WATER EVAPORATION

CHAPADA, BRAZIL
CLIENT LUNDIN MINING
SITE CHAPADA
LOCATION BRAZIL
PRODUCT WATER EVAPORATION SOLUTION
APPLICATION TAILINGS DAM
SCOPE CONSULTATION, PRODUCT DELIVERY
COMPLETED 2021
CHAPADA, BRAZIL AERIAL VIEW OF THE

“
INSTALLED EVAPORATORS

WHAT WE GOT BUSINESS CHALLENGE

FROM MINETEK: Lundin Mining’s Chapada operation in Brazil is an open-pit
copper and gold mine. It has been in production since 2007
ENHANCED and by the end of 2021 it is scheduled to have produced
ABILTITY AND 50,000 tonnes of copper and 76,000 tonnes of gold.

CAPABILITIES FOR Lundin Mining were searching for a way to decrease the
water in their tailings and storage dams, while facing
MINE WATER additional challenges due to Brazil’s seasonal high rainfall
and humidity.
MANAGEMENT.
MINETEK were able to successfully support Lundin Mining
with their mine water management at Chapada and based
ED KELLEHER – DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT, on this success, continue the partnership at additional sites
LUNDIN MINING CORPORATION across the world.

PART OF MINETEK’S STANDARD SERVICE

INCLUDES AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
TO SHOW EVAPORATION AND HUMIDITY
ESTIMATES THROUGHOUT THE SEASONS.
“
WE CONTACTED 3 OTHER
USERS OF MINETEK. ONE IN
CANADA, USA AND AUSTRALIA.

THEIR INPUT WAS KEY, AS THEY

REPEATED THAT THE SYSTEMS
WERE EFFECTIVE AND
WORKED.

IT REALLY HELPED US IN OUR

DECISION.
ED KELLEHER – DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT,
LUNDIN MINING CORPORATION

CHOOSING MINETEK
Lundin Mining had already explored many mine water management
solutions, including the use of water cannons and sprinklers. The
low success rate of these past solutions led Lundin Mining to be
initially questioning of MINETEK’s water evaporation proposal.

Proven results were paramount to the Lundin Mining team, so

MINETEK presented Lundin Mining with evaporation efficiency and
performance modelling, comparisons to other solutions, a cost
analysis and more.

Localised climactic conditions such as temperature, humidity, rainfall,

wind speed and direction, and elevation are all factored into the
analysis. This environmental analysis is part of MINETEK’s standard
service and demonstrates the estimated evaporation rates
throughout the year.

Lundin Mining contacted three previous customers

before agreeing to the partnership with MINETEK.

All three customers, from different climactic conditions in Canada,

Australia and America endorsed MINETEK’s water evaporation
solution. Their positive testimonials and varying environmental
conditions were a vital part of the decision-making. process.
management team.
MINETEK SOLUTION
After the initial proposal sign-off with Lundin Mining Management, MINETEK finalised the engineering
and design process with the team on-site at Chapada. Working closely with the operations team, the
MINETEK project team were agile with final changes to specifications.

The 600/300 water evaporator model was selected as the best fit for Lundin Mining’s requirements at the
Chapada site.

The water evaporator model selected were EPOXY coated for additional longevity. Once completed the
water evaporators were shipped from Australia to the site in Brazil, where the on-site team installed with
the support of MINETEK’s project management team.

41.5%
EVAPORATION
EFFICIENCY ESTIMATE

A SINGLE 600/300
EVAPORATOR WILL EVAPORATE
Based on a 41.5% Evaporation efficiency

HOUR > 56m3 / 249 Gallons Per Minute

DAY > 896m3 / 358,560 Gallons Per Day

YEAR > 327,040m3 / 130,874,400 Gallons Per Year

 RESULTS
After the successful installation of water evaporators at
Chapada, Lundin Mining have continued to work with
MINETEK to install water evaporators at additional sites,
including their Neves-Corvo site in Portugal.

While Lundin Mining are still collecting long term data on the
results of the new evaporation system, having only been
installed in 2020, they have been positive about the initial
results.

Due to this initial success, additional evaporation solutions are

being implemented across other Lundin Mining sites.

MINETEK will continue to work with the individual locations to

customize the solution, based on their unique climactic
conditions.

Each project is treated like a new customer, which means that

each site will receive site assessments, evaporation modelling,
and ongoing support.

“
MINETEK HAS BEEN HERE SUPPORTING US
FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE.

AFTER DOING A FULL COMPARISON

ANALYSIS WITH DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES
WE WENT WITH MINTEK’S SOLUTION.
ED KELLEHER – DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT, LUNDIN MINING CORPORATION

MINE WATER MANAGEMENT: The five key lessons

learned in implementing a mining water evaporation
solution.

Ed Kelleher, Director of Environment and Camilo Martinez,

Environmental Technical Manager from Lundin Mining, joined
us in a Webinar to discuss their decision-making journey
throughout this process.

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