Demonstration of an advanced technique for eliminating coal mine wastewater (brines) combined with resource recovery

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Coal mines generate vast amounts of saline wastewaters. Directly draining these streams into water bodies results in salination and causes harm to ecosystems and river life, as well as water shortages that impact the environment and society. Poland, where the project will be mostly implemented, has 10 river basin districts that are all international. The mining industry is creating an alarming impact on water quality and water management in mining regions and throughout the whole country. An infringement procedure was launched by the European Commission in 2015.

OBJECTIVES

LIFE BRINE-MINING aims to facilitate the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the Circular Economy package by enabling the coal mining industry to improve its wastewater management performance in a way which yields cost-effective, resource efficient and legally compliant results. It will develop and apply an economically viable, innovative system to eliminate products from and fully recover resources in coal mining wastewater, at source. The system will be able to treat and directly recover end-products (minerals/salts and water) of high quality and purity.

The project will involve the consumers of the recovered materials to ensure that the end products satisfy market specifications and that the recovered materials are exploited.

LIFE BRINE-MINING will contribute to the objectives of the Water Framework Directive, the Circular Economy package, and other water environmental policy.

RESULTS

Expected results:

avoid the discharge of 35 000 m3 of coal mine brine effluent and 930 tonnes of chlorides that would otherwise be released into surface water;

recover approximately 930 tonnes of marketable minerals and 33 000m3 of high purity water;

50% reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions compared to best current practice (equivalent to around 425 tonnes of CO2 emissions); and

capture 6 euro per m3 in new value material that is currently being wasted, with around 200 000 in revenue stream generated.