Maximising the circular economy

As a responsible miner, we believe that mining is one of the biggest contributors to circular economies. Harmony has the largest gold tailings reclamation programme in the gold sector globally, presenting opportunities to extract gold more safely, more economically and more responsibly from our tailings dams.

The benefits of reclamation and remining old TSFs are substantial. It enables us to manage and implement activities based on scientifically sound, stable and suitable geology (assessing dolomites and ensuring less ground water seepage/ingress) and to improve our management of the ground and surface water environment, in accordance with latest legislative requirements.

By remining or retreating tailings and waste rock dumps, land use is improved through the consolidation of tailings at one or more facilities, and we are able to extend the economic life of our operations. We are also able to improve our environmental performance and reduce our liability through concurrent and progressive rehabilitation and clean-up of reclaimed TSF footprints. We leverage the opportunity to improve storm water and dust management measures, and to improve land use for other economic land use activities.

The concept of a consolidated mega tailings facility, such as Kareerand, has other added benefits to the circular economy concept. By retreating historic TSFs, and depositing onto a Kareerand-like facility, we not only reduce waste deposits that are scattered across multiple platforms, but we also free up those footprints for rehabilitation and conversion into alternate land uses. Through the installation of liners on new TSF footprints, we are also able to return more mine-affected water into circulation, thereby reducing our reliance on potable water and contributing to a circular economy.