S15 ATR October 2021 Tomra_ATR - New Master Template 2016 28/09/2021 13:15 Page 45
INTERVIEW | MINING
Image Credit: TOMRA
TOMRA equipment deployed at the Letseng Mine.
Sensor-based technology to drive green mining evolution
T
OMRA, a world-renowned sorting company, creates sensor-based solutions for optimal resource productivity working across various fields, from mining to food and recycling. In the mining sector, it’s an enticing prospect, especially in the climate change era. The company’s products are already helping operators to enhance their sustainability credentials through improved processing, removing valuable materials from waste and boosting recovery rates. This leads to improved unit costs, up to 50% lower energy consumption, and a reduction in the overall water usage of 3-4M³/T. “The moment you do that you really start to reduce the footprint of your entire downstream processing system,” Albert du Preez, head of TOMRA Mining, told ATR in an interview. The diamonds sector has been among the first to embrace sensor-
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based technology over the past 25 years, as has the industrial minerals sector (phosphate, limestone, quartz).
Serving Africa TOMRA’s client list now extends right across Africa, from Lesotho to Sierra Leone, and its sensors are being used in a wide variety of mines and locations. They include Lucara Diamonds’ Karowe mine in Botswana, where the company’s X-Ray Transmission (XRT) equipment recovered the Lesedi La Rona — the world’s largest gem-quality diamond discovered in over 100 years — back in 2015. There are now 16 TOMRA XRT sorters operating at the mine, each
capable of treating up to 150 tons per hour in over 8,000 hours per year. TOMRA’s state-of-the-art XRT machines are the key revenue driver for TOMRA Mining, but the company also offers other sensor-based sorting technologies including laser, colour, Near-Infrared (NIR) and electromagnetic (EM). Altogether, TOMRA now has over 100,000 installations in over 80 markets worldwide, says du Preez. And there is plenty more room for growth, as operators worldwide seek to simultaneously improve mine economics and raise their sustainability profile. Last year, TOMRA opened a new Johannesburg headquarters to
We want to enable mining to become sustainable and environmentally-friendly, and to truly add value within the industry.” ALBERT DU PREEZ, HEAD OF TOMRA MINING
Image Credit: TOMRA
Africa’s mines have been tasked with improving their eco footprint as climate change concerns come into focus. TOMRA is a company that can help. ATR speaks to Albert du Preez, head of TOMRA Mining, about the opportunities and challenges ahead. Albert du Preez, head of TOMRA Mining.
support its thriving business in Africa and meet this growing demand. And with the new Final Recovery XRT sorter, TOMRA is the only manufacturer able to offer diamond mining companies a complete sorting solution, from preconcentration to concentration all the way to final recovery. “We are passionate about leading the resource revolution,” says du Preez. “We want to enable mining to become sustainable and environmentally-friendly, and to truly add value within the industry." At the same time, ethical mining remains an overarching concern. “We are very prudent in terms of only doing business with companies that are deemed appropriate to do business with from a corporate governance perspective,” he adds. “Our end customers are truly important to us.”
OCTOBER 2021 | AFRICAN REVIEW OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY
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