Benefits of the EKS-DT Process

Dewatering oil sands tailings using EKS-DT will:

• Reduce the costs of tailings management,
• Reduce demand on fresh water sources by increasing the water available for reuse,
• Decrease the disturbed land footprint from tailings handling, storage, and disposal, and
• Reduce GHG and other air pollution emissions by rapidly consolidating the FFT eliminating fugitive emissions and by reducing the use of heavy equipment and other machinery.

EKS has prepared a detailed quantitative life cycle analysis for its technology and used these results to compare its economic and environmental performance with other dewatering technologies. The EKS-DT process clearly out performs existing technologies. These results provide compelling evidence of the ability of the EKS-DT process to make a significant contribution to the long-term sustainability of Alberta’s oil sands industry.

Similar benefits are available by applying EKS-DT to other mining operations and industries where difficult-to-dewater slurries and/or unstable clay soil conditions are present.

EKS-DT Process Innovations

Following are some of the innovations developed by EKS:

• Patented power signature reduces energy consumption and extends life of anodes,
• Horizontal electrode arrays with dynamic spacing,
• Rapid and simple electrode array deployment system for large deposits,
• Automated control system that regulates the process to maximise energy efficiency and dewatering reliability,
• Energy-recovery gas collection systems, and
• Solar-powered EKS-DT systems.