Veolia has signed a new contract with AngloGold Ashanti Limited, part of the South African headquartered gold mining company, AngloGold Ashanti, the world’s third largest gold producer. Veolia Ghana Limited* will be responsible for operating and maintaining all the water treatment plants for the Obuasi open-cut and underground mines in Ghana. Under this three-year contract, Veolia will provide all its operational expertise for the mining industry.
No fewer than six facilities are needed to guarantee the treated water and discharge quality for AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi mine: four wastewater treatment plants and two drinking water treatment plants. Their management has been entrusted to Veolia Ghana Limited for a period of three years.
Water is essential for the mining industry. It is used in various activities associated with the extraction phases: ore processing, dust control, sludge transportation, as well as employees’ needs. In a tropical climate subject to highly seasonal heavy rainfall, the Ghanaian mine a responsibility to manage its wastewater and process residue in order to comply with the local Environmental Protection Agency’s requirements for discharge into the ecosystem.
A heavy consumer of water, the mining sector is one of the major growth areas identified by Veolia. The Group is working hand-in-hand with players in the industry to find solutions to the challenges they face in Africa, as elsewhere in the world. It is a strategic market segment with promising growth prospects for the Group.
“This new contract is confirmation of Veolia’s operational expertise in water and discharge treatment that are so critical to the mining industry”, explains Christophe Maquet, Director of Veolia’s Africa and Middle East Zone. “By optimizing the process water treatment for the Obuasi gold mine, we have an opportunity to improve the productivity of this crucial operation”.
(*) 70% owned by Veolia Africa and 30% by West African Surface Solutions Ghana Limited
