Mining goes dry

With increasing demands for safer, more sustainable mining practices, dry stack tailings (DST) solutions have emerged as a critical component in responsible mine planning.

As global demand for minerals continues to rise, so too does the need for mining operations to demonstrate responsible practices, including safe and sustainable tailings management, the handling and storage of the waste left behind after minerals processing.

In response, DST solutions are gaining traction as a viable alternative to conventional slurry tailings dams, offering improved safety outcomes, reduced water consumption and a smaller environmental footprint.

Conventional wet tailings dams have long been used across the mining industry, but they inherently retain large volumes of water and can pose significant safety and environmental risks. Technologies that reduce dam size, enable high levels of water recovery and minimise environmental impact are therefore becoming increasingly important.

While thickened tailings already represent a step change toward safer tailings management, dry stacking builds on this approach by further reducing stored water and improving overall facility stability.

TAKRAF Group is at the forefront of this transformation, delivering fully integrated DST systems that are designed to minimise environmental impact, optimise water use and support global sustainability goals.

The group brings together these capabilities through the combination of DELKOR liquid/solid separation technologies and TAKRAF bulk material handling expertise. This integrated approach allows mine operators to reduce interfaces, simplify project execution and optimise the overall tailings solution rather than treating individual elements in isolation.

By providing end-to-end DST systems, covering thickeners, filter presses, conveyors, feeders and stacking systems, TAKRAF Group is one of the few original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that have the in-house technology to deliver a complete system that encompasses the wet processing and bulk handling solutions.

DST solutions offer a range of advantages as mining operations place greater emphasis on sustainability and risk reduction. By mechanically dewatering tailings, these systems reduce reliance on conventional tailings dams and significantly lower the volume of water retained on site. The resulting tailings are formed into a filter cake and stacked in a controlled, compacted formation.

This approach has become an increasingly preferred option for responsible tailings management, particularly in regions affected by seismic activity or water scarcity, where reducing stored water and improving facility stability are critical considerations.

Other benefits of this approach include a smaller footprint with stackable tailings, minimised environmental impact through reduced water consumption, and simpler closure and rehabilitation of land, reducing long-term liabilities.

Proven at scale

DST systems are no longer limited to small or niche applications. TAKRAF Group has been involved in delivering large-scale tailings solutions across South America, demonstrating that mechanically dewatered tailings can be successfully applied to complex, high-capacity operations.

An operation in Chile saw a contract awarded for what is earmarked as one of the largest thickened tailings projects in the world. Once operational, it is said the system will extend the life of an existing facility by decades, avoiding the need for a new dam and minimising environmental footprint. This is done, TAKRAF Group said, through a demonstration of how innovation can support operational and sustainability goals.

In Brazil, TAKRAF Group’s experts were commissioned for a tailings plant for Mineração Usimina, the country’s first large-scale DST installation.

The system featured robust, future-ready equipment like DELKOR high-rate thickeners and DELKOR filter presses paired with TAKRAF belt conveyors and feeders to manage the full dewatering and stacking process.

“With the project including a filter press, conveyors and a thickener for processing, it’s the first of its kind in Brazil and now a benchmark for the industry,” TAKRAF Brazil managing director Tiago Carvalho said. “Our global engineering expertise positions us strongly to meet this need.”

DST solutions are also known to protect one of the most precious resources on a mine site: water.

TAKRAF Group systems are designed to recover and recycle up to 95 per cent of process water, dramatically reducing and lowering operating costs. This makes DST especially valuable in arid regions, where water conservation is a necessity.

As the mining industry faces increasing environmental, social and regulatory expectations, DST is fast becoming an attractive proposition. TAKRAF Group’s deep expertise, proven track record and global footprint position it as a trusted partner in driving this shift.