Environment
We are committed to minimising the impact of our designs, projects and operations on the environment through proactive environmental management. We constantly strive for new ways to improve our industry’s performance; through the way we design and via our involvement in projects which improve environmental outcomes.
Environmentally Responsible Delivery
Our environmental management system guides us in effectively managing environmental risks and ensuring compliance with environmental assessments as well as statutory, client and other requirements
This commitment to environmental stewardship is supported by specialist staff who are focused on the development of ISO14001-compliant environmental management plans, environmental awareness training, monitoring, and audits. With transparent data reporting, we continue to make positive progress towards a sustainable future.
We emphasise measures that eliminate or minimise the likelihood of environmental harm and seek innovative solutions that support our clients in achieving improved outcomes:
- Environmental footprint reduction – lifecycle emissions calculation to optimise designs for emissions, footprint reduction though value engineering, and energy efficient designs.
- Construction and operations emissions reduction – implementation of strategies including maximised pre-assembly and maximised renewable power usage.
- Minimising waste and maximising recycling – reduction of packaging waste through modular pre-assembly and maximising recycling.
- Water conservation – maximising process water recovery, including tailings dewatering options in design.
- Biodiversity – developing detailed environmental controls and monitoring plans when interacting with sensitive ecosystems.
- Air quality – monitoring and responding effectively to dust generation risks in construction and operation.
Water Quality Testing at New Century
Environmental services
A social license to operate has never been more pressing for mine owners and developers, and managing the environmental impacts of a mine is a key element of community acceptance. The importance of environmental stewardship is highlighted by the integration of climate-related financial disclosures in both funding and insurance. Visit the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative for more information on the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
Sedgman can assist with a design solution focused on reducing the impact of your mine, minerals processing facility or tailings dam. We engage with a range of specialists to offer a single interface for services in minerals processing designs (including tailings reprocessing), water and tailings management and rehabilitation – from option identification and evaluation to execution.
Our sustainable design projects include initiatives such as reducing a project’s energy footprint; integrating green energy; delivering resource, water and energy-efficient solutions; increasing product recovery; and reducing or reusing waste and tailings. Our modular plant designs include zero or minimal concrete and can be relocated at the end of life for minimised impact.
We have developed strong partnerships which allow us to provide holistic solutions to energy, water, legacy tailings, and rehabilitation challenges, avoiding interface issues with multiple consultants. We bring together the right team for each project.
Tailings Management Expertise
Sedgman has strong experience in the application of a range of tailings dewatering and deposition technologies across multiple commodities. We support development from test work through to delivery on an engineer, procure, construct basis, as well as operational management. We engage with equipment vendors in the commercial application of new technologies and actively ensure we provide clients with access to emerging technologies, as well as proven technologies in our designs. Our experience covers:
- Tailings dewatering (see Our Services) – we have extensive experience with belt presses, plate and frame filter presses, disc filters, screen and solid bowl centrifuges.
- Tailings emplacement and co-disposal.
- Economic tailings reprocessing and scavenging – we integrate our expertise in mineral processing solutions with our partners’ expertise in dredging and hydro-mining, either integrated with existing operations or stand-alone.
- Dam closure and rehabilitation – integrated with our partners’ expertise in dam closure, soil amelioration and replanting.
Optimise for whole-of-mine sustainability
We support our clients’ investment and sustainability goals from pit to port and reject to rehabilitation. Our mine to mill simulations optimise for net present value and minimised emissions and life cycle impact, to support green financing. By modelling both emissions and economic effects of options, we support the decarbonisation journey through:
- Mine-to-mill simulation, including ore pre-concentration options for minimising tailings volumes and optimising treated ore grades and comminution power draw.
- Option life-cycle impact comparisons.
- Value engineering to identify cost savings and limit power, diesel, or water usage for the life of the mine.
One-stop for environmental solutions
Clients benefit from a single interface to identify, evaluate and deliver cost-certain solutions for improving sustainability performance, and reducing mine site environmental liabilities. We develop partnerships to support a broad range of services:
- Tailings facilities design, re-mining and reprocessing, and rehabilitation options studies
- Mine rehabilitation including earthmoving and soil amelioration
- Water and metallurgical testwork
- Developing materials quantities for environmental bond calculations
- Process facility decommissioning and demolishment
- Mine affected water management
- Topsoil deficit and rehabilitation management
- Green power and optimised demand loading for renewables
- Emissions life cycle calculations
Case studies
Listen to this interview on minerals processing and tailings management with Nevada Copper President and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Ciricillo, and Sedgman Managing Director, Grant Fraser, at Mines and METS Online.