Kwinana Nickel Refinery Update

1
Kwinana Nickel Refinery Update

• Frank Mofflin
• Environment and Community Superintendent KNR
• 2 June 2009

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About Kwinana Nickel Refinery

• Kwinana Nickel Refinery processes nickel matte
  supplied from the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
• Producing premium nickel briquettes and nickel
  powder
• Also producing a number of intermediate products,
  including copper sulphide, cobalt-nickel sulphide
  and ammonium sulphate.
• The Kwinana Nickel Refinery has a capacity of
  approximately 65,000 tpa of nickel metal.

3
Presentation outline

• Effluent line leak
• Response
• Groundwater Recovery
• Ongoing Activities
• Environmental Improvement Plan
• Hydrogen Plant Replacement

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Effluent line leak

• Three pipelines run between the refinery and
  Baldivis facility
• On 18 June 2008 a leak was discovered on the
  effluent pipeline 400 metres south-east of the
  corner of Old Mandurah Road and Gilmore Avenue
• The effluent contained water, ammonium sulphate
  and some trace metals
• Approximately 600m3 of effluent leaked from the
  pipeline.

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Response

• Failed pipeline decommissioned
• Three groundwater recovery bores and five
  monitoring bores installed
• Recovered groundwater initially pumped to
  evaporation cells at Baldivis via existing pipe
  work
• A pipe was later installed in the casing of the
  decommissioned effluent pipeline to enable
  recovered groundwater to be pumped to the staging
  pond at Baldivis and then subsequently back to
  Kwinana Nickel Refinery
• This water is treated in the Kwinana Nickel
  Refinery Water Treatment Plant prior to reuse at
  site

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Groundwater Recovery

• The Kwinana Nickel Refinery Water Treatment Plant
  (WTP) utilises a reverse osmosis process to
  separate high conductivity water from low
  conductivity water.
• Low conductivity water produced is suitable for
  process use while the high conductivity water is
  sent to the evaporation cells at Baldivis
• Kwinana Nickel Refinery Water Treatment Plant
  processes
• Groundwater recovered from the former Baldivis
  tailings facility site
• refinery effluent and
• groundwater recovered from the leak site.
• Approximately 19700 m3 of groundwater has been
  recovered

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Groundwater recovery

• A short time after processing groundwater from
  the leak site in the Water Treatment Plant, the
  osmosis membranes began to foul
• An investigation found that the membranes were
  fouled by a build up of calcium sulphate
• A number of cleans and operational tests were
  required to return the Water Treatment Plant to
  operability
• It was found that the increased source of calcium
  was the recovered groundwater from the leak site
• This unexpected calcium concentration has
  inhibited the recovery of groundwater
• A strategy has been developed to maximise the
  recovery of groundwater from the leak site whilst
  managing the concentration of calcium in the
  Water Treatment Plant process stream

8
Groundwater recovery

• Monthly and quarterly groundwater monitoring has
  been completed and is ongoing
• Groundwater recovery has decreased the
  contaminants at the leak site significantly
• Maximum conductivity reduced by approximately 85
• Expect to complete the recovery by December 2009

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Ongoing activities

• Pipeline Replacement
• Kwinana Nickel Refinery is progressing the
  replacement of all three pipelines between the
  refinery and Baldivis
• Installation is expected to be completed by 30
  June 2010
• Revegetation Plan
• Two of the trees which were impacted by the leak
  have shown some regrowth
• A revegetation plan has been developed and will
  be implemented during this planting season
• Monitoring
• Ongoing monthly and quarterly reporting

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Environmental Improvement Plan

• Kwinana Nickel Refinery is finalising
  Environmental Improvement Plan for Financial Year
  2010
• Established in November 2008 the team has
  comprised members from
• Local Community
• Local Council
• Regulators
• Kwinana Nickel Refinery workforce
• Identified priority areas of
• Emissions
• Product/Feedstock storage
• Greenhouse Gas/Energy Efficiency
• Odour
• Groundwater Contamination
• Constructive process for communication between
  industry and community

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Hydrogen Plant

• Proposal for replacement presented to Community
  Industry Forum in December 2007
• Works Approval received early 2008
• Plan was to commence construction in mid 2009
• Circumstances have meant that the construction of
  the project has been delayed
• Investigations initiated to reduce the cost of
  the project
• Ongoing assessment of the current hydrogen plant
  will be completed to ensure its safe operation
• Any further changes to the project will be shared
  with the community