In an Expert Focus article for Waterbriefing, Dr. Hubert Fleming, Anglo American’s global lead for water management, explores the global mining industry’s aim of using water resources more efficiently, reducing its reliance on ‘new’ water and ensuring greater water resilience in regions where it operates.

Dr. Hubert Fleming : Driving change and defining our water future

The world needs water. According to the World Economic Forum, a shortage of clean fresh water presents the greatest global, societal and economic risk over the next decade. By 2030, the global population is expected to reach 8.5 billion and the human race could face a 40% water shortfall. This means that there is little water to spare: steps must be taken to ensure water is conserved as much as possible, starting now.

Water’s importance in mining

Mining requires water. As many mining operations around the world are located in high water-risk regions, mining companies recognise the need to conserve water wherever possible and are increasingly implementing measures to minimise the impact of their activities on surrounding surface and ground water.

Water’s importance is evident through the number of crucial roles it plays, including in the grinding and milling process, to transport the milled ore to concentrator plants and to transport the tailings to the tailings storage facilities, where the non-valuable parts of ore are stored after separating the valuable fraction. It is also used through the control of dust on haul roads.

As mines are often located at high altitude and in water-scarce regions, sourcing water for mining operations presents a challenge. Although seawater is an option, it is an expensive one as it would need to be pumped and transported to a high altitude. This is expensive in terms of infrastructure and power and results in an increased carbon footprint.

With the complex global challenge posed by climate change, many mining companies are seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. Therefore they are working to use less water from the region in their operations and the water they do use, they recycle and purify and bring to communities in need of water.

Cerrejón helps secure water supply in drought-stricken Guajira

In mid-2014, the Colombian government declared a state of emergency in the state of La Guajira in response to a prolonged and severe drought that resulted in significant water shortages for both agriculture and human consumption. In an effort to secure water resources for mining and the local community, Cerrejón, a joint venture coal mine owned by Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Glencore located in La Guajira, has invested significant resources in a water strategy to continue improvements in water efficiency at the mine. The investment also provides direct relief to communities and ensures Cerrejón’s water policy is aligned with regional and national environmental priorities. 

Approximately 90 percent of the water used at the Cerrejón mine is low quality and unfit for both human consumption and irrigation. The remaining 10 percent is high quality water, which is distributed for use to Cerrejón employees, their families, and surrounding communities.

Since April 2014, Cerrejón has invested more than US$1.9 million in providing direct assistance to communities. More than 20 million litres of water have been distributed to more than 200 communities, reaching 27,000 residents in total. Fifty-nine windmill-driven water pumps have been repaired; these now provide 2.5 million litres of water each day to 9,200 residents. Additionally, nine artificial reservoirs have been upgraded, benefiting more than 280 communities. The Cerrejón Foundation for Water in La Guajira has also provided training in sanitation and water management.

However, short-term emergency relief is not a sufficient solution for long-term climatic changes. La Guajira requires multi-stakeholder partnerships to address the water crisis for the future. Cerrejón, along with the central and regional governments, have formed the Grand Partnership for Water and Life, launched by Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos in June 2015. The plan involves building 100 new water wells in La Guajira, restore 300 wells, build 10 reservoirs to store water, and deliver 39 desalination plants to secure a clean, reliable water supply.

Cerrejón has focused on bringing other stakeholders into the region to provide support. For example, an agreement was signed in 2015 with the Netherlands government to foster cooperation and knowledge exchange in the areas of sanitation, water supply, and water-systems management. Cerrejón also reached an agreement with the Colombian Geological Service, part of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, to explore, identify, and offer water supply and storage solutions for rural and urban communities in La Guajira.

Technology and Innovation

Mining companies around the world are investing in research and development to mitigate water usage, and investing in new integrated water solutions is one of the most important technological focus areas for the industry.

There are several cutting-edge technologies which help conserve water, including innovations such as separating water streams that do not contact wastewater, discharging less water to tailings to help reduce water usage, remotely monitoring water flows and levels in dams and tailings as well as piloting passive water treatment technologies.

In June 2015, Anglo American held an open forum in London that brought world-class experts from a variety of industries together to solve some of the biggest challenges facing the mining industry. One of the results from the forum was reducing the quantity of tailings that the industry produces through an increased focus on rejecting water earlier in the process. In cases where there is too much water rather than too little, the forum developed ideas on high volume, low-cost water treatment to return the water safe for human use.

Growing regulatory and social pressure, increasing demands for limited natural resources, climate change and the changing costs of water all highlight the business imperative of achieving water resilience. The mining industry is aiming to use resources more efficiently and thereby reduce its reliance on ‘new’ water, and technology will be the answer moving forward.

Conclusion

Water is fundamental to Anglo American’s operations and future development. We will continue to recognise our ongoing role and responsibility in protecting water resources.

We recognise water as an environmental and human right whilst identifying, developing and implementing collaborative solutions with our stakeholders. We also continuously work to understand and respond to water risks and opportunities within our supply chain.

Our future lies in responsible water stewardship by maximising the value from water resources while seeking to achieve no long-term net harm where we operate.