Upgrading of a Tailings Management Facility for the Disposal of Dry Stack Tailings

Abstract

In every mine in the world, the result of the process is a slurry material called tailings. Today, more than ever before, the mining industry is looking for technical solutions to dewater mine tailings to eliminate the risk of tailings dam failures. In the Kassandra Mines in NE Chalkidiki, the Kokkinolakas Tailings Management Facility (KTMF) is currently in operation as a “dry stack” disposal area, by incorporating materials generated from the removal, cleaning, and rehabilitation of every old, non-operating tailings area from the extended past mining activities (1960–1995) as well as the tailings and wastes produced from the operations of the Olympias and Stratoni mines. Recently, the Kassandra Mines was also permitted to use the same dry stack technology at the Skouries project, providing the huge benefit for the environment of the full release of the Lotsaniko valley.