The company stated that in order to be more environmentally sustainable, the mining and mineral processing industry is focusing more on ways to minimise impact on the surrounding environment. The Electrochemical Water Treatment (EWT) process solution is a highly automated process, which minimises the need for personnel while ensuring high quality water treatment performance.

Outotec’s EWT solutions can be purchased as a process solution island with full maintenance, spare parts and operational support services. The company can also offer a complete water treatment solution from test work including: laboratory scale test work to on-site piloting, conceptual and feasibility studies, basic and detailed engineering, as well as developing a solution for the entire process.

Potential sources of water contamination from the mining industry include drainage from surface and underground mines, wastewaters from beneficiation, surface run-off and acid mine drainage (AMD). Outotec EWT solutions can handle everything from the removal of arsenic, selenium and antimony, to trace metals and organic removal. Customer-specific wastewater can also be tested in Outotec's lab in Pori, Finland, where it can help its customers find the optimal solution.

One Outotec EWT-40 module can treat approximately 5-40m³/h of wastewater depending on the application. The operation can easily be scaled up as needed simply by adding more modules. The company stated that another benefit of its modular design is the added value it brings to its customers - the modules can be easily relocated or resold, protecting the investment beyond plant lifetime. It is also ideal for remote locations with minimum transport and storage needs.

Other advantages of the Outotec EWT-40 include:

• Fast, efficient water treatment and lower residual impurities compared to conventional processes;
• A modular design that supports easy relocation and expansion;
• The highly automated process that minimises personnel requirements and enables remote operation and monitoring; and
• No need to procure or handle chemicals.