Page 17 - Suncor 360 - October 2014
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OCTOBER 2014
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Members of the COSIA Water Environmental Priority Area have shared 145 technologies
for water treatment with an estimated value of $184 million.
WHAT ARE WE DOING?
1
The benefits
WE’RE REUSING TAILINGS WATER
An equivalent amount of water will be recycled at our mining In 2013, we transferred 1,500 cubic metres of tailings
site, reducing the amount of fresh water we need to withdraw water per day to our Firebag in situ facility to be used in
from the Athabasca River.
our steam assisted gravity drainage process.
2
The benefits
WE’RE RECYCLING INDUSTRIAL WATER
The plant can recycle all of the upgrading wastewater (between Our new wastewater treatment facility takes wastewater
22,500 and 43,200 litres of water per minute) and could offset from our upgrading pond and removes solids and oils,
the need for river water by an equivalent amount. It’s significant, so we can reuse that water in our operations.
especially when you consider the Wood Buffalo Wastewater
Treatment Plant is designed for a population of 133,000 at a
wastewater capacity of approximately 36,000 litres of water per
minute – very similar to our plant’s recycle rate. With our plant in
operation, we expect to reduce our river water withdrawal by
about 65 per cent compared to 2007.
3
The benefits
WE’RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR BETTER WAYS
The WTDC will field test technologies that aim to:
We’re working with Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance
(COSIA) partner companies and additional industry players
• reduce the cost of water recycling
to develop the Water Technology Development Centre
• improve the reliability of water recycling technology (WTDC) at our Firebag in situ facility. The WTDC will allow
participating companies to test new water treatment
• reduce water use and energy efficiency.
and recycling technologies for in situ development.
The $165 million centre is expected to open in 2017.
4
Our approach
WE’RE TAKING THE LOW FLOW CONCERNS SERIOUSLY
Our mining operations, as well as Syncrude’s, has no separate
Regulations, slated to go into effect soon, include an
on-site fresh water storage facilities and building water storage ecosystem base flow defining low rates at which most
facilities would require land disturbance beyond our existing water withdrawals from the Athabasca River would cease
mining footprint. We have agreed, however, to reduce our if there’s significant risk to the river biodiversity. At that
withdrawal rate by 50 per cent at the prescribed base flow rate flow, most current and future oil sands mining operators
and are evaluating additional measures to reduce withdrawals would stop taking river water and use stored water
even further. Our approach is to reduce water withdrawal at all instead. Suncor and Syncrude – Canada’s two oldest
times through our water recycling strategies described above.
operators – have allowances to continue to withdraw
due to legacy plant designs.
Of all major rivers in Alberta, the Athabasca River has one of the lowest allocations,
360+
or licensed withdrawals levels – just 4.3%. By comparison, 28% of
The Report on sustainability
the North Saskatchewan River’s flow is allocated, while more than
is your go-to resource for information on Suncor’s
water management
66% of both the Oldman and the Bow are licensed for withdrawal.
practices. Visit
sustainability.suncor.com
