Several projects to mitigate water-related risks and improve long-term water security have been implemented at platinum group metals producer Impala Platinum’s (Implats’) operations.

These projects align with Implats’ goal of achieving a 60% improvement in water recycling and reuse by 2030.

The company’s 2030 target is driven by the growing need to strengthen resilience amid water scarcity across its South Africa and Zimbabwe operations, as well as in neighbouring communities, says Implats sustainable development executive Dr Tsakani Mthombeni.

Implats plans to invest about R800-million over the next five years to improve water security, reduce freshwater consumption and consistently achieve water recycling and reuse targets.

The miner recycles and reuses various water sources, including treated sewage effluent, in-house and external, as well as tailings return water and process water recovered at the plant through thickener overflow recycling.

At Implats’ mining operations, shaft water is pumped to surface settling dams and reused at the processing plant as well as recycled for use underground, while at the company’s refineries, Implats captures condensate for reuse through steam straps, Mthombeni says.

All Implats’ South African operations located in water-scarce areas use closed-loop water systems, while the Zimbabwean operations use permitted, controlled discharge methods, he adds.

Improving Water Stewardship
At Implats’ Rustenburg operation, in the Bushveld Complex of the North West, a stormwater catchment dam will be constructed to improve stormwater accumulation and storage to ensure greater resilience in weather events such as floods and drought.

The project, expected to reach completion in July 2026, will result in stormwater being reused in the processing plant.

Further, two 25-million litre potable water reservoirs are being installed to mitigate water supply disruptions and water quality deterioration.

Phase 1, completed in August 2023 and commissioned in March 2024 at a cost of R130-million, involved constructing a reservoir, pumpstation and treatment plant, thereby providing potable water buffer capacity for the operation’s Northern shafts and minerals processing facility.

Phase 2, currently in the design phase, entails the construction of similar infrastructure, offering similar buffer capacity for the operation’s Southern shafts, once completed.

Investigations into options for decentralised water storage tanks at certain shafts are also under way, adds Mthombeni.

Meanwhile, Implats’ refineries operation, in Springs, Gauteng, is also advancing several water-related projects, including an effluent treatment plant and a nickel wash water optimisation project to improve water recycling and reuse capacity, in addition to reducing freshwater intake. Both projects are planned for completion in June 2029.

The effluent treatment plant uses crystallisation for precious metals refinery effluent, resulting in solid waste and water as output materials, with the treated water subsequently being reused in the process.

Further, flow metering on the tailings thickener, expected to be completed by June 2025, is being installed at the Marula platinum mine.

Mthombeni explains that, by measuring recycled water from thickener overflows, Implats enhances its water accounting, optimises water recovery and improves process control, as accurate flow measurements allow for precise tracking of the amount of water being recycled. This ensures the efficient use of water resources.

Real-time data from flow meters allows for better control over the thickening process, reducing water loss and improving overall system performance.

Implats’ Marula operation, in Limpopo, will undertake tailings dam water plume remediation, expected to be completed by June 2027, to improve underground water treatment.

At the miner’s Bafokeng operation, adjacent to the Implats Rustenburg mining operations, the Maseve pumpstation was upgraded to improve reticulation and water-use efficiency.

Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe, Zimplats implemented process improvement initiatives to reduce freshwater consumption at the Selous metallurgical complex, translating into a 35% reduction in freshwater use during the 2024 financial year. This was done through the introduction of its new mills lubrication system cooling towers.

Zimplats recycles and reuses treated sewage effluent for lawn irrigation, with the operation achieving a 60% increase in water recycled or reused after additional recycling streams were included.

In the first quarter of 2024, a 3.3 km extension of the water pipeline, from Chitsuwa dam to the Ngezi weir, was commissioned to prevent unauthorised abstraction and evaporative losses along the Ngezi river tributary.

Further, a study to install a sewage water treatment facility at Zimplats’ Turf Housing Complex, to enable water recycling, is expected to be completed by June 2028.