September 27, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WILMINGTON, Del. (USA) – Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, is proud to announce that SIMEC Mining is among the winners of a 2023 Solenis Sustainability Award. SIMEC Mining is being recognized for a Tailings Management Sustainability project at its Iron Duke iron ore processing facility that led to a reduction in 18,250 cubic meters of water and 65 tons of CO2 emissions per year by using Solenis’ Praestospeed™ 120 Modular Dissolving System.
The Solenis Sustainability Award recognizes specific and verifiable customer projects that have, over a period of 12 months, delivered measurable results against at least one of five sustainability indicators: reduced water use, reduced energy consumption, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, optimized raw material utilization, or reduced waste.
The Praestospeed 120 modular dissolving system uses an automatic batch process to efficiently prepare flocculant solutions for tailings dewatering and thickening. The heart of the system is its dispersion unit, which processes the flocculant in two phases. Its unique homogenizer allows the end user to prepare a concentrated batch (up to 2%) of ready-to-use chemical, which is unique in the industry. The system also features sophisticated algorithms and feedback control to optimize flocculant use, reduce water use, and quantify CO2 reductions based on the Solenis Product Carbon Footprint initiative.
“This project was particularly rewarding,” noted Peter Scrivener, Solenis’ Regional Sales Director, Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, “because it was our new milestone to demonstrate the value of Praestospeed 120 modular dissolving system in a major tailing management project. Working with the team at Iron Duke’s Tailing Storage Facility of SIMEC was a true collaboration drawing upon the expertise of facility engineers and Solenis’ network of field professionals and application specialists.”
After implementing the Praestospeed 120 system in the Iron Duke iron ore mine, dry flocculant usage decreased from 700 kg to 200 kg per day, translating to a verified annual cost savings of approximately $850,000 for SIMEC. This reduction also provided environmental benefits with CO2 emissions reduced by 65 tons annually, and water usage for chemical makeup decreased by 18,250 cubic meters per year.
According to Jacqui Higgins, SIMEC Mining Iron Ore Executive General Manager, “Sustainability and a reduced impact on our environment are important objectives when it comes to our mining operations. SIMEC Mining, as part of GFG Alliance, is on a journey towards sustainability and a future that involves green iron and Carbon Neutral by 2030 (CN30) ambitions.”
Working toward those ambitions requires some big transitional plans, but every small success drives the company in the right direction. “These projects contribute to our future aspirations and form important building blocks in our plans for a more sustainable, environmentally friendly operation,” Higgins added.
Solenis established the Sustainability Awards in 2020. Read more about the awards and other winning projects on Solenis.com.
About Solenis
Solenis is a leading global producer of specialty chemicals focused on delivering sustainable solutions for water-intensive industries, including pulp and paper, institutional, industrial, food and beverage, and pool and spa water markets. The company’s product portfolio includes a broad array of water treatment chemistries, process aids, functional additives, cleaners, disinfectants, and state-of-the-art monitoring, control and delivery systems. These technologies are used by customers to improve operational efficiencies, enhance product quality, protect plant assets, minimize environmental impact, and create cleaner and safer environments. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the company has 70 manufacturing facilities strategically located around the globe and employs a team of over 16,500 professionals in 130 countries across six continents. Solenis is a 2024 Best Managed Company Gold Standard honoree.
For additional information about Solenis, please visit www.solenis.com or follow us on social media.
About SIMEC Mining
SIMEC Mining owns and operates a 10m mega tonne per annum iron ore mine in the Middleback Ranges in South Australia, approximately 60 kilometers from the town of Whyalla.
These operations incorporate the Iron Baron, Iron Knob and South Middleback Ranges mine sites. They mine both hematite and magnetite iron ore which is respectively railed and piped to Whyalla. The majority of the magnetite is pelletised (c.1.3mtpa) and used within the steel works. The hematite ore (c.10mtpa) and excess magnetite is loaded onto ships for transport to a primarily Asian customer base. Total reserves and resources are just under half a billion tonnes.
The Alliance also owns a portfolio of non-ferrous mining assets located in South Australia. This includes the Ardrossan Dolomite Mine – which supplies dolomite flux to Liberty’s Whyalla Steelworks – as well as a collection of copper-gold exploration projects.