Green Mining with Rock Kleen
Green mining refers to practices that aim to address three main elements, which are:
Environmental - The environmental effects of mining focus mainly on metals and chemicals released to the environment, land consumed for perpetuity due to waste rock and tailings storage, the tailings, and the unsightly view remaining after the mine is closed.
Rock Kleen is a “green” Deep Eutectic Solvent (D.E.S.). Made from food grade components, the Rock Kleen Tailings Recovery Process collects oxide and soluble metals along with leaching other metals, such as gold, silver, zinc, copper, and lead, out of the host rock. By recovering all these metals and chemical components the remaining rock is clean of chemicals and leachable metals and is available for industrial mineral use.
The Rock Kleen model is to make 100 percent of all mined products a salable material. In today’s gold mining industry mines can operate on 1.0 – 1.5 grams of gold per ton of ore. That means virtually 100 percent of the mined materials become tailings. The Rock Kleen model is to mine one ton and make salable products out of all that one ton. By doing this there are no tailings piles that are legacy issues for the company and the tailings concerns for the people. If the land is not covered by tailings or waste, then the land can be used for other purposes. Rock Kleen allows for the temporary use of land versus tying it up forever.
Energy Consumption - Mining is an energy intensive industry. That energy is required to mine metals. That energy is also required to mine industrial minerals or to quarry crushed rock for construction. The Rock Kleen Tailings Recovery Process provides the opportunity to mine metal, industrial minerals, mineral nutrients, and construction crushed stone all from a single mine. The energy to mine one ton of rock can now produce one ton of product eliminating the need to consume energy to produce at another location. Internal studies indicate that Rock Kleen Tailings Recovery Operations would qualify for green house gas carbon credits based upon the energy saved. The Rock Kleen model requires fewer mines, fewer land disturbances, and leaves no tailings ponds or heap leach pads.
Sustainability - Metal mines only focus on metals and everything else is waste. The Rock Kleen model is a sustainable model because the objective is to use everything, no waste. By using everything, the Rock Kleen model minimizes the opening of new mines and maximizes the use of the earth that is disturbed. A truly sustainable model.
Green Mining means:
- Environmental
- Energy consumption
- Sustainability.
Environmental - The environmental effects of mining focus mainly on metals and chemicals released to the environment, land consumed for perpetuity due to waste rock and tailings storage, the tailings, and the unsightly view remaining after the mine is closed.
Rock Kleen is a “green” Deep Eutectic Solvent (D.E.S.). Made from food grade components, the Rock Kleen Tailings Recovery Process collects oxide and soluble metals along with leaching other metals, such as gold, silver, zinc, copper, and lead, out of the host rock. By recovering all these metals and chemical components the remaining rock is clean of chemicals and leachable metals and is available for industrial mineral use.
The Rock Kleen model is to make 100 percent of all mined products a salable material. In today’s gold mining industry mines can operate on 1.0 – 1.5 grams of gold per ton of ore. That means virtually 100 percent of the mined materials become tailings. The Rock Kleen model is to mine one ton and make salable products out of all that one ton. By doing this there are no tailings piles that are legacy issues for the company and the tailings concerns for the people. If the land is not covered by tailings or waste, then the land can be used for other purposes. Rock Kleen allows for the temporary use of land versus tying it up forever.
Energy Consumption - Mining is an energy intensive industry. That energy is required to mine metals. That energy is also required to mine industrial minerals or to quarry crushed rock for construction. The Rock Kleen Tailings Recovery Process provides the opportunity to mine metal, industrial minerals, mineral nutrients, and construction crushed stone all from a single mine. The energy to mine one ton of rock can now produce one ton of product eliminating the need to consume energy to produce at another location. Internal studies indicate that Rock Kleen Tailings Recovery Operations would qualify for green house gas carbon credits based upon the energy saved. The Rock Kleen model requires fewer mines, fewer land disturbances, and leaves no tailings ponds or heap leach pads.
Sustainability - Metal mines only focus on metals and everything else is waste. The Rock Kleen model is a sustainable model because the objective is to use everything, no waste. By using everything, the Rock Kleen model minimizes the opening of new mines and maximizes the use of the earth that is disturbed. A truly sustainable model.
Green Mining means:
- Minimizing environmental footprint: Green mining works to lessen the negative effects on land, air, and water. This involves reducing waste generation, using less water, and implementing techniques for dust suppression and land reclamation.
- Conserving resources: Efficient extraction processes are key here. Green mining aims to recover more of the desired minerals while utilizing and making usable product of waste rock and tailings. Additionally, it explores reprocessing of existing waste piles from past mining operations.
- Embracing renewable energy: Shifting from fossil fuels to renewable sources like solar or wind.
- Responsible material handling: Green mining promotes recycling and finding ways to reuse materials throughout the mining life cycle. This contributes to a more circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer.