Iron Duke Tailings Project A Sustainability Winner

29 July, 2024

Partnership produces environmental and operational benefits

SIMEC Mining has successfully implemented a Tailings Management Sustainability Project that has resulted in positive environmental and operational benefits for its Iron Duke iron ore mine near Whyalla in South Australia.

A project initiated by SIMEC and completed with supplier/partner Solenis, it has resulted in a significant reduction in Polymer usage and water consumption which translates to CO2 emissions being reduced by 65 tonnes per year, while 18,250 cubic metres of water will be saved annually.

The success of this project has now been recognised with a Solenis Sustainability Award.

We are proud to have partnered with Solenis for this outstanding project and we’re honoured to be recognised by one of our partner suppliers with this award
SIMEC Mining Iron Ore Executive General Manager, Jacqui Higgins

SIMEC Mining Iron Ore Executive General Manager, Jacqui Higgins, said the project was a worthy recipient when considering the positive environmental benefits and better use of resources.

“Sustainability and a reduced impact on our environment are key words when it comes to our mining operations and our aspirations for the future,” Jacqui said.

“SIMEC Mining, as part of GFG Alliance, is on a journey towards sustainability and a future that involves green iron and Carbon Neutral by 2030 (CN30) ambitions.

“That includes some big transitional plans but, just as importantly, these projects also contribute to our future aspirations and form important building blocks in our plans for a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly operation.”

Founded in 2020, the Solenis Sustainability Award program is designed by the company to recognise customer projects that have positively impacted the planet. It acknowledges ongoing collaboration between the respective companies on projects that deliver reduced water use, reduced energy consumption, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, optimised raw material utilisation or reduced waste.

“We are proud to have partnered with Solenis for this outstanding project and we’re honoured to be recognised by one of our partner suppliers with this award,” Jacqui said.

Solenis partners with water-intensive operations to solve complex water treatment, process improvement and hygiene challenges with advanced chemical and equipment solutions.

Main picture: Stephen Darby, John Chadwick and Peter Scrivener from Solenis after presenting the Sustainability Award to Abdul Shaik and David Gerrard from SIMEC Mining. Above right: Peter Scrivener presents Abdul Shaik and David Gerrard with the Solenis Award. Below right: The Tailings Storage Facility at the Iron Duke mining operation.

Tailings Management Sustainability Project

The Project

Focuses on optimising flocculant dosage at Iron Duke’s Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) pictured right.
The TSF stores processing plant waste material as a liquid slurry that inherently contains valuable water that is not recovered from the tailings dam. The tailings treatment program enables the mine to recover this water immediately for re-use in the processing plant. The chemical flocculant program facilitates this tailings treatment and water recovery process while the effective management of the TSF is crucial for structural integrity and environmental protection.

The Process

The solution involved optimising flocculant dosage based on variable factors like water flow, density and total solids.
SIMEC and Solenis identified key measurable variables and developed algorithms linked to the Solenis PraestoSpeed 120™ polymer makeup and dosage system. On-site control was facilitated through the plants operating system with remote monitoring via an online platform.

Outcome

Results indicated dry flocculant usage decreased from 700 kg to 200 kg per day, translating to a verified annual cost saving of approximately $850,000 for SIMEC.
This reduction also provided improved environmental benefits with CO2 emissions reduced by 65 tonnes annually, and water usage for polymer makeup decreased by 18,250 cubic meters per year.