Evaluating the Operational Efficiency of the Concentration Section of the Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex in the Use of Reclaimed Water

Background and Objective: Water scarcity is one of the most critical environmental and economic challenges in Iran, if not the most pressing one. Limitations in water supply have created serious challenges not only for the mining industry but also for many other sectors of the country. One such case is the Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex, the largest and one of the most significant copper extraction and processing centers in Iran, located in a hot and semi-humid region. Therefore, the sustainable and optimal management of water resources in this industrial complex is a prerequisite for the continuity of operations and regional development. At the same time, a precise understanding and control of industrial water consumption and the inflows and outflows of water—particularly in the concentration stage of mineral processing, which is one of the most fundamental and water-intensive operations of the complex—is of vital importance. This study focuses on monitoring and optimizing water productivity in the concentration stage of the Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex. For the first time, the SEEA-W (System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water) framework has been applied to map the internal water flows of the complex and to quantify volumes of water consumed, recycled, and lost. At the core of water accounting lies the recognition that, to date, no study has specifically examined water productivity in the mineral concentration process. In this study, the SEEA-W classification standard for water resources was employed to accurately identify different categories of water use and to track the inflows, consumption, recycling, and losses with precision.
Materials and Methods: The data used in this study were obtained from multiple sources, including volumetric records from fixed flowmeters installed at various points in the plant, field measurements using portable flowmeters, and volumetric calculations based on technical reports and operational records. The focus of this study is on data from the year 2023 (1402 in the Iranian calendar), in order to provide an up-to-date and accurate assessment of water use in the concentration process. The SEEA-W framework, recognized as an international standard for water resource accounting, enabled a comprehensive and precise evaluation of water flows. Within this framework, water inflows are categorized into two main groups: (1) water abstracted from the environment, including surface water, groundwater, seawater, and soil moisture; and (2) water abstracted from the economy, which refers to water transferred from other units or sections of the Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex to the concentration plant. Correspondingly, water outflows are divided into two categories: water returned to the environment and water transferred to other economic units.
Findings: A considerable portion of the water is directed, along with the tailings, to the thickeners, where it is further concentrated and subsequently returned to the consumption cycle. In this study, water consumption is defined as the volume of water that is lost during industrial use—namely, the amount of water entering the concentration plant that does not return to the environment, the sea, or other economic units. The findings revealed that the majority of the water used in the concentration process is derived from recycling and reuse, as approximately 78% of the water entering the thickeners is collected and reused. Only 19% of the total water flow was recorded as final consumption, which is considered as water lost. The water recycling rate from the total water inflow to the thickeners was estimated at 93.82%, a relatively high figure. This outcome is encouraging for water resource management and efficiency in water use. Moreover, the results went beyond the initial data, showing that the largest share of water consumption was attributable to the tailings thickeners, with a share of 21.64%, followed by the paste thickeners with 12.94%. A comparison of water consumption per ton of feed input further indicated that less than 20% of the total water consumed per ton fell into the category of ineffective consumption. Therefore, the majority of the water entering the production process cycle is effectively returned.
Conclusion: These results highlight the plant’s strong capacity in water use efficiency and underscore the importance of recycling and improving water consumption practices. The application of the SEEA-W framework in this study not only enabled transparent tracking of water flows but also helped identify critical points and opportunities for improving water use across different stages of the process. Although SEEA-W was originally designed for macro-level and national studies, its application at the industrial and operational level in this research provided accurate and valuable insights into water consumption, recycling, and losses. Furthermore, this system facilitates the assessment of the environmental and economic impacts of water use, thereby supporting the development of effective management strategies and policies. The findings were also compared with international reports, particularly ICMM reports on the copper industry in Chile, and demonstrated a relative alignment of the Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex with global standards for responsible and sustainable water use. Ultimately, this study offers a practical and reliable model for other water-intensive industries and mining operations in the country. The integration of combined frameworks, precise data, and innovative approaches can play a key role in reducing environmental impacts and improving the sustainability of water resources. Therefore, this approach can contribute significantly to achieving sustainable development, water security, and effective management of environmental and economic challenges related to water. Moreover, the findings of this study can support decision-makers and water resource managers in the mining sector in adopting informed and long-term strategies—strategies that prioritize reducing consumption, increasing recycling, and enhancing the management of water resources. In this way, the research not only provides a scientific and practical method for assessing and improving industrial water use but also represents a meaningful step toward protecting the nation’s valuable water resources.