Case study - bauxite residue management at Rio Tinto Alcan Gove, Northern Territory, Australia

摘要

The operations of Rio Tinto Alcan Gove are located on the Gove Peninsula in the north-east part of the Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, Australia. They consist of bauxite mining and refining which converts bauxite into alumina. Bauxite residue is a byproduct in the Bayer process to extract alumina from bauxite ore. The residue is alkaline and, as such, required to be disposed of and managed in a safe, economical and environmentally friendly manner. Rio Tinto Alcan Gove has gone through a number of changes and has spent tremendous efforts and resources to improve the sustainability of the residue management since the start of the operations.This paper describes the sustainable changes with emphasis on mud thickening in the refinery and mud farming in the residue disposal area.