As global mining companies move toward safer, more sustainable tailings practices, thickened and dry stack tailings solutions are emerging as vital technologies. With a 300-year legacy of engineering excellence, TAKRAF Group is helping miners around the world eliminate risk, recover water and unlock easier rehabilitation.
For decades, traditional wet tailings dams have been the default approach to mine waste management. But as the industry evolves to meet new environmental standards and community expectations, these structures are increasingly being replaced by safer, more sustainable alternatives.
Among the most promising are thickened tailings and dry stack tailings (DST), two technologies that reduce risk, enhance water recovery and simplify mine closure.
Through its DELKOR brand, TAKRAF Group has emerged as a global leader in this transformation, combining deep expertise in liquid/solid separation with decades of innovation in bulk material handling.
“Wet tailings dams have been used in mining for decades, but they pose significant safety and environmental risks,” TAKRAF Group said.
“Any technology that can reduce the size of a dam, recover water for reuse and minimise environmental impact is critically important. Thickened tailings are certainly a safer alternative and dry stacking takes that one step further.”
From risk to resilience
At the heart of thickened tailings technology lies the thickener, a large tank where slurry (a mixture of solids and water) separates under gravity. Solids settle to the bottom, forming a high-density underflow, while clearer water rises to the top for recovery.
This relatively simple yet highly effective process enables mining companies to produce a more stable, low-moisture tailings stream, dramatically reducing the footprint and long-term risk of tailings storage. The recovered water can be reused in the process, reducing freshwater intake and improving operational efficiency, a critical advantage in arid mining regions.
In Chile, TAKRAF Group was recently awarded a contract for what is set to become the world’s largest thickened tailings project. Once operational, the system will extend the life of an existing facility by several decades, avoiding the need for a new dam and minimising the mine’s environmental footprint.
“This project is a clear demonstration of how innovation in tailings management can support both operational and sustainability goals,” TAKRAF Group said. “The change from conventional to thickened tailings will extend the site’s lifespan by 40 to 50 years.”
Benchmarking dry stacking success
The move toward dry stacking represents the next stage in responsible tailings management. Unlike conventional tailings storage, dry stacking eliminates the need for tailings dams entirely. Filtered tailings are transported by conveyor and stacked in a stable, dry form, a solution that not only mitigates failure risk but also allows for progressive rehabilitation of mined land.
In Brazil, where legislation now mandates safer tailings practices, TAKRAF Group delivered the country’s first complete Dry Stack Tailings (DST) solution for Usiminas.
“This project included a filter press, conveyors and a thickener for processing, the first of its kind in Brazil, and now a benchmark for the industry,” TAKRAF Brazil managing director Tiago Carvalho said. “Our global engineering expertise positions us strongly to meet this need.”
Beyond safety, dry stacking offers additional advantages:
• Reduced water contamination risk
• Lower closure costs through easier rehabilitation
• Improved sustainability performance, helping miners align with ESG targets
Celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2025, TAKRAF Group continues to deliver “Innovation out of tradition – It pays to talk to a specialist!”
By uniting DELKOR’s process know-how with TAKRAF’s material handling capabilities, the Group provides complete Dry Stack Tailings (DST) solutions, from thickening and filtering through to conveying and stacking, tailored to the world’s toughest mining environments.
With thickened and dry stack tailings solutions, TAKRAF Group helps building safer, smarter and more sustainable mines for the future.
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