About This Initiative
The Global Tailings Initiative tests a simple proposition: better tailings outcomes depend on earlier, more integrated thinking by process engineers, before decisions are made across processing, dewatering, deposition, storage and closure.
Why it matters
Choices made in the flowsheet carry through to tailings safety, water use and the landform left at closure.
The Challenge
Tailings solutions from mineral processing plants generally fall towards one of two bookends: wet thickened tailings, or pressure filtered and dry stacked tailings. A range of intermediate solutions sits between them, along with practical ways of managing particle size distribution, that can open up a broader set of viable options for existing operations and new projects.
Our Approach
The initiative works through interactive industry workshops on Transforming the Flowsheet for Tailings. Participants work through contrasting archetype scenarios with short technical presentations, a structured tailings game, group flowsheet design and live polling, then revisit their assumptions as new information arrives on clay behaviour, water chemistry, particle size, dewatering, storage and closure. Each workshop feeds a summary report and a CEEC white paper.
Who It Is For
The people this initiative is built to help.
Operators & Practitioners
Process and tailings engineers weighing wet, intermediate and dry options for operations and new projects.
Leaders & Investors
Decision-makers balancing tailings safety, water use, cost and closure risk.
Researchers
Those working on clay behaviour, water chemistry, dewatering and particle size management.
Who’s Involved
The steering group and the sponsors together in one place.
Steering Group
An Industry Advisory Group guiding the initiative’s direction, as for every CEEC initiative.
Initiative Sponsors
The organisations funding this initiative, recognised across everything it publishes.