Norsk Hydro (Hydro) operates and maintains three bauxite residue facilities at the Schwandorf legacy site in the eastern part of Bavaria, Germany. The site holds around 3.5 million tons of residue from operations by German aluminium producer VAW in the period 1930s-1990s.
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.
Hydro commissioned SRK to undertake a conformance assessment against Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) at Schwandorf and to provide ongoing implementation support. 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.
Not only will this work help Hydro conform with GISTM requirements, but it will also enhance 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.
By SRK United Kingdom
