The complex was built at processing facility N12 of the Udachny mining and processing division in Sakha Republic.

Alrosa expects the facility to significantly reduce water consumption and increase the efficiency of its tailings storage operations, thus extending the operating life of the existing tailings dump.

The new complex saw the installation of a pump system, a cyclone cluster, and two large tanks 28 metres in diameter.

The complex uses centrifugal force to extract most of the recycled water from the tailings. The water is further reused, and the remaining sand after thickening goes to the tailings dump.

Roman Deniskin, director of the Udachny operations, said in a statement: "Tailings thickening reduces by 85% the amount of water consumed by the processing facility. Previously, about 6,500-7,000 cubic meters per hour were used, and only 1,000 cubic meters per hour are required today, the rest is replenished with recycled water."

"At the same time, the placement of thickened tailings by the cone method will allow safe use of the existing tailing dump until 2066."