Minetek backs tailings conference with Gold sponsorship at TMW 2026

Minetek will serve as a Gold Sponsor and exhibitor at Tailings and Mine Waste 2026 in Westminster, Colorado, from 8 to 11 November. The company is using the event to showcase mechanical evaporation technology for water-heavy tailings sites and to push for more responsible tailings management.

Why it matters: - Tailings facilities are under growing pressure from regulators, communities and investors, and water management is a major constraint on storage capacity and closure planning. - Minetek is using TMW 2026 to position mechanical evaporation as a practical way to reduce excess water without adding unnecessary infrastructure. - The conference also supports student research at Colorado State University, linking industry practice with future tailings and mine waste work.

What happened: - Minetek is a Gold Sponsor and exhibitor at Tailings and Mine Waste 2026. - The conference runs 8 to 11 November at The Westin Westminster in Westminster, Colorado. - Colorado State University’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department hosts the event, which has run since 1978. - Operators, researchers and engineers attend the conference to focus on mill tailings and mine waste management.

The details: - Minetek’s mechanical evaporation systems operate at volumes exceeding 135 m³/hour. - The systems run on a 24/7 automated basis and are built for rapid deployment across a wide range of site conditions. - A fully integrated Environmental Management System monitors and responds to changing conditions in real time. - Mobile and modular units, low-fouling stainless steel nozzles, and the ability to process water with high TDS and TSS are designed to keep the technology adaptable to variable water quality. - At a Missouri cobalt mine, Minetek deployed a turn-key land-based evaporation system to manage underground inflows exceeding 300 gallons per minute into the tailings storage facility. - The system delivered 180 GPM of throughput at an estimated 45% evaporation efficiency. - The deployment helped the operator maintain control of its water balance during peak inflow conditions. - Minetek says the sponsorship reflects its commitment to safer and more sustainable tailings and mine waste practices. - Water volume affects storage capacity, freeboard and how much new containment a site has to build. - Mining teams attending the conference are invited to visit Minetek at Booth #55. - Minetek is offering meetings about site-specific water challenges at the event.

Between the lines: - The sponsorship is part marketing, part technical positioning: Minetek is tying its product to one of the industry's most visible pain points. - The company is also framing water removal as a capital and compliance issue, not just an operational one. - By anchoring its message in a live mine case study, Minetek is signaling that its evaporation systems are meant for difficult, high-volume conditions rather than standard site water loads. - Thompson said, “Every cubic metre of water left in a tailings facility is a cubic metre someone has to store, monitor and eventually close out.” - Thompson added that operators should not have to “build their way out of that problem,” and said Tailings and Mine Waste is where the industry comes together to find a better way.

What's next: - Minetek will meet with operators, consultants and researchers in Westminster to discuss tailings water trade-offs. - Attendees can contact Duane Thompson, Global Water Manager, to arrange a meeting at the conference. - Minetek will continue promoting mechanical evaporation and broader water management solutions across mining and industrial markets.

The bottom line: - Minetek is using TMW 2026 to make a simple case: better water removal can improve tailings management, reduce infrastructure pressure and support compliance.