
How does Ivanplats balance high-volume industrial production with community environmental stewardship?
In this second episode of Mining Indaba TV’s OnTheGround Season 4, senior content producer Richard Jansen van Vuuren takes viewers along the flow of water in one of South Africa’s dryest regions.
Operating in South Africa's arid Limpopo province requires innovative solutions to resource management. Tinette Brümmer, Tailings and Water Management Specialist: Ivanplats and Khazamola Baloyi, Stakeholder Relations Manager CGR: Ivanplats, explain how its flagship operation balances high-volume industrial production with community environmental stewardship through dry stack tailings technology.
Unlike conventional wet tailings dams that hold 60% water and carry catastrophic failure risks, dry stack tailings compact material to a 15–20% moisture content. This approach eliminates dam stability hazards while allowing the plant to recover and recycle process water immediately.
📍Location: Limpopo, South Africa
⛏️Project developer: Ivanplats, a subsidiary of Ivanhoe Mines