THE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE TO TAILINGS MANAGEMENT
As industry-wide mining practices evolves, miners are looking to implement and accelerate more sustainable practices that improve safety and minimise environmental impact.
Dry tails stacking is being adopted by more and more operators as a safer and more environmentally responsible tailings management method compared to tailings dams.
At TNT, we are committed to building a more sustainable mining industry. In 2010 we pioneered one of the world’s first large capacity, multi-lift, dry tails stacking facilities in Saudi Arabia utilizing our Super Portable Technology.
Since then, we have become a leader in delivering dry tails projects and studies for disposal of tailings from a variety of mined products.
The unique suitability, flexibility, versatility, reliability and availability of our Super Portable technology is second to none and unique to TNT for use in dry tails stacking applications.
What is dry tails stacking?
In dry tails stacking, the process plant’s tailings are dewatered by a thickener plant, which pumps the slurry through pressure filters for further dewatering. The filters then discharge filter cakes with a low moisture content (typically between 10% and 20%) onto specialized filter feeders. These feeders then discharge the material into a collection conveyor that ultimately transports filtered tailings material to the tailings storage facility via a series of overland conveyors and stacking system for final deposition.
A more sustainable way to mine
We are actively working to minimize the effects of mining processes on the environment and contribute toward safer and more sustainable future for mines and the local communities around them. We continually innovate and adapt our mobile stacking and Super Portable technologies for suitability in dry tails stacking, including improving the economics of this method, making it an increasingly viable alternative for mine operators.
Generally speaking, dry tails stacking methods significantly reduce the tailings storage facility footprint, as well as the associated life of mine maintenance, closure and rehabilitation costs associated with much larger and less stable wet tailings dams.
Various geotechnical approaches can add further benefits through co-mingling and co-disposal of tailings and waste rock, with the ability to bury acid generating rock within the filtered tails storage facility.
In some instances, dry tails material requires disposal in thin layers and further compaction for additional geotechnical stability. In this case, TNT’s flexible and versatile mobile stacking systems offer more carbon neutral solution compared to haul trucks through similar deposition techniques in piles or windrows, in preparation for spreading and compaction.
KEY BENEFITS OF TNT’S DRY TAILS STACKING SYSTEM
Water Conservation
Custom dry stack tailings materials handling solutions that support significant water conservation opportunities in modern mining operations.
Geotechnical Stability
Super Portable mobile stackers reduce the risks associated with wet tailing dam failures through the placement of filtered tailings, waste rock and co-mingled materials.
Reduced Footprint
Our Super Portable technology can operate within complex topography, with our multi-lift stacking methods significantly reducing tailings facility footprints.
Lower Emissions
Our solutions offer safe and reliable mobile conveying with high availability and utilization, eliminating the carbon footprint of diesel-powered haul trucks.
SAFEGUARDING COMMUNITIES
Dry tails stacking facilities present huge benefits to the environment and is recognized as a safer way to mine. In addition to the environmental benefits, this method eliminates the risks inherent in wet tailings dams, which are subject to the catastrophic risk of dam failure. In scenarios where tailings dams have failed, the impacts have caused mass environmental devastation and loss of life both within and beyond the vicinity of the mine.
DRY TAILS STACKING SYSTEM COMPONENTS
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Overland Conveyors
Overland conveyors transport the filtered tailings to the designated Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) area. “Dry” filtered tails retain a relatively high moisture content and each mine’s filtered tailings materials have differing characteristics with regards to conveyability and potential for liquefaction on belts through long distance conveying.
Our unique overland conveying experience incorporates extensive global heap leach experience – including high-capacity, inclined and regenerative overland conveyance of crushed agglomerated ore. These agglomerated ores have relatively high moisture content and are sticky and corrosive materials that share many similar conveying characteristics with filtered tails.
Our experience also includes conveying unique tailings materials such as co-mingled types of wet sloppy “dry” tails, that had exothermic chemical reactions when mixed, drying the material while still on the overland conveyors. It is this unique and complex overland conveying experience that provides TNT with exceptional dry tails conveying capabilities to suit a variety of dry tails applications and operating challenges.
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Super Portable Stacking
To dispose of the tailings at the TSF area, we utilize our mobile Super Portable technologies. In response to the mining sector’s needs for sustainable dry stack tailings solutions, we can adapt and customize our propriety technologies for suitability in all types of dry tails stacking operations and throughput capacities.
Our reliable proven solutions have high utilization using a stacking methodology that provides inherent redundancies and high availabilities required for tailings deposition operations.
Our dry tails stacking solutions are designed to meet the rigorous demands of the mining environment. Our systems can navigate complex topographies while also considering the many geotechnical challenges related to stability, ground bearing requirements and low stack heights related to compaction and seepage.
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