HIGH PROFILE
ore and waste (tailings). Water sent to a tailings
disposal often represents the largest water loss at
a mine as fine particle slurries are difficult and
costly to dewater. Anglo American is examining
whether it can reduce the cost of dewatering while
looking at the physical and chemical properties of
the fine ore particles to understand why they cling
so resolutely to water. If successful, it has the
potential to significantly limit how much fresh
water its operations draw, while also gaining
access to ore bodies in water stressed areas that
are critical to supplying the world’s ongoing
demand for metals and minerals.
As well as water conservation, water efficiency is
rising as a key priority through onsite water
recycling and reuse programmes. Anglo American’s
Los Bronces copper mine continues to mitigate
water supply challenges by implementing
technical solutions that promote water efficiency
and water resilience. When water supply
challenges in 2015 limited production at Los
Bronces copper mine in Chile, this provided an
extra impetus to reduce fresh water consumption.
To overcome this issue, water is now transported
to the operation via a 56 km pipeline from the Las
Tortolas tailings dam using a special water-
recycling system. The site now currently recycles
more than 66% of available water.
Anglo American continues to work towards more
ambitious water savings targets for 2020. This
involves reducing its absolute freshwater intake by
20% and recycling/re-using water for 75% of its
water requirements. The company’s 2016
sustainability report recognises the progress the
company has made so far, with total new-water
consumption decreasing by 14% in 2016 compared
to 2015. This decrease was as a result of the
divestment of water-intensive operations and
efficiency measures. Of Anglo American’s total
operational water requirements, 66% was met by
recycling/re-using water, an improvement on 64%
achieved in 2015. Water saving projects, including
more effective dust suppression, dewatering of
tailings and more efficient ore separation,
contributed to the water saving of approximately
23 million cubic metres in 2016.
FutureSmart Mining™: An innovative
approach
Central to its drive to use innovative technologies
to conserve water is FutureSmart Mining™, Anglo
American’s wider response to the global drive for a
more productive and sustainable approach to
mining, where its operations have a reduced and
sustainable environmental footprint for current and
future generations. This