After years of development, testing, and data gathering, our patented technology, Hydraulic Dewatered Stacking (HDS), has completed its initial testing phase at our El Soldado copper mine in Chile.
The milestone was marked at a ceremony attended by the country’s Minister of Mining, Marcela Hernando, and the national director of Sernageomin (National Geology and Mining Service), Patricio Aguilera, along with our CEO of Anglo American in Chile, Patricio Hidalgo.
HDS was developed to help us reduce our dependence on water, vital as more than 80% of our current portfolio is located in water-constrained areas, and create safer, more stable tailings facilities that can be remediated into dry and economically viable land after our mines have closed. Reducing the need for wet tailings facilities is a key objective for a safe and sustainable mining industry.
Another of our technologies, Coarse Particle Recovery (CPR) was instrumental in the development of HDS. The low-moisture sand left over after large particles are processed during CPR is layered between tailings, absorbing the moisture and creating a dryer, more stable facility that can ultimately be turned into valuable land.
