PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Mining major BHP has approved $44-million in funding to restart one of the Samarco concentrators, in Brazil.
The announcement comes just days after the Samarco joint venture (JV), with iron-ore major Vale, was granted all the necessary environmental licences to restart operations in the state of Minas Gerais, following the 2015 collapse of a tailings dam, which claimed the lives of 19 people and displaced numerous others.
The restart of operations has been targeted for the end of 2020.
The Samarco JV earlier this week said that the restarted operations would be using new technologies for dry tailings stacking, and for this reason, the operational restart of iron-ore extraction and beneficiation plants in Germano, and the pelletising plant in the Ubu complex, located in Anchieta, state of Espírito Santo, will only occur after the implementation of a filtration system.
BHP on Friday said that the $44-million in funding would enable the construction of a filtration plant over the next 12 months and the commencement of operation readiness activities.
Restart can occur when the filtration system is complete and Samarco has met all necessary safety requirements, and will be subject to final approval by Samarco’s shareholders.