Sustainable Development Report 2010 [pdf, 2.13 MB] - Hatch

Hatch helped integrate social and environmental considerations in the design and implementation
of Codelco’s Mina Ministro Hales brownfield copper concentration plant
From the prefeasibility stage, the client wanted to
incorporate sustainable development principles
into the design of the project. Hatch conducted
a Sustainability Opportunities and Hazards
Overview (SOHO) to identify sustainability risks
and opportunities associated with the project
and integrate them in the project design.
The review involved 12 representatives from
several departments: project management,
engineering, process, operations, environment,
occupational hygiene and human resources.
Participants found that while the project would
enhance the economic performance of the company
and provide positive economic impacts
on the region, it would also change on-site and
off-site road and rail traffic; increase plant utilization;
require higher productivity; and increase
air emissions, fuel consumption and fresh water
consumption.
As a result of the reviews, several opportunities
were identified such as improving kiln energy
efficiency and reducing coal losses. The project
scope was also changed to account for an additional
objective: to maintain the company’s present
global fresh water consumption by reducing
fresh water consumption by 1000 US gallons per
minute in the wet beneficiation plant. This was
accomplished by modifying equipment to use
recycled water instead of fresh water, and installing
flowmeters to monitor the wet beneficiation
plant’s fresh water consumption.
18 METALS • ENERGY • INFRASTRUCTURE