How Safeguarding Tailings Dams Protects More Than Assets
GHD is proud to be an innovation sponsor of the AusIMM Mine Waste and Tailings 2023 Conference, which will be held in Brisbane from 13-14 July.
Organisations the world over are talking about ‘future-proofing’. Future-proofing income streams. Future-proofing assets. Future-proofing business models. Future-proofing reputations. Future-proofing is a buzzword phrase, but it resonates because it’s not a new concept, and looking forward is fundamental to the sustainability of any business.
The mine waste and tailings industry is at a critical juncture. With historic (and many catastrophic) dam failure rates intersecting with mounting Government and industry body safety and sustainability commitments, dam owners and managers are faced with a challenging landscape. Planning for the future, as well as ongoing operational assurance, is imperative.
Robert Longey, GHD’s Technical Director - Tailings and Mine Rehabilitation, has been working in the tailings, mine waste management and rehabilitation space for almost two decades. For him, a long-term view of successful operations means adopting the right combination of innovative technology and intimate domain knowledge.
A digital solution alone cannot solve every problem and set you up for the future.
Tailings delivery transformation and smart monitoring has been left behind other areas of the mine, such as the process plant, where real-time automated monitoring systems have been in place for many years. The industry has recognised the need to improve standards and transparency to compliance which is reflected with improved guidelines like the Global International Standard on Tailings Management.
It is abundantly clear that technology has a critical role to play in safeguarding tailings assets, but certainly not in isolation. That was the driver behind the development of InsightVision - GHD’s innovative tailings dam management solution designed to safeguard assets and meet governance requirements. Alongside cutting-edge technology and rigorous testing is the real-world industry experience of our people and organisation, enabling our solution to translate captured data into actionable intelligence.
“When we look at the data, we can tell you what it means and what you need to do.”
The digital side of this type of solution can be extremely powerful. Not only does it have the potential to reduce the cost of physical data collection, it also addresses the safety risks and schedule implications of site visits particularly in remote mining operations by leveraging visualisation alongside automated data collection, enbaling capability of overlaying historic, public and design information in a digital-twin approach means relevant and timely intel.
But depth of domain knowledge both within and alongside this digital revolution is what transforms information into real-time intelligence and predictive insights.
If you can identify critical triggers before they become issues, you are closer to protecting your business from commercial, environmental and reputational shockwaves.
There can be tremendous risks associated with tailings dams failures, and there is no doubt mitigating these risks is absolutely vital. The potential for disaster varies according to the risk profile of the particular tailings and mine waste storage facility, but no asset, or organisation, is immune.
The key to curtailing these vast risk profiles is utilising data-driven insights for powerful decision making. If every critical decision is underpinned by timely and accurate data, there is more protection for an asset, and ultimately the community it operates in, the environment and even the reputation of the enterprise behind the asset.
The cost of future-proofing is not simply numbers on a page.
Tailings dams have been historically considered an operating cost, but more organisations are realising the value in effectively managing them like a critical asset. An important asset absolutely critical to a mining operation, tailings dams need to be considered within the broader context of operational integrity, innovation and enterprise potential.
In fact, bolstering safety and efficiency throughout the full lifecycle of an asset will ultimately help to support organisational transformations through the myriad of tomorrow’s challenges, including ESG, digital disruption and new revenue models and markets.
GHD at the Mine Waste and Tailings Conference 2023
GHD is looking forward to the AusIMM Mine Waste and Tailings Conference, and contributing to the conversation about shaping our mining, energy and resources future and operations. Our thought-leaders strive to offer novel services, challenge the status quo and optimise operational processes.
We welcome sharing this knowledge and our experiences to advance the industry. Paramount to this is our benefit gained from continuing to learn from other experts in their fields, through events such as this one and the relationships we build.