University of Queensland has developed technology that could rehabilitate mine waste back to useful soil, with the technology now entering full-scale trials.
Developed by researchers at UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute in partnership with Rio Tinto and Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) the bio-engineering technology works by transforming bauxite residue, a by-product of alumina refining also commonly called ‘red mud’, into a soil-like material capable of hosting plant life.
QAL Environment and Tailings Manager Trent Scherer said there was an excitement amongst the team to see the project move to a full-scale trial.
“After years of watching various trials unfold within our daily work environment, to now be able to see the tangible outcomes of UQ’s work unfolding has been encouraging for the team,” he said.
Mr Scherer said QAL were committed to minimizing their environmental footprint through their 5-YES program and the funding and resources provided to this project were further steps in that journey.
In 2018 QAL commenced works for their 5-Year Environmental Strategy, comprising of 60 capital works projects and culture change initiatives.
With a budget of $440 million designed to improve the environmental performance of QAL. This initiative with UQ is in addition to the 5-YES funding and QAL are hoping will pave the way for the future of tailings management.
Ecological Engineering of Mine Wastes Group Leader Professor Longbin Huang said the technology would be trialed on an operational scale at two red mud sites in Queensland after the team secured new multi-million dollar funding agreements with Rio Tinto and QAL.
“The technology demonstrates how transformative industry-academia partnerships can be – Rio Tinto and QAL have supported the research for the past
“There are currently more than four billion tons of red mud stored in dams around the world, with an additional 175 million tons produced each year – and Australia is the second largest. producer.
“The levels of caustic soda and alkaline mineral within red mud means rehabilitation can be challenging. The use of sea water as an additive can mean the mud has potential to cause damage to surrounding environments if it wasn’t being managed correctly.
“The technology we have developed is game changing in that it involves eco-engineering the mineral and organic constituents of the red mud into material that is more hospitable to plant life.
“It is a more sustainable and cost-effective way of managing red mud compared to traditional methods, which require companies to excavate and transport metres of topsoil from other locations to cover thousands of hectares of waste.”
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