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The Group is committed to reducing water consumption where possible, as set out in its Environmental Policy. The Group HSS Committee is responsible for monitoring water use. The General Directors of the Group’s operations are responsible for implementing efficiency initiatives to minimise water consumption at site level.
Sources of water for use in new mining projects are considered in detail prior to commencement of construction and this analysis forms an integral part of any scoping or feasibility study. The KAZ Minerals Projects Division, together with senior management and the Board, considers the availability of fresh water for copper processing and any likely adverse effect on local communities or the surrounding environment before approving a new development project.
All of KAZ Minerals’ existing mining and processing sites benefit from access to sufficient fresh water to meet design capacity and none of the Group’s operations are located in severely water stressed areas. The Group seeks to conserve and recycle as much water as possible, with the main sources of reusable water being from the tailings storage facilities and mine water inflow. The Aktogay and Bozshakol sulphide concentrators are designed to be efficient in their water consumption and utilise processes to reduce potential losses through evaporation.
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 58,186 | 56,811 |
| Aktogay | 34,852 | 32,803 |
| Bozshakol | 14,883 | 14,718 |
| East Region | 7,864 | 8,745 |
| Bozymchak | 587 | 545 |
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Aktogay | 0.60 | 0.60 |
| Bozshakol | 0.43 | 0.45 |
| East Region | 3.23 | 3.66 |
| Bozymchak | 0.56 | 0.46 |
| Total | 0.63 | 0.63 |
Water withdrawal across the Group increased by 2% during 2024, with water consumption primarily driven by the increase in ore throughput. The 6% increase in water consumption at Aktogay reflects the 7% increase in ore throughput, while an increase in water recycling from the tailings storage facility enabled Bozshakol to limit its water withdrawal to a 1% increase despite a 6% increase in ore processed. Water withdrawal at East Region reduced by 10% as the lead concentrate section of the Nikolayevsky plant did not operate throughout the year following an expected change in the composition of the ore feed.
The water withdrawal intensity of the Group’s operations, measured as cubic metres per tonne of sulphide ore processed, reduced in 2024 to 0.60 m3/t (2023: 0.63 m3/t), driven by the improvement in water recycling from the tailings storage facility at Bozshakol and reduced water consumption at East Region.
Raising awareness of important environmental issues and conservation of natural resources
Read more| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 56,811 | 57,528 |
| Surface water | 17,937 | 23,134 |
| Groundwater1 | 38,874 | 34,394 |
The water withdrawal intensity of the Group’s operations, measured as cubic metres per tonne of sulphide ore processed, reduced in 2023 to 0.63 m3 /t (2022: 0.66 m3 /t), driven by the improvement in water recycling from the tailings storage facility at Bozshakol.