Mine Water Treatment 3.0 Where do we need to go to? Prof. Dr. habil. Christian Wolkersdorfer Finnish Distinguished Professor for Mine Water Management South African Research Chair for Acid Mine Drainage Treatment IMWA General Secretary Mine Water Treatment 3.0 Where do we need to go to? Green Mining Water Seminar Helsinki 2014-06-09

Mine Water – a scaling issue Some “nice” mine water examples Outlay Mine Water – a scaling issue Some “nice” mine water examples Mine Water Management 1.0 – 3.0 A Solution? Not Yet! Conclusions

The Problem! – Really a Problem? What is Mine Water? H2O 55.5 mol Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+ HCO32-, Cl-, SO42-, NO3- 0.5 mol B, Ba, Fe, Al, Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb U, Ni, Se, REEs 0.0005 mol Avogadro Constant 6.0221417930 × 1023 mol-1

The Problem! – Really a Problem? Mine Water 55.5 mol 0.5 mol 0.0005 mol

Abandoned Mines and Mine Drainage Some “nice” examples drinking water Everywhere possible spa water Bad Suderode/Germany, Feengrotten Saalfeld/Germany, Alexisbad/Harz Mountains, Bad Gastein/Austria turbine water Max-Braun-Adit, Biberwier/Tyrol recreational purposes Passagem de Mariana Gold mine, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Banyan Tree Phuket, Thailand

Good Examples health spa Paselstollen, Bad Gastein/Austria | © Gasteiner Heilstollen/GTG

Good Examples health spa Paselstollen, Bad Gastein/Austria | © Gasteiner Heilstollen/GTG

Good Examples health spa Paselstollen, Bad Gastein/Austria

Good Examples Drinking Water Supply Teichtalstollen: Königshütte/Harz Mountains/Germany | Drinking Water Supply

Good Examples Drinking Water Supply Teichtalstollen: Königshütte/Harz Mountains/Germany | Drinking Water Supply

Good Examples Electricity Production Biberwier/Tirol/Austria: Turbine Water (since 1902)

Good Examples Electricity Production Biberwier/Tirol/Austria: Turbine Water (since 1902)

Good Examples Recreational Usage Passagem de Marianna/Brazil: Visitor’s mine

Good Examples Visitors’ Mine Reiche Zeche Freiberg/Germany

Good Examples Visitors’ Mine Reiche Zeche Freiberg/Germany: Rothschönberg drainage adit Yefimochkina | Kugler

Lignite Mine Eastern Germany Cooling Water ∫ Drinking Water Lusatia, Schwarze Pumpe, Germany

Lignite Mine Eastern Germany Cooling Water ∫ Drinking Water Lusatia, Schwarze Pumpe, Germany

Lignite Mine Eastern Germany Lusatia, Schwarze Pumpe, Germany

Lignite Mine Eastern Germany Cooling Water ∫ Drinking Water Lusatia, Schwarze Pumpe, Germany

Lignite Mine Eastern Germany Cooling Water ∫ Drinking Water Lusatia, Schwarze Pumpe, Germany

Mine Water Management 1.0 – 3.0 First Applications Mine Water Management 2.0 Improved Neutralisation Technologies Mine Water Management 2.5 New technologies Improved Process Control Mine Water Management 3.0 Holistic Approach Valorisation of Mine Water The Waste Age Valorisation

Mine Water Management 1.0 – 2.5 1859 Upper Silesia/Germany (now Poland) Liming to neutralise acid mine water (LDS process) Mine Water Management 2.0 1970 Pennsylvania, USA Liming and sludge recirculation (HDS Process) Mine Water Management 2.5 2006 eMmalahleni, South Africa Membrane Technologies Ion Exchange Processes Electronically controlled Operation

Mine Water Management 1.0 – 2.5 Receiving Water Course P a s t n d C u r e Mine Water Treatment 1.0 – 2.5 T h F Mine Water Treatment 3.0 Collection Polluted Water Pumping Treatment Sludge D i s p o a l Brine

What is Mine Water Management 3.0 2030 Gauteng, South Africa (?) Valorisation of Mine Water Drinking Water (Semi)-Metals Electrochemical Methods Integrative Membrane Technologies Selective Ion Exchange Biotechnologies Improved Process Control New Sensors/New Materials

Mine Water Management 3.0 Mine Water Receiving Water Course P a s t n d C u r e Mine Water Treatment 1.0 – 2.5 T h F Mine Water Treatment 3.0 Selective Collection Clean Water Enriched Water Data Transmission on-line Monitoring Sampling Pumping Geothermal Plant Energy Metals Semimetals Fertilizers Winning Operation Analyses Data Processing Drinking Water Collection Polluted Water Pumping Treatment Sludge D i s p o a l Brine

Education and Training Path Forward Education and Training Well educated operators Aware of potential environmental impacts Know how process operates Are allowed to make own decisions

Integrated Mine Water Management Path Forward Integrated Mine Water Management Recycle Reuse Aquifer Storage and Recovery Surface Storage Expert Systems

Potential Future Technologies Selective Membrane Technologies Electrochemical Methods Selective Ion Exchange Freeze Crystallization

Conclusions – call it “Path Forward” if you want Mining Companies Give time for new technology Authorities Allow for “non standard” solutions Researchers Identify what others “missed” Consultant Companies Provide better education for employees Maintain good literature databases Recommend intelligent technologies All of us Try to become more open minded

Reinventing the wheel – again and again

Conclusions – Still the Path Forward Don’t repeat experiments others did before Find gaps in current technology Think about technology outside your area and how it can be implemented Education Courage and Endurance Chain of custody for water samples In situ methods Perseverance

The End! Thanks and Glückauf! Walter Moers Stollentroll

Walter Moers Stollentroll