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Environment and Climate Change

Atalaya Mining is committed to conduct its mining operation on a sustainable basis, with maximum prevention of any negative environmental, social or cultural impact.

Environment and Climate Change guiding principles:

  • Respect the natural environment, maintaining a preventative and continuous improvement approach to the environmental performance of our operations, and integrating the fight against climate change in our sustainability strategy.
  • Proactively participate in the achievement of a lasting regional economic development beyond the life of the mine, promoting the creation of alternative regional industries.

Our performance 2020-2022

Indicator202020212022
Environmental investments and expenditures (K€)1,081.91,168.61,201.6
Mining waste reused and/or recycled2 (%)14924
Non-mining waste diverted form disposal (%)858790
External water consumption (m3/tonnes of ore processed)0.350.410.32
Annual recycled water consumption to annual consumption (%)797774
Energy consumption (GJ/tonnes of processed ore)4.6874.8027.799
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) 3 (tCO2 eq/tonnes of concentrate)1.391.301.37
Diffuse emissions of PM104 (kg)456,599560,859505,395
Penalties received for non-compliance with environmental regulations (€)000

1All the environmental indicators reported in this chapter correspond to the Atalaya Riotinto because it is the only significant current operation by the Company. The remaining projects of Atalaya Mining plc are not in operational phase so their environmental impact is very low compared to that of Atalaya Riotinto.
2 The percentages include mine waste reused in the project
3 The 2022 data is an estimate based on 2021 factors as 2022 factors are not available at the time of this report.
4 Calculation based on the “Guidance for the reporting of emissions from opencast mining operations” – “Guía de apoyo para la notificación de las emisiones en explotaciones a cielo abierto y canteras” – Junta de Andalucía”.  The Guide was only used to estimate emissions from mining operations, it is not air quality data.

FIND OUT MORE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT, PAGE 86

Environment and Climate Change Topics

Atalaya is committed to conducting its mining operations with maximum prevention of any negative environmental impact.

The Company constantly works to improve its performance according to its Environmental Policy and, to promote compliance, the Company has implemented an environmental management system certified to the ISO 14001:2015 standard.

The Company complies with the applicable legislation and possesses specific tools to facilitate this compliance, such as a subscription to a legislative update service designed towards the knowledge and updating of environmental, occupational risk prevention and industrial safety legislation. This approach will be applicable to any new endeavours that Atalaya undertakes as its operational portfolio grows.

FIND OUT MORE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT, PAGE 88

The generation of waste and its correct management is an important aspect of our activities. Mining waste constitutes a significant part of our impact owing to the volumes generated. In addition, smaller quantities of other hazardous and non-hazardous waste are produced. The management of both types of waste (mining waste and non-mining waste) is conducted in a differentiated manner, integrating the requirements set by each of the applicable legislations.

The management policy follows the “3Rs” rule (i.e. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle).

The involvement of staff and contractors is of vital importance for proper waste management, thus regular training and awareness campaigns in waste management are a key focus.

FIND OUT MORE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT, PAGE 91

Water consumption is necessary for the production process, especially for the grinding and flotation process. Water management prioritises the re-use and recirculation of water, resorting to external supply only when necessary. This effort has resulted in a significant reduction in Riotinto’s water consumption over the past years, when the percentage of fresh water used was around 10-15% of the total.

Regarding water discharge, Riotinto’s operations have a zero liquid discharge approach (ZLD).

Riotinto is a historical operation. As a mine that has been exploited for hundreds of years, it has inherited environmental liabilities such as the “diffuse waters”. These waters come from passive areas outside the project, are not generated by Atalaya’s activities and are not Atalaya’s responsibility by law. Nevertheless, the Company is voluntarily implementing a plan to progressively rectify the situation.

FIND OUT MORE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT, PAGE 94

Energy consumption is one of the significant environmental aspects of the company. Energy consumption is also responsible for a large part of the Company’s carbon footprint.

In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Atalaya Mining is building a solar power plant for self-consumption at Riotinto.

This solar plant will generate 50 MW, and will be one of the largest self-consumption plants in Spain and the first within a mine. The new photovoltaic plant, a pioneer in the sector, could offer an annual reduction of more than 40,000 tonnes of indirect CO2 emissions, as electricity consumption accounts for more than 60% of the mining operation’s carbon footprint.

FIND OUT MORE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT, PAGE 99

Atalaya Mining Plc is a sustainable European producer of copper and other critical metals that are essential for economic growth and the energy transition. We maintain a commitment to the sustainable management of our mining operations in our policies and governance matters, including the fight against climate change.

ATALAYA CLIMATE CHANGE GOAL STATEMENT

Our operations give rise to two types of atmospheric emissions, those that are channelled and those generated diffusely and inherent to the mining activity.

Riotinto Mine has implemented an exhaustive programme of specific control for diffusive emissions, as well as taking preventative and corrective measures.

FIND OUT MORE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT, PAGE 107

Owing to the existence of protected species of both flora and fauna, Atalaya has a specific methodology for the management of biodiversity, integrating the requirements established in its Environmental permit and sectoral applicable legislation.

This supports the Company’s actions towards the conservation of different elements of the natural environment in the area of its operations, including mainly the management of a protected species of flora (Erica andevalensis) and the management of bats.

In addition to its wildlife conservation programmes, Riotinto has also developed a Forest Fire Prevention Plan that is implemented annually. Some of the actions include opening and maintenance of firebreak lines; clearing and cutting of certain forest areas; clearing around sensitive installations (i.e. generator set, pumps, pipes, generators, transformers, etc.) and clearing of roadsides.

FIND OUT MORE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT, PAGE 106

Atalaya has an approved Restoration Plan for Riotinto, in accordance with the legislation, aimed at the following objectives:

  • Landscape and environmental integration of the areas created, preserving the values of the mining landscape which is characteristic of the area and which is culturally protected.
  • To guarantee adequate water quality in the restored areas.
  • To ensure the safety and long-term stability of the remaining structures.
  • To generate an end use of the land that is beneficial to the socio-economic environment of the area where the mining operation is located.

In addition, the Plan envisages the rehabilitation of non-active areas inherited from previous mining activities in the area (mine tailings) and which are not the result of the activities of Atalaya Mining.

FIND OUT MORE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT, PAGE 109

Environment and Climate Change: Case Studies

The new tailings thickener at Riotinto to minimize surface water consumption

Sust At A Glance 5

In Atalaya Riotinto operation, following ore processing, the resulting tailings are placed in the TSF (Tailings Storage Facility). Once the tailings are placed and settled, the supernatant water is pumped back to the processing plant to be incorporated in the process (i.e., recirculated water).

Atalaya is aware that water is a common good and that proper management is essential to meet the sustainable development goals and to build stakeholder confidence. With this in mind, Atalaya completed in 2022 the implementation of a project to maximize the recovery of process water and achieve the following:

  • Maximize process water recovery: by recovering water prior to deposition in the TSF, we minimize evaporation losses.
  • Minimize water treatment: by recovering water at an earlier stage, the quality of the water obtained will be optimal for reuse, without need of pH adjustments.
  • Increase the percentage of solids contained in the tailing that is deposited in the TSF: this process also achieves a higher solids content in the TSF, with less supernatant water and the TSF will have more storage volume in case of extreme rainfall events.

To accomplish these objectives, Atalaya Riotinto commissioned a tailings thickener between 2021 and 2022. In 2022, 10 Hm3 of process water has been recovered in the thickener, which has resulted in savings of 1.5 Hm3 of surface water from external sources (22% surface water savings per tonne ore processed compared to 2021).

The commissioning of the tailings thickener therefore resulted in improved process efficiency, making the mining operation more resilient in terms of requiring less water from external sources.

75,000 solar panels to reduce our carbon footprint

Endesa
The Company continues its commitment to reducing the carbon footprint from its operations and exploring opportunities for energy self-consumption. Atalaya Riotinto will become the first mine in Spain with a solar photovoltaic power plant. Thanks to a partnership between Atalaya Mining and Endesa X, the Company is building a solar photovoltaic power plant with 75,000 solar panels, capable of generating 50MW, making it one of the largest self-consumption plants in Spain.

This is equivalent to the electricity consumed by a municipality of 14,500 inhabitants for 12 months. The solar plant will provide 25% of the total energy consumption of the mine. The new plant, a pioneer in the sector, is expected to offer an annual reduction of more than 40,000 tonnes of indirect CO2 emissions, as electricity consumption accounts for more than 60% of the mining operation’s carbon footprint. This is equivalent to the absorption 240,000 trees would generate at the same time. Reducing the electricity bills by 25% also contributes to the economic viability of the mine.

Status of the solar plant construction works

Solar
In 2022, Atalaya worked on the definition of the construction project and conducted the corresponding civil works for the execution of the four platform conforming the project with the following specifics:  

– Dehesa/Marginal Platform: 24, 5 Ha.
– Cementation Platform: 5.6 Ha
– Gossan Platform: 17.7 ha.
– SET Platform: 1 Ha

Once the necessary earth movements and the compaction of the gravel layer were completed, a geotechnical study campaign was carried out, which will define the specifications of the foundation to be used later on, as well as the type of design.   All these studies were carried out by CODEXSA under the ENEL standard for photovoltaic plant installations.  In 2022, 136 containers with 75,000 photovoltaic panels to be installed were received.
Sustainability