Tag Archives: Letlhakane

WEC Projects to help trap sediment at Lucara Diamond’s Karowe mine

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Following its successful expansion of the sewage treatment plant at the Lucara Diamond’s Karowe mine in Botswana, WEC Projects has secured further orders from the client, it says.

This time, it has been engaged for the design and construction of a sedimentation trap, tanker filling station and associated infrastructure, including storm water drains and fencing.

Karowe, where a 1174.76 ct, high-quality white gem diamond, the third largest found in Botswana, was recently recovered, is near the village of Letlhakane in the arid eastern Kalahari Basin where temperatures average 35°C. As a result, water is scarce, so much so that the Government of Botswana has imposed severe water restrictions on companies operating in the region.

WEC Projects originally designed and built artificial wetlands which the mine uses to treat its effluent, removing contaminants such as BOD, ammonia, suspended solids and heavy metals, to a standard for reuse as process water.

The new sedimentation trap will be used in the water recycling process of the mine’s drilling operations. The effluent is pumped from the underground drilling areas to a concrete trap and clarification unit where it is dosed with alum and a polymer to enhance the settling of the solids. The effluent overflows from the trap to the plant’s oil skimmer to remove floating oil. The system treats an average of 34 cu.m/d of effluent but can be expanded up to 150 cu.m/d, if required, according to WEC Projects.

The polished water is drawn from the tanker station and disinfected by dosing chlorine. Although the water is not suitable for human consumption, it is reused in applications such as dust suppression.

WEC Projects Contracts Manager, Ruan Kellerman, said: “This project is a fairly standard one for WEC Projects, except for the wetlands section which was certainly the largest of its kind we have undertaken. Our clients, many of whom are located in some of the driest and hottest areas of Africa where water is scarce, rely on us to come up with agile solutions for water reuse. We can provide solutions capable of treating water to process water reuse standards all the way up to potable standards.”

Debswana looks to hit zero harm goal with Sustainability Resource Centre

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Debswana Diamond Company recently launched a Sustainability Resource Centre (SRC) to, it says, apply a holistic approach to achieving its goal of zero harm across its Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa mines in Botswana.

With its “Put Safety First” strategy, Debswana has been pursuing ways to improve the impact of its awareness raising and training interventions, according to Tefo Molosiwa, Head of Safety & Sustainability at Debswana.

“By using a combination of learning modes – theoretical and practical – the SRC delivers greater learning,” Molosiwa said. “For instance, while employees can learn the theory of how a bund wall must be maintained, there is now also an opportunity to practically clean spillage using the equipment provided.”

Molosiwa highlighted that the SRC facility has been designed to include the “seeing”, “doing” and “discussing” involved with the various aspects of environment, community, occupational health and safety on the mines.

The company said: “This will allow best practice to be effectively displayed and understood by employees, contractors and visitors, including the Fatal Risk Control Standards. E-learning plays an important role in the facility, with 20 workstations available for self-induction.”

Molosiwa added: “Employees gain exposure through being shown both ‘best’ and ‘bad’ practice displays as part of their induction.”

The scope of environmental management aspects of this learning process extends to energy conservation, water saving and waste management, according to Debswana. The facility itself includes solar water heating devices, for instance, with the energy-saving impact of this technology shared with all inductees to motivate adoption.

Water tanks at the SRC harvest rainwater from roof gutters, which is used for cleaning and watering gardens. The dry landscaping itself – featuring a few pockets of greenery – is also an important practical demonstration of how water can be better conserved, the company said.

The SRC also showcases facilities for effective waste management. “Animal-proof waste receptacles in the outside areas are examples of what the mining operations can adopt where appropriate. A bund wall for hydrocarbon management at the SRC demonstrates how the structure is optimally designed, developed and equipped,” Debswana said.

Debswana is one of Botswana’s largest private sector employers – with over 5,200 employees – and is jointly owned by the Botswana government and the De Beers Group of Companies. It is one of the world’s leading diamond producers by value and volume.