SRK are supporting Hydro conform with GISTM
Hydro operates and maintains three bauxite residue facilities at the Schwandorf legacy site in the eastern part of Bavaria, Germany. The site holds residue from operations by German aluminium producer VAW in the period 1930s-1990s. The site became a part of Hydro with the acquisition of VAW in 2002.
The three facilities have a total area of approximately 34 ha and contain around 3.5 million tons of waste bauxite residue. All three facilities are considered to be in the 'aftercare period' or ‘passive care closure’ phase and are classified as closed landfills according to German regulations.
As a member of ICMM, Hydro is committed to implementing GISTM across its tailings facility portfolio. It commissioned SRK to undertake a conformance assessment against GISTM at Schwandorf and identify actions required. Given the site context and closed lifecycle phase, SRK took a risk-based approach to prioritising the key actions and sought opportunities to synchronise activities and interdependencies to have the greatest impact. This centred around an updated and comprehensive risk assessment, a stakeholder engagement programme to facilitate meaningful engagement and building trust with interested parties, and identifying ways to formalise and document existing site processes.
Working closely with the client, Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer (RTFE), Engineer of Record (EOR) and Independent Tailings Review Board (ITRB), SRK’s geotechnical engineers and sustainability specialists have determined the consequence classification, credible failure modes, prepared risk assessments, undertaken a climate change assessment, conducted a human rights assessment and helped prepare an Operations, Maintenance and Surveillance (OMS) Manual, Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP), and combined Tailings Management System (TMS) and Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS).
Not only will this work help Hydro conform with GISTM requirements, but it also enhances Hydro’s resilience to change, both in site conditions and personnel. As GISTM represents an ongoing process of improvement, SRK’s work sets solid foundations for the Hydro team to build on and update as required.
Comment from Hydro on working with us “The SRK team is highly competent, offering multidisciplinary expertise in geotechnical, environmental, social, governance, GISTM, and more. Their strong communication and language skills, ensure effective discussions and preparation of excellent written deliverables. Structured and dedicated, they are flexible and adapt to our needs seamlessly. The team are very nice to work with and leave us feeling energized after every meeting!"
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