Project: Water and Tailings Management of Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine
Client: National Iranian Copper Industries Company (NICICo.)
Background: Sarcheshmeh, the largest open-pit copper mine in Iran, has been in operation since 1980. To modernize its water and tailings management system, the mine engaged a joint venture between ATC Williams (Australia) and MEWE to provide engineering consultancy, design services, and construction supervision.
Actions: Comprehensive studies were carried out on various aspects of tailings dewatering, reclaimed water transfer, and tailings storage. The existing tailings dam was raised from 70 to 110 meters, and new deep-cone paste thickeners were installed alongside the existing conventional tailings thickeners. A rockfill, asphalt-core water dam was constructed on the Shur River to provide a new fresh water source.
Results: As a result, tailings storage capacity increased from 123 MCM to nearly 600 MCM, achieved through both dam raising and optimizing tailings deposition slopes. Tailings water recovery improved by approximately 25%, and an additional fresh water supply of about 10 MCM per year was made available to the plant. Reclaimed water pump stations and pipelines were also upgraded.
