisions.
The result of blending the steps together under the D / B approach is a significant saving in time, estimated to be as much as one-third according to a study conducted by the Construction Industry Institute( CII)/ Penn State. The same study found that D / B projects experience significantly less cost and schedule growth. This time-is-money factor may be significant.
Another impact on time in the Design / Bid / Build approach comes from concerns about liability. To limit their own liability, the engineering firm has an incentive to detail everything. This can create delays and add to costs as contractors and subcontractors must adhere to each specific requirement, as opposed to the D / B approach in which design input is likely to be limited to only what is needed for the project to proceed.
In addition, as staffing is frequently limited during this time period in order to minimise costs, the mine may lack the personnel that can be dedicated to overseeing multiple contractors and subcontractors. The single point of contact provided by the D / B firm frees mine staff to concentrate on other urgent aspects of moving the mine forward toward operations.
Water management expertise is another benefit brought by the D / B firm that the mine operator may lack internally. In addition to being well-versed with the latest water management technologies, an experienced D / B contractor will be able to anticipate and address obstacles that could otherwise delay completion of the water treatment facilities. The operator provides the amount and quality of the water that will be coming from the mine or tailings pond and discharge limits and the D / B firm is contractually responsible to deliver it. A D / B firm with a strong water management focus can also provide ongoing operational service.
Some mines are gaining additional assurance that the system will continue to perform to specifications over time by entering into Design / Build / Operate contracts. Veolia is one such company offering this type of contract. Veolia mitigates customer risk by offering contracts that take responsibility for ongoing operations and maintenance of the water system, offering the miner ongoing operational cost stability. This also eliminates the prospect of a mine being faced with a system that no longer operates as designed, long after all of the contractors have departed. Veolia operates in compliance with MSHA regulations to ensure the ongoing safety and performance of these projects.
Veolia reports mines that have engaged it under D / B contracts have experienced positive results: n In northern Canada, Veolia installed a 26,000 m 3 / d metals and toxicity removal facility using AnoxKaldnes™ Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor technology for Goldcorp under a D / B contract, delivered within budget and on time in the dead of the northern Canadian winter n A complex Zero Liquid Waste water treatment plant built for Molycorp in California under a D / B / O contract was delivered in 12 months, compared to 18 months for facilities completed using the traditional approach at similar mines. n Veolia is providing operational management under a D / B / O contract of a zero liquid waste facility for a coal mine in northern West Virginia that treats mine water from three nearby mine sites. Veolia has also engaged in D / B contracts with potash, coal, cobalt and molybdenum miners over the last 10 years showing that the benefits of D / B contract apply across the entire spectrum of mining.
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