Active Treatment Trials - innovative technology and approaches

In 2011, the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines (WAMM) Programme was set up between the Environment Agency, Defra and the Coal Authority to address pollution of rivers by abandoned metal mines.

Currently, the Coal Authority operates four WAMM mine water treatment schemes, each using a different treatment technology, which are improving water quality in about 20 km of rivers.

In January 2023, Parliament adopted a statutory metal mines target, under the Environment Act 2021, to halve the length of English rivers polluted by harmful metals from abandoned metal mines by 2038.

The Government's Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), published in January 2023, estimated that to achieve this long-term target would likely require around 40 new mine water treatment schemes and a similar number of diffuse interventions.

The EIP set a non-statutory interim target to construct 8 mine water treatment schemes and 20 diffuse interventions by 31 January 2028.

To help deliver the interim and long-term targets, the WAMM Programme is currently investigating active treatment options for mine water discharging from abandoned metal mines by undertaking active treatment trials on up to five sites

The purpose of this document is to alert interested parties to a forthcoming open tender exercise which will seek to appoint party/parties to undertake these investigations.

No action is required from interested parties at this stage however, if you have any queries about this opportunity please contact peterkobryn@coal.gov.uk no later than 23 September 2024.

Accompanied visits to the five sites in question will be arranged during the tender period. Interested parties are strongly recommended to attend the site visits to support their submissions for this opportunity.

To enable resources to be planned for these visits please see below the dates and times that these visits will take place

If you require any further details with regard to these site visits for the purposes of planning, or wish to register your interest in attending please contact peterkobryn@coal.gov.uk

Date Site Location 08/10/2024 A Cornwall, South West of England 09/10/2024 B Devon, South West of England 30/09/2024 C County Durham, North Pennines 01/10/2024 D County Durham, North Pennines 02/10/2024 E Westmorland and Furness, North Pennines

Additional information: The appointed party / parties will design and undertake pilot trials for the active treatment of mine water of up to 5 no. sites to obtain data for optimised treatment process and costs for treating the mine water at full-scale.

The Coal Authority is looking to award a number of packages of work through this tender ranging from 1 no. of the active trials up to 5 no. active trails. These may be at any of the 5 identified sites.

The Coal Authority reserves the right to award to multiple parties depending on the proposals provided during the tender period. Tenders shall be scored on the basis of most advantageous economic tender against criteria to be published in the tender documents.

The appointed party / parties shall design and supply a suitable pilot scale active treatment plant for each of the mine water sources to be treated.

The appointed party / parties shall provide an individual report at the end of each trial detailing the outcomes.

Following the publication of this engagement notice we shall launch the open tender with a contract notice published on week commencing 23 September 2024

No action is required from interested parties at this stage however, if you have any queries about this opportunity please contact peterkobryn@coal.gov.uk no later than 23 September 2024.