Capital Equipment News January-February 2024

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP – MINE SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable mine closure solutions require a full lifecycle view

It is well acknowledged that the mining industry has a pivotal role to play in the green transition. The sector delivers the metals and minerals required for a greener future yet faces some significant challenges if it is to do so sustainably and responsibly.

By Rochelle Bloemhof, Mine Closure Specialist, and Iphendule Ndzipho, Sustainability Consultant, Built Environment, at WSP in Africa.

M ining relies on non-renewable resources and, in its raw state, is inherently impactful on the Earth. Thus, those who practice geology and mining must be the stewards of the earth’s resources. Finding sustainable solutions across the mining life cycle and delivering valuable ESG outcomes are crucial to safeguarding our future. This is the opinion of Rochelle Bloemhof, Mine Closure Specialist. Mining is ubiquitous across Southern Africa, with South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and DRC major contributors. As such, mining organisations can make significant inroads in transforming their operations and setting the tone for how ESG can be approached across the board. “Achieving successful and responsible mining operations through to closure, however, requires a future-focused approach,” adds Bloemhof. The first step is the most important The keys to shifting the paradigm of mining in Africa – from exploration through design and construction to operations and, finally, closure and post-closure – lie in understanding the inherent value of the mining operation beyond the commercial value of the minerals that can be extracted. It lies in understanding the operation’s potential as a catalyst for human development and societal progress, embracing sustainability practices from multiple disciplines and thoroughly planning for closure. Design, construction and operations must also take a future-focused approach, embracing ESG principles at every opportunity. WSP leverages the full spectrum of its combined services and multidisciplinary teams to help clients plan and develop their ESG strategy across the entire mine lifecycle and implement the engineering and non engineering solutions that will support the achievement of their goals.

Embracing circular economy principles Bloemhof indicates that a circular approach is vital to supporting the mining sector as it transitions from developing sound plans and strategies to implementing them and making meaningful headway in ESG pursuits. “There are three principles that underpin circularity, and these same principles also play a key role in a more sustainable mining sector.” “The lifespan and usage of the mining operation must be maximised to extract the highest possible value, including responsible retirement of assets during mine closure. Furthermore, by-products and ‘waste’ in a circular economy must be recovered and reused as far as possible. The most common application of this last principle in mining involves reprocessing tailings materials to extract leftover minerals and construction materials. The responsible management of water resources is critical here, too,” says Bloemhof. Other increasingly common trends in the pursuit of zero carbon footprint mining include: • Using electric mobile fleets for reduced fuel consumption and improved air quality. • Using variable speed ventilation fans to reduce energy consumption. • Using ‘Smart Tracking’ to optimise ventilation and fleet management and optimise extraction methods to reduce the amount of waste material. One more way that WSP aids mining operations in meeting their ESG requirements is through designing an ESG scorecard. It captures and quantifies ESG metrics with the ability to customise according to mining clients’ commitments. It has been incorporated into several projects the company consulted, unlocking opportunities for other ESG-related improvements. According to Ndzipho, in addition to examining the mining operation itself for opportunities to implement ESG practices, one of the easiest things a mining company

Iphendule Ndzipho, Sustainability Consultant, Built Environment, at WSP in Africa.

Rochelle Bloemhof, Mine Closure Specialist.

can do is address its building efficiency, especially if constructing a new building. “Applying green building principles - considered best practice in the commercial property space for some time - to on-site construction can enable a company to leapfrog its sustainability ambitions from the outset. For example, the construction of buildings can be done in a way that minimises wastage; buildings can be designed with water efficient fittings in mind, and they can integrate renewable energy sources such as Photovoltaic Solar system (PV) tied to the grid or as part of on-site hybrid power solutions.” b

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JAN - FEB 2024 19