Fit-for-purpose, ever-evolving, integrated dewatering systems are becoming increasingly important for miners to maintain sustainable operations in an era of significant technological developments.

Engineering solutions provider Weir Minerals Africa, driving its evolving, flexible and mobile dewatering solutions, offers a dewatering technology ecosystem that assists mining operations to mitigate its water balances. This enables mining and minerals processing operations to effectively remove water from mines with products and solutions that evolve with the mine life.

Challenges such as flooding, runoff and water seepage, particularly in underground mines, mean that dewatering can be an expensive and complex challenge. However, the removal of excess water from working areas is integral to allowing continuous safe and productive excavation operations, says Weir Minerals Africa product manager Marnus Koorts.

“There will always be water underground. It is best to implement a solution that balances this and removes enough water from the operations to allow them to continue safely,” he continues, adding that a comprehensive and flexible dewatering management strategy is key, particularly as no two dewatering projects are the same and every mine site is subject to varying environmental, regulatory, capital and operating cost constraints.

Challenges differ from region to region and a number of factors can affect the dewatering system, such as the permeability and porosity of the ground, the amount of surface water and geological features such as seasonal rainfall, besides others.

Weir Minerals Africa provides integrated solutions for mining and industrial operations that are fit-for-purpose and take into account the specific requirements of the client.

“It is not just about the pumps, but rather, the systems around it,” he explains, highlighting the fact that mines aim to optimise their process and implement a complete solution, rather than buying just one piece of equipment.

“We are no longer just selling a pump, we are selling smarter pumps,” he says, referring to mobility capabilities, the ability to measure health and temperature with Weir’s Synertrex Internet of Things platform and automatic startupand shutdown technology, among other features.

Weir Minerals Africa invests a significant amount on development and continuous product improvement, noting an organic shift over the past five years, from fixed products to more mobile applications.

Koorts notes the need to provide both fixed and mobile solutions as mines evolve and shafts become deeper.

Meanwhile, Weir Minerals Africa’s extensive branch network will serve it well in the short term as the Covid-19 pandemic locks down several countries.

In times such as these, it is beneficial that the company carries the largest stock of any pumps supplier in the world and boasts manufacturing capabilities on every continent, he concludes.