OREANDA-NEWS. A new water recycling system is currently operating at the tailings pond at the Araxa Mining and Chemical Complex in Minas Gerais, a unit forming part of Vale’s Fertilizers area. The initiative is responsible for two major benefits: a reduction in the amount of water consumed and the recycling of all water used in the ore treatment process, currently 82%. Implementation of the system involved an investment of approximately BRL 10 million and led to significant improvements to operational processes and the environment.

The technology comprises five floating pumps that draw water from the pond, an intermediate pumping station responsible for feeding the processing plants, and a supervisory system to provide a remote command and control capability.

A reduction in energy consumption is another advantage of the new system. In this case, the use of new technology combined with the new location of the abstraction system led to a reduction in energy consumption of approximately 30% in relation to that of the old equipment. In addition to the above benefits, the improvements will also extend the working life of the pond, minimizing the need to build new ponds in a short period of time.

The improvements to the water recycling system form part of a series of initiatives implemented by Vale’s Fertilizers area at all its operational complexes. In Araxa, for example, in addition to the tailings pond investments, the water and oil separator tanks and underground water monitoring network were also upgraded.