ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
INTERNATIONAL MINING PROFILES
Turning waste into value the Metso way
completely, while
providing an
opportunity to
convert mine waste
to value. Overall,
sustainable and
productive mining
solutions like
Rodrigo Gouveia, VP,
Tailings Management,
reprocessing helps in
Metso
creating a shared value
for mining companies, local communities and
the entire ecosystem.
Due to growing mining
volumes, global tailings
generation was estimated to
total ~3.2 billion tonnes for
copper and ~1.8 billion
tonnes for iron in 2018
Future-ready solutions
here are millions of tonnes of tailings
being discharged today and billions of
tonnes lying in legacy dams. A lot of older
tailing facilities have impressive residual
mineral values, which could provide
opportunities to help in environmental
reclamation while, at the same time, generate
additional revenue. With reprocessing, mining
companies can set the agenda to transform
tailings ponds from a liability into an asset.
Whether driven by regulatory compliance,
tailings dam failure and water scarcity, mine
tailings can well become a strong business case
in the near future. Due to growing mining
volumes, global tailings generation was
estimated to total ~3.2 billion tonnes for copper
and ~1.8 billion tonnes for iron in 2018.
The mining industry knows well that the cost
of tailings management and reclamation are
significant for business profitability and long-
term survival.
With a deeper commitment towards a more
sustainable vision, mining companies around
T
Tailings management is about transformation
and taking the mine life cycle to a new level
International Mining | NOVEMBER 2019
the globe are looking for smarter solutions and
strategies for reducing the waste or tailings
generated during mining activities.
Reprocessing is a viable solution which helps to
minimise risk and deliver a valued return on
investment.
Sustainable and productive mining
A lot of operational and closed tailings facilities
have residual mineral values that might not
have been of interest in earlier times. With the
advent of novel technologies, mining
companies are now figuring out ways to extract
valuable metals from tailings.
In gold, copper sulphide and iron ore tailings,
there is much potential for extracting value.
Reprocessing tailings to collect valuable
minerals can be a cost-effective approach
compared to processing virgin material. At
Metso, we have conducted studies recently that
tell us that processing one unit of tailings could
be three times more cost-effective than
processing virgin material.
A standard method of
reprocessing involves dragging
tailings from an existing dam
back to the concentrator and
using required mineral
processing solutions to liberate
the valuable metals. The
discarded tailings are then
dewatered and dry stacked, and
the water recycled within the
plant or properly disposed back
to nature.
This helps mining companies
reduce possible water losses as well as clean up
the existing tailings dams or eliminate them
Metso offers complete solutions for
reprocessing tailings dams through its
expertise in comminution and beneficiation,
thus conserving ore and enabling profitability
of mining operations. We firmly believe dry
stacking tailings is the way forward and a
disruptive practice can virtually eliminate the
need of tailings ponds in coming years at the
same time as lowering the risk of dam failures
and groundwater contamination.
Ensuring a comprehensive mine
lifecycle strategy
Looking at the bigger picture, ultimately, it is
about the mine lifecycle strategy. An effective
mine lifecycle needs a vision that goes beyond
environmentally safe practice. Issues such as
safety, compliance, and sustainability should be
addressed with the same sense of
responsibility as quality, productivity and cost
efficiency.
Tailings management is not restricted to
finding the most technically suitable equipment
or solution; it is about transformation and
taking the mine life cycle to a new level.
At Metso, we are ready to lead the dialogue
and transformation towards dry tailings
management and even look at addressing the
decommissioning of legacy dams. With the
introduction of new age dewatering technology,
Metso is committed to offer productive and eco-
efficient solutions to its customers.
If you’d like to know more about Metso’s
tailings handling solutions, click here
(https://www.metso.com/industries/mining/
tailings-management/)
Rodrigo Gouveia, VP, Tailings Management, Metso
Metso
Tel: +358 20 484 100
Töölönlahdenkatu 2, FI-00100, Helsinki, Finland
www.metso.com