KEY POINTS
- Upward Spiral has introduced large-scale belt filtration at its ERPM gold operation in Benoni.
- The system is expected to recover about 40% of processed water immediately.
- The technology aims to cut costs, reduce water losses and limit environmental risks.
Upward Spiral 1471 has introduced large-scale belt filtration technology at its East Rand Proprietary Mines (ERPM) operation in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa, in a move aimed at reducing operating costs, improving water recovery and limiting the environmental risks associated with conventional gold-processing methods.
The privately owned mining company said the system would allow it to recover water directly within its processing plant, reducing the need to pump contaminated water and mining waste to distant tailings storage facilities.
The technology is expected to improve operational efficiency, reduce energy consumption and support more sustainable water management in the gold-mining industry.
Traditional gold-processing operations commonly transport mineral waste, known as tailings, to large storage facilities where solid materials settle and water is recovered for reuse.
However, these facilities require extensive infrastructure, continuous pumping, significant land areas and long-term maintenance. They can also pose environmental challenges, including the potential for water seepage into the ground and losses through evaporation.
Upward Spiral said its new belt filtration system offers an alternative by separating water from mineral slurry directly inside the processing plant.
According to metallurgical manager Thabang Masuku, although filtration technology is already used in the mining industry, applying belt filters at this scale in gold processing represents an innovative development.
He explained that conventional methods depend heavily on tailings storage facilities, whereas the new system allows the separation process to take place within a more contained operating environment.
How the belt filtration technology works
The system works by feeding mineral slurry onto a moving filter belt. Vacuum suction then extracts water from the slurry, leaving behind a solid material known as filtered cake.
The recovered water is collected in concrete dams at the ERPM operation and can be returned to the processing plant for immediate reuse.
This arrangement reduces the need to transport water over long distances and allows the mine to recycle water within its operations rather than relying on recovery from external tailings facilities.
Upward Spiral said keeping the filtration process inside the plant also reduces contact with surrounding ground, lowering the potential for environmental contamination.
The company added that the system could be covered to further limit water losses, bringing the operation closer to a closed-loop water circuit.
