Improved tailings disposal could reduce water use

Namibia is a water-scarce country in most areas; therefore, minimising water consumption in ore processing is a focus area, especially for tailings disposal, which can account for over 50% of all new/fresh water used in processing, states engineering and environmental consulting firm Knight Piésold mining services consulting technical director Andrew Copeland. Water scarcity will likely also drive increased desalinated seawater consumption, as well as groundwater protection projects, he says.