Stanmore Coal: Reduce and reuse Stanmore Coal installed a new pumping system at its Isaac Plains processing plant in 2019 which uses mine-affected water instead of raw water, saving up to 200 megalitres of raw water per year. The pumping system assists in reducing the inventory of mine-affected water on the site, while also consuming around 1,000 tonnes of salt per year associated with the higher salinity mine water. Prior to the installation of the new pumping system, the Isaac Plains processing plant sourced water from external raw water suppliers to make-up for water  that remained in coal as a result of the washing process. After washing, the moisture content of coal is increased by around 5 per cent and this additional  moisture remains in the coal when it is exported.

Anglo American: Reducing freshwater use for sustainable mining Anglo American’s Metallurgical Coal business has commissioned the first of two planned reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plants at its Aquila project in the Bowen Basin, with the aim of reducing the use of freshwater in its mining operations. The Aquila project is an underground metallurgical coal mine currently under construction which will extend the life of Anglo American’s Grasstree underground mine near Middlemount in Central Queensland. Aquila is on track for first coal in early 2022 and will utilise the associated Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP) on site – part of Anglo American’s Capcoal complex. The freshwater allocation is approximately 6.2 megalitres (ML) a day, which includes supplying water to the town of Middlemount*. In the RO process, water passes semi-permeable thin membranes with pores small enough to allow the water to flow through the membrane while rejecting larger particles or contaminants. At Aquila, the new RO plant filters mine affected water (MAW) - water already used in the mining process. This first plant is producing 2 ML of treated water per day for the construction of Aquila and the planned second RO treatment plant will produce 2.4 ML of treated water, [...]

BHP: A vision for a water secure world BHP’s vision is for a water secure world by 2030. This would be a world where water resources are conserved and resilient so they can continue to support healthy ecosystems, maintain cultural and spiritual values and sustain economic growth; where the human right to safe and accessible water and the traditional rights of Indigenous peoples are realised and upheld; and where water governance is effective and beneficial, ensuring communities and ecosystems thrive for future generations. BHP’s Water Stewardship Strategy was adopted in FY2017 to improve management of water, increase transparency and contribute to the resolution of shared water challenges. The strategy pillars are centred on: Value – Effectively value water in investment and operational decisions through integration into strategy, planning and evaluation frameworks. Risk – Embed processes and systems to effectively manage water-related risks and realise opportunities at a catchment level in the short and long-term. Disclosure – Transparently disclose water-related risks, management and performance at an operated asset level. Technology – Leverage technology solutions that drive a stepchange reduction in water-related risks, realise opportunities and deliver multiple benefits. Collective Action – Collaborate with stakeholders to improve regional water policy and catchment governance and address shared water challenges within the [...]