JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – New hydraulic dewatered stacking (HDS) technology has the potential to transform the nature of tailings and land rehabilitation in the mining industry, Anglo American Chile CEO Patricio Hidalgo reported on Tuesday.

Anglo is implementing its patented HDS technology at the El Soldado copper operation in Chile.

“Sustainability considerations are embedded into our strategy and support our permitting track record – including with respect to water, which is the greatest sustainability challenge in our region,” Hidalgo revealed in a release to mark Anglo’s sustainability performance update covered by Mining Weekly.

The Johannesburg- and London-listed Anglo, headed by CE Duncan Wanblad, is coalescing accumulated know-how to deliver innovative water solutions, such as HDS as well as its integrated water security project at the Los Bronces copper and molybdenum mine, also in Chile.

“Both are critical to our licence to operate,” added Hidalgo, without elaborating on how exactly he expects HDS has the potential to transmute slimes dams and the reclamation of terra firma to demonstrate to “shareholders, communities, governments and customers what responsible mining can really look like”.

The integration of sustainability, innovation and responsible mining was also being used to deliver portfolio growth, Anglo strategy and sustainability director Helena Nonka reported.

“With many of the world’s undeveloped copper resources sterilised due to environmental and community constraints, we continue to find innovative ways to unlock those and other opportunities for all stakeholders.

“While each undeveloped resource has its own physical and social characteristics, we have shown what can be achieved when genuine dialogue, collaboration and trust are combined with the required technical and sustainability competencies built up over time to deliver profitable outcomes and enduring value for stakeholders,” Nonka added.

Anglo reported that it was updating its sustainable mining plan to reflect its future portfolio composition.

The presentation placed particular focus on how additional value was being unlocked from copper endowments.

“Sustainability, innovation and operating responsibly are embedded into our strategy – from day-to-day operational decisions to portfolio choices,” Wanblad stated.

“We believe this approach is a pre-requisite for sustainable value creation and is integral to our DNA as a company.

“Our aim is to reliably and responsibly provide metals and minerals that are required to decarbonise our planet and that are also the building blocks of modern life – from housing to food – for ever more people,” Wanblad added.