BQE Water begins South Dakota Selen-IX plant operation

Executive Summary

• BQE Water has commenced routine operation of a new full-scale Selen-IX plant at the Coeur Wharf Mine in South Dakota, completing the project in a record 20 months from design engineering kickoff to discharge.
• The plant successfully passed thorough performance tests, including operation at minimum, nominal, and maximum flow rates with artificially spiked selenium concentrations, confirming its ability to meet strict regulatory discharge limits.
• The technology was selected for its ability to meet in-stream limits directly at the end of pipe, operate unaffected by cold temperatures, handle flow fluctuations, and minimize residue management costs compared to biological systems.

Key Details

• Project Location: Coeur Wharf Mine, South Dakota, United States.
• Technology: Full-scale Selen-IX plant.
• Implementation Timeline: Record time of 20 months between design engineering kickoff and discharge of on-spec water.
• Treatment Capacity: Designed to treat between 150 and 400 gallons of influent water per minute.
• Performance Metrics: Removes selenium to a discharge limit of fewer than five parts per billion.
• Testing Conditions: Performance test involved operation at minimum, nominal, and maximum flow rates; selenium concentrations were artificially spiked to double current and historical levels.
• Operational Status: Entered routine operations under long-term support from BQE Water to ensure continued performance and regulatory compliance.
• Competitive Advantages: Selected over biological selenium reduction systems due to:
  • Ability to meet in-stream limits directly at the end of pipe without reliance on dilution.
  • Performance unaffected by cold water temperatures.
  • Ability to operate in intermittent mode.
  • Ability to handle large and rapid fluctuations in feed flow.
  • Minimization of residue management costs.

Notable Quotes

• David Kratochvil, President and CEO of BQE Water: "I am very proud of our technical team for delivering yet another Selen-IX plant safely and in record time. The project showcases BQE Water's agility and the capability of the patented Selen-IX technology, which enabled the mine site to start discharging clean water into environment in 20 months from the start of engineering."
• Jasmine McCauley, Environmental Manager of Coeur Mining: "The selenium removal project is an important part of Coeur's commitment to environmental protection. We truly appreciate BQE Water's expertise and capabilities to meet our environmental commitments quickly, and we look forward to continuing to work with BQE as our technical partner."