PASTE & TAILINGS 2020
A global perspective on water management
CDE’s Director of Engineering, Kevin Vallelly, says the
company’s AquaCycle water recycling system will ensure
operators stay ahead of the curve while extracting
maximum value from available resources and driving
down operating costs
Innovations in the washing sector and the
continued advancement of CDE’s pioneering
wet processing solutions, the company says,
are supporting quarry operators and materials
processors alike to overcome the challenges
stemming from water management.
CDE says its modular wet processing
equipment can contribute to the easing of water
scarcity issues arising from the materials
processing industry’s consumption of water
resources, greatly improve water efficiency, and
better wastewater management practices.
The company states: “Developing
technological solutions to tackle these
mounting challenges is paramount for many
materials processors seeking to boost the
profitability of their operation by minimising the
consumption of costly water resources.”
Water economics
Water as a resource delivers economic value to
a range of industries. Within the extractive
industries, the value of materials is significantly
increased when washed, but wet processing in
mining and quarrying operations is hinged on
water availability and processing plant
efficiency.
Bruno Paladino, CDE Regional Manager for
Latin America, says the combination of
regulatory and environmental considerations
with economic factors presents a major
AquaCycle is a single, compact, and userfriendly
recycling system unit that can be
applied to high and low tonnages across many
markets, CDE says
challenge for operators washing sand and
aggregates.
“Water supply is a key determining factor
when assessing the viability of a new project or
when considering expanding operations at an
existing site,” he said. “Insufficient water
supply, particularly in arid regions, will drive up
operational expenditure costs significantly in an
industry where energy prices already represent
20% of these costs due to the investment in
water infrastructure to ensure an adequate
supply of clean water is pumped into the plant.”
Research shows energy usage by water pump
systems accounts for a significant proportion of
global energy consumption across all industry.
Growth, Paladino says, is capped without the
capacity to wash and grade sustainably.
“Environmental regulations are becoming
ever more stringent,” he said. “An operator
must demonstrate how their project is
sustainable and compliant. This becomes
increasingly difficult to evidence when adequate
water management and treatment is missing
from the project.”
Stefan Hunger, CDE Regional Manager for
Europe & Russia, says customers do want to
wash material, but footprint concerns can prove
prohibitive.
“This is precisely why CDE has invested
significant resource into the design and
development of compact and modular
equipment that can
be commissioned in
urban areas while
also offering the
ability for future
migration of the
plant to where
opportunities lie,”
he said.
Daniel Webber,
CDE Regional
Manager for
Australasia, added:
“More often, it’s
water availability
and access that
prevents producers
getting into the washing business in the first
place. That, and the uncertainty around typical
top-up water requirements, which, in the case of
CDE water management solutions, are very low.
The focus is on recycling and recirculating as
much water as possible through the system.”
In the Americas, customers using settling
ponds to recycle water often encounter
significant operational and logistical challenges.
Darren Eastwood, CDE Business Development
Director for North America, explained: “These
require constant maintenance as they
accumulate sludge, silt, and other solids that
must settle and separate from the water before
its removal. Not only do these limit the water
storage capacity of the pond but they incur
significant maintenance costs. Further still, the
limitations of settling pond systems often result
in the loss of valuable fines, one of the key
considerations in the design of CDE water
management solutions.”
Settling ponds pose significant health and
safety risks, too.
“Overflow to account for periods of sustained
heavy rainfall, safe access to pumps for
maintenance, the strength and integrity of its
walls, and the positioning of the pond to
mitigate against breach or failure that could
pose threat to nearby structures; these are all
vital health and safety considerations associated
with settling ponds systems,” Eastwood said.
Paladino stresses the importance of safe
water management in all regions but highlights
the urgent relevance of such practices in Latin
America.
“Over the past few years, mines in Latin
America are looking for new and sustainable
ways to continue their exploration; ways that
are less impactful on the environment and
surrounding communities,” he said. “The use of
water is a key factor, as is overall footprint and
energy usage. CDE’s modular plant design with
water recycling system is the perfect fit to help
mines meet these new challenges.”
Recycle up to 90% of process water
CDE says it consistently invests in research and
development with the aim of enhancing the
capabilities of its premier water recycling and
management equipment. At the forefront of its
water recycling systems is AquaCycle™, a
single, compact, and user-friendly unit that can
be applied to high and low tonnages across
many markets.
“Delivering competitive advantage to its
customers, CDE’s AquaCycle accelerates return
on investment by maximising production
efficiency, minimising the loss of valuable fines,
and reducing water and energy costs,” the
company said. “An alternative to water
extraction and the costly process of pumping
P10 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2020 Supplement