8
effect on achieving break even due to more efficient tail-
ings pumping. This counterintuitive finding is driven by
the direct and indirect costs of water intake and discharge.
In other words, there is more return on investment when
less water is lost to the environment.
CONCLUSION
From this case study, the key drivers behind sustainable
development are power and water savings. The benefits of
carbon reduction are positive however, they are signifi-
cantly less compared to power and water savings. In the
comparison between tailings pumping methods without
additional tailings dewatering, the pay back is nine years
and is considered as a non-viable option. Optimising tail-
ings dewatering has a positive effect on water preserva-
tion and results in a significant reduction of the tailings
stream. This reduction amplifies the sustainability effects
of converting to a more efficient tailings pumping technol-
ogy to PD pumping. The results indicate that investing in
improved tailings dewatering and PD pumping technology
reduces payback time to acceptable levels.
In summary, it can be concluded that:
• Upgrading pumping technology reduces absorbed
power and carbon emissions.
• Increasing the solids concentration of the tail-
ings maximizes pumping efficiency and decreases
absorbed power and emissions even further.
• Conventional tailings deposition is most sensitive to
increases in power costs.
• Thickened /paste tailings reduce power costs
sensitivity.
• The feasibility of thickened /paste tailings is most
sensitive to projected future water costs.
• Taxation of emissions has a very limited effect on
project feasibility.
Today’s standards are becoming stricter. Considering
the environmental and social impact of mining, water
usage costs are likely to increase with time. Uncertainty
of costs and project feasibility sensitivity to environmental
(water), utility costs (electricity), and carbon tax demon-
strates the long-term benefits of investing in sustainable
tailings management.
REFERENCES
[1] Atkinson, B W and Thompson, P, 2013. “Mine water
-optimising for site and environment,” in Proceedings
Water in Mining 2013, pp 9–14 (The Australasian
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).
[2] IMF, 2019, IMF Policy Paper – Fiscal policies for
Paris climate strategies – from principles to practice.
International Monetary Fund, Washington DC USA.
Online available: www.imf.org/external/pp/ppindex
.aspx
[3] Keir, G and Woodley, A, 2013. “Regional trade-offs
between mine water and energy use -a water treatment
case study,” in Proceedings Water in Mining 2013,
pp 21–28 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy: Melbourne).
[4] Kruyswijk, J B 2021, “The balance between energy
and water preservation in the deposition of dry tail-
ings in wet climates,” in AB Fourie &D Reid (eds),
Paste 2021: 24th International Conference on Paste,
Thickened and Filtered Tailings, Australian Centre
for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 145–156, Online avail-
able: doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2115_13
[5] Williams, D J, 2014. “An alternative whole-of-life
approach to tailings management,” in Proceedings
Life-of-Mine 2014, pp 285–298 (The Australasian
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).
[6] Ye, J., 2021, “Carbon pricing proposals in the 117th
congress.” Center for climate and energy solutions,
Arlington USA. Online available: carbon-pricing
-proposals-in-the-117th-congress.pdf (c2es.org)
effect on achieving break even due to more efficient tail-
ings pumping. This counterintuitive finding is driven by
the direct and indirect costs of water intake and discharge.
In other words, there is more return on investment when
less water is lost to the environment.
CONCLUSION
From this case study, the key drivers behind sustainable
development are power and water savings. The benefits of
carbon reduction are positive however, they are signifi-
cantly less compared to power and water savings. In the
comparison between tailings pumping methods without
additional tailings dewatering, the pay back is nine years
and is considered as a non-viable option. Optimising tail-
ings dewatering has a positive effect on water preserva-
tion and results in a significant reduction of the tailings
stream. This reduction amplifies the sustainability effects
of converting to a more efficient tailings pumping technol-
ogy to PD pumping. The results indicate that investing in
improved tailings dewatering and PD pumping technology
reduces payback time to acceptable levels.
In summary, it can be concluded that:
• Upgrading pumping technology reduces absorbed
power and carbon emissions.
• Increasing the solids concentration of the tail-
ings maximizes pumping efficiency and decreases
absorbed power and emissions even further.
• Conventional tailings deposition is most sensitive to
increases in power costs.
• Thickened /paste tailings reduce power costs
sensitivity.
• The feasibility of thickened /paste tailings is most
sensitive to projected future water costs.
• Taxation of emissions has a very limited effect on
project feasibility.
Today’s standards are becoming stricter. Considering
the environmental and social impact of mining, water
usage costs are likely to increase with time. Uncertainty
of costs and project feasibility sensitivity to environmental
(water), utility costs (electricity), and carbon tax demon-
strates the long-term benefits of investing in sustainable
tailings management.
REFERENCES
[1] Atkinson, B W and Thompson, P, 2013. “Mine water
-optimising for site and environment,” in Proceedings
Water in Mining 2013, pp 9–14 (The Australasian
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).
[2] IMF, 2019, IMF Policy Paper – Fiscal policies for
Paris climate strategies – from principles to practice.
International Monetary Fund, Washington DC USA.
Online available: www.imf.org/external/pp/ppindex
.aspx
[3] Keir, G and Woodley, A, 2013. “Regional trade-offs
between mine water and energy use -a water treatment
case study,” in Proceedings Water in Mining 2013,
pp 21–28 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy: Melbourne).
[4] Kruyswijk, J B 2021, “The balance between energy
and water preservation in the deposition of dry tail-
ings in wet climates,” in AB Fourie &D Reid (eds),
Paste 2021: 24th International Conference on Paste,
Thickened and Filtered Tailings, Australian Centre
for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 145–156, Online avail-
able: doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2115_13
[5] Williams, D J, 2014. “An alternative whole-of-life
approach to tailings management,” in Proceedings
Life-of-Mine 2014, pp 285–298 (The Australasian
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).
[6] Ye, J., 2021, “Carbon pricing proposals in the 117th
congress.” Center for climate and energy solutions,
Arlington USA. Online available: carbon-pricing
-proposals-in-the-117th-congress.pdf (c2es.org)