Handling of mining residues
As a supplier of mineral products, K+S generates liquid and solid mining residues. Technical and organisational measures are implemented to manage these residues. In this context, processes are applied that are aimed at reducing environmental impacts associated with production.
Efficient and innovative utilization of natural resources is the focus of our Research and Development. We make great efforts to keep the environmental impact of production as low as possible.
Saline wastewater
Tailings piles coverage to reduce saline wastewater
Our targets on the topic of dissolved residues
Targets by 2030:
- Our target is to reduce the amount of process water from potash production that has to be disposed of in Germany by 0.5 million m³ by 2030. This reduction will be in addition to the volumes generated by the KCF plant at the Werra site and excluding the reduction arising from the shutdown of production at Sigmundshall in 2018.
- Our target is to cover an additional 155 hectares of our tailings piles by 2030, further reducing or preventing tailings pile runoff.
The additional covering of the tailings pile area will minimize the infiltration of precipitation water into the tailings pile body and, therefore, reduce the formation of tailings pile water. The tailings piles are covered with site-specific covering systems and selected covering materials, as well as polders on the tailings pile tops. Large and medium-sized tailings piles (> 15 ha) are considered. These include the tailings piles at the active Wintershall, Hattorf, Neuhof-Ellers, and Zielitz sites and the inactive Sigmundshall, Niedersachsen (Wathlingen), Friedrichshall, Bergmannssegen-Hugo, and Siegfried-Giesen sites. Prerequisites for covering tailings piles include material availability, technical feasibility and economic viability, subject to the approval process. The covered tailings area refers to the tailings pile footprint relevant for tailings pile water reduction. This is done by projecting the covered area onto the footprint. We verify progress through annual measurements.
Our actions to achieve the targets and their expected outcomes
Continuous reduction of saline impact
The extraction and processing of our raw materials as well as the depositing of residues in the potash industry are associated with the generation of saline wastewater. K+S is working intensively on the implementation of measures to reduce the saline impact on water bodies. These include measures to cover the tailings piles as well as the commissioning of the kainite crystallization and flotation plant (KCF plant) at the Hattorf site of the Werra plant in January 2018.
The KCF plant alone reduces the proportion of saline water by a further 20 percent. As stipulated in the management plan and program of measures for salt of the Weser River Basin Community (FGG), the main focus is on storing saline solutions underground and covering tailings piles to significantly reduce the volume of runoff in the medium and long term.
Tailings piles
Measurement and monitoring of potential impact
Comprehensive monitoring programs measure and monitor the potential impact of tailings piles on water, air and soil. The resulting data generated is always available to the licensing authorities.
Furthermore, regular inspections are conducted to monitor tailings piles operations. The authorities are given detailed information about the planning and implementation of measures.
Our target on the topic of solid residues
Target by 2030:
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Our target is to use 3 million tonnes of mining residues per year for purposes other than tailings pile disposal from 2030 onwards.
We aim to achieve this target through alternative use of material disposed of on tailings piles and avoidance of residues by increasing raw material yields. We record this key figure on a project-by-project basis according to the type of residue recycling or avoidance. The residues are solid mining production residues from potash production that cannot be used economically at the site and have so far largely been disposed of on tailings piles. This key figure refers to the German sites where solid residues are generated. These are the Werra, Zielitz, and Neuhof-Ellers sites.
Our actions to achieve the target and their expected outcomes
Added value for plants and animals
Expansions of the existing tailings piles are necessary to safeguard potash production in the long term. Extensive compensatory and replacement measures are planned in connection with the tailings pile expansions. The compensatory measures include long-term projects to create new habitats for flora and fauna or enhance existing ones. Wherever possible, reforestation will also be carried out in areas deemed to be of poor quality from a nature-conservation perspective to conserve usable agricultural areas.
Extensive species protection measures are implemented and new habitats are created in adjacent areas. Disused medium-sized old tailings piles are successively covered as part of our strategy to prevent or reduce long-term impacts on nature and the environment.
