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The El Cogulló salt deposit was opened in 1977 in order to store excess salt resulting from potash extraction at the Vilafruns Mine. It was in use by companies that operated the mine prior to ICL Iberia. On June 30, 2019, the deposit was shut down. Since then, ICL Iberia has taken first steps towards its restoration.
ICL Iberia has taken first steps to restore the El Cogulló salt deposit, as part of its commitment to more sustainable mining.
La Botjosa is a mining colony built in the 1930’s just off the Sallent plant, to house families of miners working at the mine. Adjacent to it is a salt deposit of the same name which was used to store salt from potash extraction prior to the opening of the Cogulló.
The deposit has been inactive since the early 1970’s, when the state-owned company Potasas Ibéricas closed it permanently. Without making any use of it, ICL Iberia has committed to restoring the deposit, and in recent years has carried out a series of preventive measures and environmental steps. During 2019, ICL conducted surveys in the deposit as part of its restoration plan, and in 2020 we began on-site testing and extracting salt from the deposit, which has continued throughout 2021.
In April 2011, ICL Iberia announced the Phoenix Plan, which involves the industrial development of the Bages mining basin. The plan aims to significantly increase economic, social and environmental sustainability of the Bages mining activity.
A multi-year program is currently underway to restore ICL Iberia’s salt deposits, through concentrating efforts on wastewater drainage and sludge treatment.
The restoration program proposed by ICL includes the rehabilitation of the La Botjosa and Cogulló deposits, as well as a salt purification process that will create value by reintroducing salt into the value chain, by selling it as a product.
In order to implement a restoration plan which takes into consideration environmental, social, technological and economic aspects, ICL Iberia, together with a team of experts, analyzed a detailed study containing six proposals, and selected the most appropriate one, based on the highest level of technical knowledge available to date. The proposal selected by ICL, after taking into account environmental, social, technological and economic aspects, and which ICL has already begun to implement, combines the removal of salt from the two deposits by constructing a new salt purification plant, and transferring the remaining salt to the sea through a new collector.
In accordance with the restoration plan proposed by ICL and the Urban Master Plan of the territory, the restoration process of the two salt deposits will begin with La Botjosa. It is expected that restoration work at this deposit will require approximately five years, once work begins and permits are received.
Once construction of the new collector is completed, restoration of La Botjosa will be coordinated with Cogulló’s restoration work. Estimates for the restoration of this deposit are about 46 years.
Once the new collector and additional infrastructure work is completed, the operating rates will reach an average of 1,050,000 tonnes per year.
In order to restore the mountain, salt must be extracted and treated. To do this, a system (milling machine or similar) will be used to grind and remove salt superficially. This extracted salt will be taken to the primary production plant where it will be treated. A portion of the salt will be commercialized while the remainder will be sent to the sea through the new collector.
ICL Iberia has implemented numerous measures, preventative in most cases, to environmentally control and manage its salt deposits at Suria and Sallent. ICL’s goals are to prevent salt water from reaching and mixing with freshwater, and to create a sustainable relationship with its surrounding areas.
ICL Iberia has constructed new collection points, and established multiple control points for quantitative and qualitative water analysis. It has also been implementing measures to minimize salt accumulation into the deposits, as well as groundwater control measures.
New preventive measures are also being implemented in the Suria salt deposit. Its newest zone is completely waterproof and a complex drainage system is being built. ICL Iberia previously performed an exhaustive research plan, including the excavation of trenches and drilling of boreholes to evaluate and assess soil quality at the Suria site and to ensure that all salty water is properly managed.
As the ground is cleared during the salt removal process, the soil under La Botjosa and Cogulló reservoirs will be washed to remove any remaining salt.
Existing perimeter ponds and canals will be maintained as will other preventive and corrective systems to ensure control of effluents until all saline materials are removed from the deposits.
