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We’ve all heard the phrase: work smarter not harder. This is literally true for the mining industry because thanks to smart technologies, mining processes are not as labour-intensive, dangerous or timeconsuming as they used to be.
It has been interesting to see how the mining industry – at one point mistakenly thought to be against technology – has not only embraced technology but also taken a leadership stance in investing in research innovation and technology.
There is no denying that technology has improved the mining industry. Productivity and efficiency are among the areas where technology has made a major impact. Before innovative technologies, mine workers had to make do with heavy manual rock drills. Today, we are increasingly seeing the deployment of automated and remote-operated drills in mines. Materials handling, transport and logistics are other areas reaping the benefits of technology in mining. While
wheelbarrows and horse-drawn carriages were once considered efficient methods to transport the ore, today, materials handling, transport and logistics are made up of conveyor belts, large RDTs, trailer trucks, trains and commercial ships that can carry thousands of containers. In other countries such as Australia, mines make use of autonomous haulage systems that include dump trucks and trains.
Technology has made the biggest impact on health and safety where mines now have innovative resources to keep employees safe. There are no guarantees in life, especially in the mining industry, which is dangerous by nature. However, technology has enabled mines to closely monitor their operations for any potential dangers that could lead to unwanted incidents on-site. Tools like proximity detection systems, collision avoidance systems, mine rescue chambers, sensors in PPE and many more have made the mining environment safer for employees.
Research and innovation have been crucial in the technological advancement of the mining industry. Mining companies are aware of this and have partnered with higher institutions to work on research projects that could assist in solving problems facing the industry.
It is exciting to see where the mining industry is headed with technology, especially taking into account artificial intelligence, virtual reality, data, analytics and Industry 4.0.
and, most importantly, safer for mine
During times of economic uncertainty, mining organisations like many others permit themselves to take stock of how their mines operate, and where they can improve to ensure that they are running as efficiently as possible should any economic downturns occur. There are companies doing excellent work when it comes to involving local communities and local stakeholders, even in remote locations.
BCG’s Digital Acceleration Index (DAI) suggests that metals and mining businesses are approximately 3040% less digitally mature than comparable industries. Challenging economic environments call for rapid, impactful responses and an ability to deliver quick return on investment, which is where the implementation of advanced, AI-driven technology becomes highly attractive.
Deriving insights from data and aggregating that data to deliver a view of how changes in one part of the mine affect another underpin the degree of success any operation will gain from digitalisation. The mechanisms and tools by which data is moved from one part of the value chain to the next fundamentally influence the efficacy of an operation’s digitalisation strategy. Consequently, a more efficient way of managing data is critical to digitalisation and data-driven planning, control and decisionmaking that will create the intelligent mine. Difficult decisions are made every day by various departments and the tendency for
Renewed interest around using modern digital technologies to im prove efficiency, asset reliability and safety in mining is vital, given that the industry has largely been slow to fully embrace digital transformation and adopt the cutt ingedge new technologies available today.Mike graduated from the University of Bradford with a BTech (Chemical Engineering) Mining companies stand to benefit from advanced machine learning technologies
to consider its own priorities in isolation is high. With transparency around the impacts of each challenge, mine management will be more able to adapt and change course in a way that delivers minimal disruption and maximises productivity, profitability and predictability.
Mining organisations need to implement single solutions that can automate data gathering from various mining processes and facilities using tools that can detect bad data, process it in the correct context, and output insights in a meaningful and actionable timeframe.
Access to and insights derived from good data are just one part of the equation. Mining companies need to leverage advanced machine learning technologies to learn from and improve in the future.
Traditional maintenance practices, for example, generally cannot deliver the benchmark equipment availability, performance and reliability required, which affects short-, medium-, and long-term schedules upon which financial projections and corporate targets are based. The ability, or lack thereof, to deliver to these projections not only has an impact on quarterly profitability but also on senior leadership’s confidence in their operational leadership –and, in turn, investor confidence in the senior leadership team running the company, as well as impact sentiment regarding the company.
That’s where modern predictive/prescriptive maintenance solutions present material advantages. The technology monitors data from sensors on and around fixed plant and equipment to develop intense, multidimensional and temporal patterns of normal operation, abnormal operation and explicit degradation conditions that precede breakdown.
Human interpretation simply isn’t capable of deriving the insights the technology delivers. Beyond providing extreme early warnings, monitoring technology can also assess the health of numerous machines every few minutes, delivering insights around equipment performance to maintenance teams, often with prescriptive advice that addresses the bad actors and known issues.
The applications monitor many variables on behalf of the workers who receive warnings to help them know what maintenance issues to prioritise, what parts to order and keep in stock, and when to order them.
An asset performance management (APM) approach, with integrated predictive/prescriptive maintenance capabilities, assures mines improve reliability, availability and uptime while reducing the requirement and expense of redundant equipment.
Operations teams have often planned for lower availability – installing three machines when they only need two or operating 30 truck fleets to ensure they always have 26 up and running. With the right technology, mines can achieve benchmark reliability without the need for more people, more equipment or higher budgets. Companies can work at the required production levels and either park up or switch off redundant equipment, and do so while delivering to the short-, medium-, and long-term plans and projections the company communicates to investors and the market. Mines can also implement other aspects of APM programmes to draw on data from sensors and other sources, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, manufacturing execution systems (MES), laboratory management information systems and advanced process control (APC) systems, for example. Machine learning and other data science techniques require the delivery of available data – so, plant historians can play an important data delivery role and provide the backbone from which all data can be sourced for the rest of the organisation.
Getting processes right
Integration and interoperation between the foundational technologies are a part of the journey towards the intelligent mine. A predictive maintenance system must be fully capable of incorporating data from the APM system (to predict explicit failures) and data from the plant historian to be able to understand operational activities. Additionally, the application must offer ease-of-use and low-touch capabilities without needing expert services to ensure rapid upscaling across diverse assets in the mine. Today, the mining industry is mature enough to fully embrace and use digital optimisation technologies. Operators failing to adapt or build a strategy to use such technology will certainly struggle to compete against those that do. Predictive and prescriptive maintenance applications can quickly bring measurable results to a mining company by improving the use of capital assets and eliminating unplanned downtime, which has a direct impact on productivity and safety, as well as reliably meeting planned schedules.
Scalable prescriptive maintenance solutions add value to fixed and mobile plant and equipment across an entire global enterprise. The truly intelligent mine delivers significant reductions in unplanned downtime and reduces safety risks, while ensuring an entire mining organisation operates more efficiently and profitably.
*Mike Brooks is the global director: Asset Performance Management Solutions at AspenTech.
Multidisciplinary construction group Stefanutti
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New Concept Mining powered by Epiroc (NCM) has been a dedicated provider of ground support solutions for almost four decades.
Dedicated to collaborating with its customers, NCM continues to innovate the best ground support solutions for improving safety and mining efficiencies. NCM develops solutions with customers in mind and collaborates with them to customise products, as the company understands that each customer is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
In the first month of 2023, South Africa celebrated its first fall-of-ground, fatality-free January in the history of mining. With an R&D team with decades of combined underground experience and ground support innovation, this is indeed something for NCM to celebrate and endeavour to help maintain. In the past year, NCM has launched three products critical in improving safety in mines as they excavate deeper.
Cable bolts are typically used for long anchor support when the length of the support tendon is greater than the height of the excavation. This is typical in largespan excavations, such as intersections, but also in low-profile mines where there is a separation place/ plane that varies above the development and stope. These areas require additional support due to potential rock movement and fall of ground. Shorter-length
bolts reinforce and create a safe beam; the cables then suspend the safe beam/pressure arch onto the more competent rock deeper into the rock mass. Traditionally, cable installations require the cable to be installed, grouted and then tensioned using additional equipment. This presents mines with a few problems:
• Getting the right equipment into the immediate area in order to perform the tensioning and cropping during the waiting period required to allow the grout to cure, while the cable installation has no real support
• Traditional long-length cables require large-diameter holes that are difficult to drill, as they require extension drilling.
• The maintenance of the tensioner-cropper system, which is a labour-intensive process.
• Typical of these installations is that they are normally done with a large spool of cable on a Cabletec. It is always passive cable, with no end anchor. The cable is then pushed into the hole and cut to the correct length and left in the grout to set. This presents a risk of the operator installing a shorter cable than required. Although this may save money, it creates unsafe excavations and creates a false sense of security with workers in the excavation – a dangerous combination.
A potential solution to this is the threaded cable. This, however, presents a problem. Typically, there is stored torsional energy in the cable from pre-tensioning during installation. When the tool is removed, the energy is released, releasing the tension in the cable. Along with other risks associated with allowing the cable to spin, like interfering with the shell seating, this also results in the nut rattling lose during blasting.
The Anti-Spin Cable addresses these problems. Using a semi-mechanised process for installation and tensioning, the Anti-Spin Cable uses a self-activating expansion shell to allow pre-tensioning immediately. Unlike cable bolts, the Anti-Spin has a unique mechanism that allows tensioning to be achieved without torque and energy being applied into the cable. Negating the need for a cropper and tensioner, the fully mechanised installation is supported by a load indicator in the grout seat of the anchor, which confirms that the correct preload has been achieved at installation.
What this equates to is time- and labour-efficient bolting, reducing risky installations by maintaining the integrity of the installation, every time.
Through innovations that help make mines safer and more efficient, NCM introduced its self-drilling solutions to the world in 2022.
Although it can take an entire day for cement grout to solidify and stabilise the ground around a bolt, cartridge resin bolts cut installation times to under five minutes when drilling in competent rock (three minutes drilling the hole, one minute to install resin capsules, 15 seconds spin, 40 seconds hold, then five seconds to tension). But a self-drilling resin anchor/tendon, like the BoraBolt, allows for complete installation in two-and-ahalf to three minutes.
Because the rock bolt is drilled into position, a miner will never have to retract it, which makes it excellent for loose/broken/damaged/challenging ground conditions, where the bore hole could collapse when the rock drill is extracted in a two-step installation. The BoraBolt can be used in dynamic and squeezing ground conditions. The high elongation and energy absorption capacity of the bolt make this a permanent support for the life of the mine.
The hollow-core bar of the BoraBolt can be used by itself for a two-step installation, or a drill bit specifically chosen for the ground conditions can be fitted on the leading end of the bolt for a seamless installation. Also available in extension bolting by using couplers, the bolt assists in ensuring reliable installations, especially when used with NCM’s Potentia® Thixo, a twocomponent pumpable bulk resin.
Bolts such as the Anti-Spin Cable and the BoraBolt are very capable in providing long-term support to
mines – but this support is also dependent on the integrity of the grout or resin used during installation.
Potentia Thixo®
This is why NCM partnered with Weber Mining and Tunnelling to create a resin that would ensure a highly effective bolt installation compared to cementitious grout and cartridge resin installations. Today, mines are going deeper, and miners are starting to see increased rock stresses and fractured ground more often. It is now imperative that rock reinforcement can be installed in difficult ground and that the resin used in the installation increases support. Potentia Thixo is a two-component pumpable resin ideal for use with self-drilling anchors, cable and solid bolts. Supplied in three setting speeds (slow, medium and fast), a miner can choose what speed would best suit their requirements during installation. Instantly gelling into a pumpable paste when mixed, the resin is easily pumped up a vertical borehole and will not drip or pour from the installation, making it a cleaner and safer product to use in the most difficult installations.
Becoming load-bearing in minutes, the resin allows for changes in hole volume, filling cracks, voids and other gaps that may occur. This ensures a reliable installation once the resin cures within minutes of pumping.
NCM has always focused on innovating specialised ground support solutions for some of the world’s deepest mines. The company’s strategy is to collaborate with its customers to develop solutions that improve safety and mining efficiencies in even the most difficult ground conditions. NCM has considerable in-house rock engineering, mining and engineering competencies in its Service, Design and Production teams, allowing the creation of customised solutions to suit specific mines’ requirements.
It is NCM’s overarching goal to create ground support solutions that allow its customers to spend more time mining.
Towards the end of 2022, the South African Mining Extraction Research and Development Innovation (Samerdi) strategy was launched at a cer emony hosted by the CSIR in Pretoria.
By Dineo Phoshoko
Inside Mining was invited to the ceremony, which was attended by different stakeholders including representatives of participating universities, the Minerals Council South Africa and the CSIR. Dr Kaven Naidoo, group executive: Business Excellence and Integration at the CSIR, highlighted the significance of the launch, acknowledging this biggest ever public-private partnership between the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Minerals Council South Africa. “We are really excited about this journey to create viable and sustainable solutions to advance the South African mining sector,” Naidoo said.
Samerdi strategic objectives
Johan le Roux from the Mandela Mining Precinct gave an overview of the Samerdi research centres and explained that the strategy is an outcome of the Mining Phakisa process between 2015 and 2016. “The decision was made that one of the programmes needed to take responsibility for the implementation of that strategy,” explained Le Roux. This resulted in the establishment of the Mandela Mining Precinct.
“The responsibility of the Precinct is therefore to implement the Samerdi centres. One of the key areas is to revitalise the South African mining R&D capacity and capability. That is at the heart of the Samerdi strategy.” Another area of focus is youth development and, in turn, developing mining research capacity and capability.
Le Roux outlined four strategic objectives of the Samerdi research centres as follows:
1. Re-establish the mining and research capacity and capability.
2. Build the network between the science councils, universities, industry and government to contribute to what is required within the mining space.
3. Take research outcomes and commercialise them, creating new opportunities for suppliers in the mining industry.
4. Establish an effective, official and sustainable public-private partnership. He also explained that the research centres would be established at four universities, namely the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Wits University, the University of Pretoria (UP), and the University of the Free State (UFS). “These centres will work hand in hand with the programmes of the Mandela Mining Precinct.” As part of the implementation process, contracts have been signed with the participating universities. Le Roux expressed gratitude for the universities’ partnership, leadership and strong ownership in
the establishment of the centres. “We believe that, through this partnership, we will also be able to further contribute to the success of developing mining capacity and capability in the research space,” said Le Roux.
Every research centre within each university will have specialised areas of focus. Wits will have two research centres, each with their own focal area: Successful Applications of Technologies Centred Around People (Satcap) and Real-time Information Management Systems (RTIMS). Both centres are under the university’s Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment and fall within the Wits Mining Institute.
Professor Thokozani Majozi, executive dean: Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at Wits University, welcomed the official launch of the research centres; however, he cautioned against losing sight of the potential collaborations that
could take place. “Without collaboration, there is not much we are going to achieve.”
Reiterating the importance of working together, Majozi explained that the research centres will be characterised by different types of engineering such as metallurgical engineering and sustainable process engineering. “We now have students who come from geosciences, physics, engineering – [with] all of them working in these centres.” Majozi also expressed his gratitude for the support given to Wits during the establishment of the research centres. “I want to assure you that these centres are in good hands. We see this going well into the future.”
UJ’s research centre will focus on the longevity of current mining operations. Professor Hennie Grobler, head of department: Mining Engineering & Mine Surveying at UJ, proudly mentioned that the establishment of the research centre at UJ coincided with the 100th anniversary of the institution’s mine surveyors. “UJ is quite uniquely positioned for
longevity in the sense that the department of mining engineering and mine surveying will be turning a hundred.” Coincidentally, the focus of the UJ Samerdi centre is fixed around the longevity of talent mines. Echoing Majozi’s sentiments on collaboration, Grobler pointed out that his department drew on fields outside of mining. “None of what we do is on our own. We need electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, industrial engineers and medical professionals to do this. The collaboration is really important.”
Advanced ore knowledge will be the focus at UFS. The university’s Professor John Carranza shared his excitement regarding the impending Samerdi research centre: “On behalf of my university, we are thankful and fortunate to the Mandela Mining Precinct for giving us this opportunity to be one of the Samerdi research centres, especially for advanced ore body knowledge.”
UP’s research centre will home in on research activity and mechanised mining systems.
Professor Stephan Heyns of UP explained that the centre would research sustainable mechanised drill and blast solutions and look into the development of mechanical rock-breaking solutions, among others. He also mentioned that various partnerships would take place between the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering and the Department of Mining Engineering, as well as between UP and the University of Limpopo.
According to Heyns, the research thrusts are rock cutting in hard rock applications, performance optimisation of mechanised mining equipment and utilisation performance in condition monitoring in narrow reef hard rock. “What we are trying to do here is understand the interface between the rock and the machine as mechanical engineers with our mining engineering colleagues. We are really also trying to understand this fundamentally from the rock side and the mechanical side.” In so doing, the research will delve deeper into matters relating to certain shift structures, activity durations, traffic control issues and machine availability issues. “We are trying to understand that environment and trying to optimise that environment as best as possible.
“Lastly, in terms of utilisation performance and condition monitoring of mining machinery, we are currently looking at the use of simulation techniques to understand or to model aspects of performance and the activities in the mining environment, and then from those models, generate data [while] trying to get a sense of what we learn physically from the data generated.” He added that the next step would be to transfer the outcomes into an environment where data-driven measures could be used. “There is a lot of interaction and potential interaction with the other centres. We are confident that we will be able to make a positive contribution to the mining industry in South Africa.”
The DSI is among the key stakeholders involved in the Samerdi research centres. “This journey of the last six or seven years has resulted in quite a significant amount of conceptual clarity on where we want to go and what we want to do,” said Beeuwen Gerryts, chief director: Technology Localisation and Advanced Manufacturing at the DSI. Delivering the keynote address during the launch, Gerryts also acknowledged people and entities that made a substantial contribution to the launch of the Samerdi research centres, particularly the CSIR and the Minerals Council South Africa.
“Besides the implementing aspect, the partnership with the Minerals Council – who is
also the co-funder and partner in this collaborative research programme – is crucial because often we do research and you really understand that you multiply your impact of the research manyfold if you are guided by industry partners or people who really want to adopt your technology,” Gerryts said. To give context to the centres, Gerryts referred to the DSI’s White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation , which was approved by Cabinet in 2019. “The key of that White Paper is to position the national system of innovation to do several things: to increase the contribution of science, technology and innovation [and] to address our developmental challenges as a country.” He noted that the White Paper aimed to expand the research system that entails increased investment in research as well as participation.
In addition, the White Paper also aimed to develop human capabilities and increase investment in research development and innovation. Gerryts also mentioned that partnerships are among the key elements outlined in the White Paper. “In the paper, we acknowledge at that stage that the mining partnership with the research development is one of the biggest ones.” He also mentioned that mining is highlighted as one of the priority sectors. “[It is] one of the sectors that we believe can have substantive gains if we leverage science, technology and innovation.”
According to Gerryts, the Mandela Mining Precinct follows a strong collaborative approach in implementing strategies for the research centres. “This collaborative approach helps to ensure the participation of key stakeholders, from government, mining companies, local mining equipment manufacturers, science councils, academia and organised labour.”
Gerryts added, “We are committed – as the DSI – to help develop and modernise the mining and mining equipment sector within the national systems of innovation. This is done with the end goal in mind of increasing economic growth, while also reducing unemployment, inequality and poverty.”
Concluding proceedings of the launch was Sietse van der Woude, senior executive: Modernisation and Safety at the Minerals Council South Africa. He said that the Council was a very proud partner within the Mandela Mining Precinct, adding that the Precinct was responsible for implementing the Samerdi strategy to improve South Africa’s mining industry and overall global competitiveness. “What we are celebrating today is the launch of an initiative to deliberately build human capital for better R&D and innovation in South African mining,” he concluded.
Afluorite mine located some 100 km outside Pretoria, South Africa, is the first recipient of Sandvik Rock Processing’s first locally manufactured SmartPlant in Africa. Following its recent commissioning, the 300 tph plant has already met process guarantees and reached nameplate capacity.
Sandvik Rock Processing recently commissioned its first locally manufactured SmartPlant in Africa. With a 300 tph capacity, the plant has been deployed at a fluorspar mine in South Africa.
To improve efficiency and productivity, a South African fluorspar producer went into the market for a new processing plant in 2020. The SmartPlant concept from Sandvik Rock Processing appealed to the customer for several reasons, but mainly because of the fast delivery time, flexibility and substantial cost savings it would offer the operation.
SmartPlant is a range of predefined Sandvik SmartStations that can be mixed and matched to meet individual
customer needs for maximum productivity and performance, thus reducing waiting time, maximising uptime and increasing profitability. Delivery generally takes about 22 to 30 weeks ex-works. Where there are peripheral design changes to the predefined SmartStations, lead times may be shorter.
According to Jaco Benade, project manager: Crushing and Screening at Sandvik, the deal was negotiated midway through the Covid-19 hard lockdown of 2020. The order was placed during Level 5 of the lockdown, with manufacturing commencing during Level 4. Despite the challenges brought about by the travel restrictions, compounded by the global supply chain disruptions, the plant was still delivered on time and within budget.
“A major talking point of the project was the short delivery time of 22 weeks ex-works at a favourable
capital cost for the customer,” says Benade. “The SmartPlant concept allowed the customer to choose from the predefined SmartStations, combine and configure them to meet specific site and operational needs, with no extra design and engineering costs.”
While the designs are very much predefined, the SmartPlant still offered a great deal of flexibility for the customer. “The modular approach of the SmartPlant meant that the customer could tweak design parameters such as height, capacity and liner profiles, among others, without much concern about cost deviations and time implications,” explains Glen Schoeman, vice president: Sub-Saharan Africa, Sandvik Rock Processing.
Regarding flexibility, Sandvik’s approach to the project was also a major plus for the customer. For example, based on its understanding of the customer’s budget and time constraints, Sandvik opted for the mine to commission a conveyor supplier of its choice, purely to shorten the time to production and reduce costs for the customer.
In line with Sandvik’s ‘safety first’ culture, the project was delivered with no lost-time injuries, all the way from project inception to commissioning. “Despite the arduous conditions on-site, ranging from excessive heat to wet-weather conditions, the project was completed with an impeccable, zeroharm safety record,” says Schoeman.
The new plant comprises a full suite of Sandvik equipment, including jaw and cone crushers, screens and feeders. Informed by customer needs, Sandvik opted for a much bigger front end of the plant, comprising a large tip area and bigger jaw crusher.
The Sandvik CJ412 primary jaw crusher, which takes a 750 mm top size, is fed by a box bin and grizzly feeder. The plant also employs two Sandvik CH840i cone crushers for secondary and tertiary crushing – the very first units of the company’s 800i series range of cone crushers in Africa. Another first in Africa is the rotary feeder on top of the cone used to distribute material into the crusher. “This is a fantastic approach,” says Benade. “The rotary feeder turns slowly, evenly distributing material around the edges of the crusher. This reduces pressure peaks in the crusher caused by uneven feed, a common challenge in crushing plants. The rotary feeder has passed with flying colours in terms of its performance at this particular site.”
As the name suggests, the plant is ‘smart’ in every aspect. The CH840i cone crushers come with Sandvik’s Automation and Connectivity System as standard. The system continuously monitors and optimises crusher performance and controls the complete lubrication system, increasing uptime and reliability. It can automatically adjust crusher settings to compensate for crushing chamber wear, ensuring consistent product size.
In addition, the SAM by Sandvik digital service supports operational excellence in the plant. “SAM by Sandvik brings people, activities and data together in an easy-to-use, seamless and collaborative way. It allows both client and OEM remote access to the plant. The system itself provides a holistic view of the plant, enabling the customer to make informed decisions and the OEM to respond proactively to any equipment health and performance issues,” concludes Benade.
parameters such as height, capacity and liner profiles
Located in Western Australia, Boddington is a deep open pit surface mine, and delivered 19.7 million grams (696 000 oz) of gold and 4.6 million gold equivalent grams (163 000 ounces) of other metals in 2021. The mine’s fleet today includes 36 Cat 793F autonomous and four 793D staffed mining trucks to haul material, and the conversion to AHS was one of the fastest in the industry, spanning approximately seven months to roll out all 36 trucks equipped with Command.
Newmont invested US$150 million (R2.68 billion) in its autonomous haulage project with goals to improve mine safety and productivity, while extending the life of the mine. The first 231 tonne Cat 793F was converted to autonomous operation in March 2021. A total of seven trucks from Newmont’s existing fleet were retrofitted with Command for hauling, while 29 trucks were new models. In October 2021, the last of the 36 autonomous trucks were in operation at the mine. The mine reached the 100 million tonnes of material autonomously hauled benchmark by the end of October 2022.
“The time period between roll-out of the mine’s first autonomous 793F truck to full conversion of the mine’s autonomous fleet to achieving 100 million tonnes autonomously hauled was incredibly short,” says Kosie Bolton, technology site manager for Caterpillar. “This is a true testament of the great teamwork between Boddington’s talented and dedicated workforce, Cat dealer WesTrac and Caterpillar. The supporting AHS projects will help to
improve data understanding and drive operational excellence through data utilisation.”
Including the autonomous trucks, equipment equipped with MineStar Terrain, and site autonomous vehicles and trucks, the mine has 200 connected assets. An entirely new AHS intelligence office, where all the autonomous trucks and connected assets can be viewed and collected data analysed, was also completed and dedicated in October 2022. The new workspace brings together all AHS team members in a single space with tiered seating and screens at the front of the room.
“Having everyone together in the new office allows us to post issues on the screens in front of all workers to quickly address them together,” comments James Earl, AHS control room superintendent for the Boddington Mine. “We are extremely proud to deliver the gold industry’s first autonomous haul truck fleet at Boddington. This will help extend the mine’s life, reduce safety risks and lower costs. The project’s record implementation is just another example of Newmont’s trademark ability to set and achieve ambitious goals.”
The achievement of this milestone provides further evidence of the transformational strategic alliance between the two companies. Caterpillar and Newmont agreed in November 2021 to collaborate on several mining technology initiatives that provide industry-leading outcomes for safety, productivity, sustainability and cost.
The Cat 793F is among 36 autonomous mining trucks used to haul material at Boddington Mine
South Deep showcases how the adoption of innovation and technology has become part of its everyday activities.
The adoption of innovation and technology is headlined by South Deep’s state-of-the-art surface control centre, which serves as the digital nerve centre of the mine’s activity across the value chain.
According to Johan Sliep, head: Technical and Production Intelligence Systems, Gold Fields, all areas of the mine are connected and converge in the control centre. As a result, all processes, targets, achievements and potential bottlenecks throughout the value chain are visible at any point in time from one central location. “This allows us to make quick decisions and take action to resolve any issues that may arise. In short, the use of data
analytics enables us to improve safety, efficiencies and output,” explains Sliep.
South Deep has also embraced and deployed technology underground. The mine recently acquired a Rhino 100 Master Driller – a multifunctional, mobile raise borer – which allows for faster, more accurate drilling, and a much bigger breaking point for blasting in the process of long hole stoping.
“The use of technological solutions makes mining safer, smarter, more meaningful and valuable. Our employees are upskilled and provided with the necessary training and skills to perform their jobs optimally in a safer environment,” says Benford Mokoatle, VP: South Deep.
Here is a look into the world’s deepest mechanised underground mine: Credit:
images
Digital insights are delivering step-changes in the efficiency of materials handling operations through integrated processes and proactive maintenance services.
Speaking on the Infratech panel entitled ‘Innovation in Mining technology’ at the 2023 Investing in African Mining Indaba, Sabine Dall’Omo, CEO at Siemens SubSaharan Africa, stated she was impressed to see how the major mining houses have a vested interest in Africa and their contribution to the Just Energy Transition discussions. “In addition, it is also positive to note the commitments and strides that the industry is making towards decarbonisation of the supply chain and the sustainability initiatives that are being implemented,” she said.
From government’s side, President Cyril Ramaphosa, in addressing the Mining Indaba delegates, reiterated the need for international investors to create an environment for a more sustainable industry. He outlined some of the economic challenges in South Africa – particularly the energy crisis – as well as supply chain, job creation, working environment safety and other issues. There are ongoing government-led initiatives being planned and implemented, which are vital for the growth of the mining industry as a continued key contributor to the South African economy.
The challenges and opportunities associated with digitalisation are unique to each client and each mine site. Every company has different needs that require different offerings. According to Dall’Omo, Siemens is able to assist customers who are in their infancy with their digital journey, by encouraging them to build a path towards integrated digital solutions. “For customers who are already in the implementation phase, we are able to offer a full suite of products and services, including engineering services based around functional requirements, and architecture design based on our multiple solutions. Complete software development can also be offered on a case-by-case basis,” she explained.
Siemens has several solutions for various applications within materials handling. For electrification, there is the innovative SIMINE solutions for mills, conveyors, mobile mining, trolley truck systems and mine hoists. There are also products and solutions for automation systems, which are customised especially for the mining industry.
In partnership with MineSense, Siemens’ latest developments in digitalisation enable the determination of ore characteristics in real time along conveying systems, as well as material and quality management systems.
SIMINE Digital Twin expands
Among the solutions planned is the Siemens Digital Twin for mining processes. While this has been available for grinding mills for some time, the solution has been extended to incorporate the transportation and crushing portions of the process as well. Dall’Omo explained that the integration of these processes will deliver the next level of operational improvements for mine operators. Artificial intelligence, simulation and interaction with the user (e.g. in order to store and reuse operational experiences) are just a few of the features that are now included in the SIMINE Digital Twin.
The beauty of working across multiple sectors –including mining, infrastructure and transport – is that Siemens can draw upon and integrate its own expertise to create enhanced solutions and technologies for clients in each of its divisions.
“We already see a clear trend of process integration through applying digital technologies vertically and horizontally,” noted Dall’Omo, adding that Siemens now has a huge advantage with its offering of a full range of solutions for mission-critical mining applications like conveyors and grinding mills.
Bringing together leaders and visionaries within the industry, the 2023 Mining Indaba was yet another successful promotional and networking event. Furthermore, it provided a sense that the local and global commitment to Africa is showing consistent growth and that we are on the road to making this sector more sustainable, safe and successful.
Digitalisation will play a major role in the future of materials handling in mining. It will be key not only in delivering mines to the next level of efficiency but also in initiating changes within the industrial landscape going forward.Sabine Dall'Omo (second from right) during a discussion at the Infratech panel: Innovation in Mining technology
ABD Solutions has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Jevons Robotics to integrate Indigo Drive – a full stack system of autonomy and communications – with Jevons Robotics’ suite of automation-enabled industrial electric vehicles.
These vehicles will be operated automatically and supervised from a central control room, improving safety and streamlining the mining process, both operationally and financially.
“We are delighted to announce a long-term partnership with ABD Solutions, a globally regarded automation company with substantial experience working with autonomous mining solution providers,” says Todd Peate, CEO of Jevons Robotics. “We are focused on changing the way the world currently works in hazardous environments. We are working with several mining companies to deploy payload-agnostic, driverless electric vehicles to operate safely, efficiently and sustainably within hazardous working environments.
“The team will be working closely with ABD Solutions, leveraging their considerable knowledge and experience for
the benefit of our partners and the industry. The automated electric vehicle solution brings significant improvements to safety by removing people from high-risk work areas as well as providing increased operational efficiency and employee engagement,” says Peate.
We very much look forward to working with Jevons and forming a long-term partnership,” states Matthew Price, managing director, ABD Solutions. “We have experience implementing automation across a huge range of vehicles, including electric, so our solutions are a great fit for Jevons.”
With a focus on safety, Indigo Drive enables site operations to become more efficient and safer by limiting employee exposure to extreme, dangerous and often unpredictable environments. Indigo Drive is a cyber-secure and certified system suitable for even the harshest operating environments.
Have you ever wondered what your organisation’s contribution to climate change is?
Organisa�ons are struggling to develop and execute climate strategies to achieve their goals. Companies are urgently demanding modern tools to measure and reduce carbon emissions. Current emission management tools are not built for modern businesses and new regula�ons and legisla�on.
The recent conversation around sustainable mining has been centred on two things: the impact of mining activity on surrounding communities and the environment, as well as the sourcing of resources essential for clean energy networks and systems. By Rudie
Opperman*However, the transition to cleaner mining also requires the introduction of sustainable principles and practices at mines that exist today. South Africa will continue to mine coal and gold for the foreseeable future, and these operations need to be both sustainable and continue to operate. But with pressure to increase productivity and adopt more environmentally and socially responsible practices, the mining industry needs a more sustainable, technology-enabled approach.
Towards a sustainable future
South Africa’s economy has been built on rich mineral reserves and has relied on mining to drive development. But the global mining industry is at a crucial inflection point: many mining companies are making strides in the transition towards renewable energy. At the same time, the Covid-19 pandemic has renewed focus on the importance of good social and environmental practices.
In South Africa, the transition to renewable energy has resulted in a balancing act between reducing the country’s carbon emissions and mitigating mass coal job losses. Considering that Africa’s economy continues to rely primarily on coal for electricity generation, the shift to cleaner energy will have to be gradual. During this transition, mining organisations must find ways to introduce sustainable practices while considering their impact on the communities in which they operate.
Many mining companies in South Africa and across the globe are joining the collective effort to build a sustainable future for communities and the
environment. In 2015, all members of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to chart a way forward for social, economic and environmental change.1 Some of South Africa’s biggest mining companies have set ambitious targets to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.2 Investors and stakeholders in the mining sector increasingly demand that mining companies disclose their climaterelated financial risks and opportunities according to global recommendations, such as those laid out by the G20’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.
An amendment was made to South Africa’s Electricity Regulation Act on 5 October 2021 to raise the electricity generation licence exemption threshold from 1 MW to 100 MW.3 This amendment serves to enable more independent power producers (IPPs) to participate in the energy market without the need for a licence. In April 2022, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy launched a bidding window for the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. Onshore wind and solar power projects are also being developed across South Africa,⁴ and many mining companies are turning to them for electricity because of Eskom’s high tariffs and unreliability.⁵
Mining companies need to develop sustainable solutions to tackle the many challenges – and opportunities – that come with this shift toward greener energy and greater social and environmental responsibility. While national frameworks and
policies help regulate mining activities, not all mines implement best practices to mine sustainably.
In early 2021, the Minerals Council South Africa published a report highlighting how the country’s mining industry was increasing its use of technological innovation to transform the sector.⁶ Investments in 4IR-enabled digital technologies are helping mining companies to become more globally competitive, as well as improve the health and safety of their operations.
South Africa has some of the deepest mines in the world – and a historically poor safety record. And while mining fatalities in South Africa have reached record lows over the last decade, there was an 18% increase in 2020 in accidents related to falling rocks and transportation.⁷ Mining companies can use smart surveillance solutions in a variety of ways to ensure the safety of employees.
Cameras equipped with deep learning-based analytics, for example, can monitor a variety of hazards and create proactive warnings. These cameras can detect when personnel are not wearing protective equipment or ensure areas of a mine don’t become dangerously overcrowded. They could also be used to monitor dust clouds, which can pose a significant health risk to the work environment and surrounding communities.
An opportunity for transformation
Surveillance technologies can improve the operational efficiency and physical security of mining operations and help mines monitor and mitigate risks to employees, the community and the environment. These technologies represent an opportunity for
a real transformation of South Africa’s mining sector: companies that are pivoting towards more sustainable practices must leverage new technologies to their advantage.
As South Africa’s mining sector gradually transitions from fossil-fuel dependency – and with a renewed focus on social and environmental concerns – mining companies cannot afford to continue with outdated practices and limited technological innovation. The future of our economy – and our planet as a whole –depends on it.
*Rudie Opperman is the manager: Engineering & Training in the Middle East & Africa for Axis Communications.
References:
¹ https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
² https://www.exxaro.com/media-and-insights/thoughtleadership/embarking-on-the-2050-carbon-neutralitythrough-decarbonisation-of-the-mining-sector/
³ https://www.gov.za/speeches/mineral-resources-andenergy-amended-schedule-2-electricity-regulation-act-42006-13-aug
⁴ https://mg.co.za/top-six/2022-09-23-unpacking-southafricas-renewable-energy-project/
⁵ https://mg.co.za/environment/2021-06-24-mines-turnto-solar-power-because-of-eskoms-unreliable-electricitysupply/
⁶ https://www.mineralscouncil.org.za/industry-news/mediareleases/2021/send/76-2021/1363-ten-insights-into-4ir ⁷ https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-safrica-miningidUSKBN2A12IQ
By Cliff de Wit*
Helping to drive this new trend is the evolving field of telematics. Telematics uses satellite navigation, sensors, onboard diagnostics, telecommunications and data analytics to track vehicles, gather data and enable insights to enhance safety, boost production and ensure legal compliance.
Globally, telematics and data technology are taking root in the mining sector. For mining to be viable, teams must move earth as efficiently as possible, by monitoring fleets constantly, designing routes and usage rosters, conducting training, and managing performance output to ensure the most effective deployment of staff and the mine fleet –all in real time.
Mines are dangerous environments, and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) requires that mining companies adhere to stringent health and safety regulations. The Mine Health and Safety Act (No. 29 of 1996) requires that employees be protected against collisions with trackless mobile machines, which has made collision-avoidance systems mandatory for all mining vehicles.
For instance, Netstar’s telematics-equipped Collision Avoidance Proximity System (CAPS)1 uses sensors that can trigger automatic slowing down (level 8) and stopping and/or avoidance (level 9) when pedestrians, vehicles and machinery enter a certain proximity. The system also collects real-time data, interprets it, then audibly and visually warns vehicle operators of a potential collision (level 7 intervention).
By October 2022, only 38 South African mine fatalities had been recorded for the year – down from 74 the year before. Mine deaths have been dropping consistently over the past two decades, thanks to ongoing safety interventions such as telematics technology. Telematics-driven collisionavoidance systems are a game changer that helps to protect lives and ensure fewer delays due to accidents. Telematics can prevent the unauthorised use of equipment, and it can function as a historic record of an incident when it comes to damage and injury claims. There is also an opportunity to further enhance mine security and help combat illegal mining or zama zamas through the tracking of miners and equipment in legitimate mines.
A recent investigation found that some illegal mining operations are working inside regular mines, using access cards to clock in as regular mine employees. In future, telematics can be used to identify irregular movement, and ensure that work teams remain stationed in allocated shafts.
Through telematics and the use of artificial intelligence (AI), mine owners can manage risk, and avoid unnecessary downtime due to misuse or repairs. AI can also proactively notify mine and fleet managers when equipment is faulty, due for service, or in need of replacement.
Human error accounts for 90% of driving accidents, often due to fatigue. Wearable IoT technology, such as health monitor watches, and AI-based driver-fatigue monitoring systems address this. Wearable tech protects drivers and other users of mine roads, warning of possible worker fatigue and providing alerts before it becomes a safety risk.
Increased safety also means fewer events, and lower investigations and claims costs. Health monitors provide telematics data that the back office can view on a cloudbased software platform. Mine managers can then review this to plan better routes, traffic and employeeequipment interactions.
Telematics usage is growing at a massive rate and mining operations across the world have seen the importance of extracting this data. It’s not only about making mining safer, but about building a more efficient company.
From being a hands-on, artisanal industry founded on mechanical engineering and chemical processes, mining has become a high-tech sector that employs sensors, data science and information technology to drive safety and efficiency.Cliff is a qualified electrical engineer and Wits University graduate
Mining is not often seen to be at the forefront of digital adoption. But with global pressure around climate action and sustainability growing, mining houses across Africa find themselves at a tipping point when embracing advanced technologies.
By Heman Kassan*All of the above were key talking points at the recent Mining Indaba, with a strong theme emerging – technological change is essential to drive net-zero targets by enabling mines to measure and achieve sustainability goals. Beyond that, technology can improve operational efficiencies to grow profit.
While at the Indaba, President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted that mining production in South Africa reached a record high of R1.18 trillion last year, boosting GDP, exports and revenue. Yet, it was also stressed that the mining industry is far from realising its full potential.
One sure-fire way to take back control, gain visibility into production, and keep a better handle on profits is for mines to invest more in digital infrastructure, especially those systems that bridge the gap across supply chains. In doing so, mines will have a better view of business operations and can identify ways to optimise supply chain efficiency, extend the lifetime of valuable assets, and allow a massively geographically distributed workforce to collaborate better.
Mining companies face a broad range of challenges. The challengees of retaining productivity in the face of declining grades, remote and technically challenging ore bodies, heightened environmental and CO2 emissions sensitivity, unprecedented cost volatility, and regulatory oversight are all increasing the sophistication of energy solutions and systems used to power up and run operations.
The enhanced reporting and data models that come through modernisation efforts bring the necessary levels of transparency and agility to meet changing regulatory requirements. By digitally enabling mines, their most essential assets can be monitored through a visible network that delivers improvements for the supply chain. This contributes to reducing the wastage of time and resources and boosting sustainable initiatives. Furthermore, it empowers mines with access to insights essential to develop measurable ESG and sustainability goals.
Adopting data-based technology and data-driven insights will allow mining companies to monitor entire asset lines in real time, providing the basis for long-
term organisational objectives that will increase their capabilities to deliver on sustainability targets while boosting revenue and profitability.
While some companies may feel that their current enterprise resource planning, enterprise asset management and scheduling optimisation systems allow them to make informed analytics-based decisions, what is clear is that system fragmentation is the single most significant impediment to transformation and innovation for asset-intensive industries such as mining and manufacturing.
Globally, mines that have embraced sustainability have outperformed their competitors regarding revenue and profitability. Companies that invest in developing the ability to provide detailed reporting and full transparency across their supply chains create a competitive advantage. Having a robust digital backbone at the core of their business makes this easier to achieve.
Imagine what opportunities mining can gain if edge devices are linked to a unified data environment. For example, mining companies can access real-time information by collating data from digitally enabled mining equipment and assets across the supply chain. This allows them to efficiently manage every part of their business and contribute to the all-important circular economy.
It does not have to stop there. Mining houses can leverage technology to deliver resource optimisation, manage regulatory compliance, keep track of emissions, and have complete supplier visibility. Mines must become more digitally led for this to become a possibility and help drive profitability.
Technology will pave the way to delivering on sustainability targets. The future of mining in South Africa needs a digital backbone to satisfy stakeholders and customers. The focus must shift to developing a roadmap that prioritises immediate sustainability and performance improvements. This will result in both increased profit and performance while meeting sustainability targets.
Improving operational performance must be one of the driving forces behind this increased technology adoption. This starts with improving project performance, increasing profit margins, reducing financial risk, and enhancing productivity, quality and sustainability while reducing the total asset lifecycle cost.
Consequently, as access to advanced technologies is essential, the business processes and systems that support this evolution must be reviewed and improved accordingly. The complexity and inefficiency of business systems make any shortcomings in these processes worse, as data does not flow. Even worse, mines will have a rough ride when they still rely on manual spreadsheets to close the data analysis and functionality gap.
Addressing this must be seen as one of the first steps for mining houses to deliver the integrated environment that can unlock the benefits of digital transformation. Having the right technology in place to facilitate this is considered the foundation for achieving improved project and business performance.
Loadtech’s Loadrite L3180 SmartScale for wheel loaders offers greater accuracy, precision and speed as well as track performance during the loading process. The SmartScale also has built-in GNSS and Wi-Fi connectivity.
The two 3D Internal Measurement Unit angle sensors are used to continuously monitor boom positioning –taking into account the ground slope angle while the machine is in motion. Thanks to the compensation for lift speed and ground angle, it is possible to get the most accurate weighing data possible.
L3180 SmartScale features
The L3180 SmartScale has various unique features that make it ideal for loading efficiency and accuracy. Weighing intelligence offers more precise weighing in a wide range of conditions, adjusting for ground slope, rough terrain, operator technique and machine movement. Another interesting feature includes the incab KPIs (tonnes/hour, tonnes, truck count). This feature helps operators achieve daily targets.
Operators can utilise the weight at the start of a lift, which enables fast bucket adjustments. Loading a
truck to an optimal point is also made easy and quick. For a safe and efficient digital workflow, the L3180 SmartScale has contactless ticketing and ticketing at the gate. This feature enables the sending of information by email or, alternatively, collecting a hard copy. The tickets are available for 90 days, thanks to the built-in memory that stores previous tickets from the loader for reprint.
With built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, the L3180 SmartScale is InsightHQ ready. This enables operators to receive production and performance metrics that are clearly presented in a simple dashboard. With customisable transaction reports, it is possible to access summaries as well as detailed transactions for each customer. In addition, it is also possible to access real-time stockpile inventory from the smart device at any time.
InsightHQ can be used in various applications – for example, as a quarry management system for either a web browser or mobile device. It shows near-real-time productivity, availability and performance dashboards, and reports for extraction, processing and load-out. It provides greater visibility to quarries, as well as optimises productivity, availability and performance in real time. In addition, InsightHQ also provides access to live reports, with totals for each customer, product and machine. Viewing changes over time is easy as reports can be adjusted according to the shift, day, week, month or year.
Every tonne counts when it comes to ore loading and hauling in mining. Precision is essential to avoid over- and underloading, and this requires the right weighing equipment and accessories.
Available from Mercedes-Benz NMI Durban, the dump truck is versatile and has a 30 t lift capacity. Unlike a traditional articulated dump truck (ADT) or rigid-frame offroad dump truck, the Western Star 6900XD truck is specifically designed to minimise cost per tonne hauled. Such savings are made possible thanks to lower maintenance costs and high productivity.
The efficient and purpose-built design of the 6900XD hauler allows for speed and stability while providing outstanding fuel efficiency. As a result, there is increased productivity per cycle and maximum profit per tonne hauled.
The 6900XD has various design features making it ideal for the rigorous mining environment. This dump truck features drivetrain simplicity, high-pressure tyres, a braking system, a heavy-duty dump box and superior operator comfort.
Drivetrain simplicity: The heavy-duty Allison 4500RDS
automatic transmission, in combination with robust Axletech planetary gear drive axles, puts power on the ground efficiently. As a result, there is less reduction in gearing, power loss and heat increase in the transmission compared to inefficient and highmaintenance drop boxes and transfer cases typically used in competitive products.
High-pressure tyres: The 6900XD dump truck relies on ten 14R25 tyres. The earthmoving tread provides maximum stability, allowing the 6900XD to comfortably travel at a top speed of up to 70 km/h. The smaller-diameter tyres with reduced rolling resistance provide for superior fuel efficiency and cycle speed when compared to larger-diameter, lowpressure flotation tyres.
Braking system: The 6900XD employs a durable and low-cost dry drum brake design, rather than wet disc brakes that consume higher amounts of fuel due to the inherent drag from rotating discs in oil. The 6900XD is equipped with a standard engine compression brake, providing 373 kW of retardation. An optional hydraulic
WesternStar’s multibody transformer 6900XD 40 t dump
truck is a cost-effective machine that provides a good return on investment.The Western Star 6900XD 40 t off-road hauler
transmission retarder provides 600 hp (447 kW).
Heavy-duty dump box: The dump box is constructed from Hardox 400 steel and is designed to handle the most extreme materials. The low-profile sides are designed for easy and efficient loading with a scowed end to secure large boulders and reduce hydraulic cylinder stress upon boulder impact.
Superior operator comfort: The 6900XD truck is built for work, but the operator’s cab is built for comfort.
From the air-ride cab to a premium insulation package, an adjustable air-ride seat with active air lumbar, and an expansive dash with highly visible LED lighting, the 6900XD can’t shorten the hours on the job, but it can make the time spent more comfortable and, ultimately, much more productive.
Versatility: Buy one chassis and have many uses for it –changeover times can be as little as eight minutes and
The 6900XD dump truck has specifications that make it stand out. The specifications comprise vehicle, body, safety and optional components.
VEHICLE
Engine and equipment
• Model: Cummins ISX
• Configuration: 15.0 ℓ, 4-cycle, inline, 6-cylinder diesel
• Emissions certification: EPA 98, Euro 2
• Aspiration: turbocharged/aftercooled
• Gross power: 500 hp (373 kW) @ 1 700 rpm
• Maximum torque: 2 237 Nm @ 1 200 rpm
• Dual Donaclone air cleaner with two-stage filtration and safety element for heavy dust conditions
• Standard Cummins interbrake compression brake
• Cooling: heavy-duty 1 450 square inch copper brass radiator
• Serviceability: LH and RH full butterfly hood for engine access
• 600 litres of on-board fuel capacity
Transmission
• Model: Allison 4500RDS fully automatic transmission
• Lock-up feature in all forward gears
• Controls: Allison WTEC calibration with push-button shift control
• Optional transmission retarder (600 hp/447 kW)
Axles and suspension
• 6x4 configuration
• 28 000 lb capacity non-driving single front axle
• Flat-leaf, slippered-spring, low-maintenance front suspension
• 110 000 lb capacity heavy-duty drive axles with
it has a 30 t lift capacity. The XD off-road line is a flexible rigid frame truck with multiple rails; independent components make purchase, running costs and maintenance less expensive.
Mercedes-Benz NMI Durban
The Akoo family have been agents of Mercedes-Benz since 1991. Together with Barloworld Motors, a partner since 2003, they built the state-of-the-art MercedesBenz facility in Umhlanga Ridge, the first Brand Campus concept in South Africa. NMI-DSM Mercedes-Benz proudly represents one of the leading names in the South African motor industry.
Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Durban situated just off Queen Nandi Drive, in River Horse Valley, comprises new and used van, truck and bus sales, service and parts.
fully floating axle shafts and outboard planetary reduction gearing (design includes a heavy-duty box section housing)
• Standard driver-controlled interaxle differential lock
• Tandem rear axle accompanied by heavy-duty Chalmers 800 series suspension to provide maximum articulation and traction (overall drivetrain ratio: 12.69:1)
Braking system and equipment
• Dual-circuit air brake system with dry brake drum configuration
• 16.5 CFM compressor with in-line heated air dryer for moisture removal
• Standard Cummins engine compression brake
• Optional hydraulic transmission retarder
Tyres and wheels
• Tyres: 14R25 earthmover tyres
• Rim: 25x10 compactor
• Wheel: 12-spoke 25” heavy duty
Electrical system
• System voltage: 12 V
• Battery type: (2) 1 850 CCA maintenancefree batteries
• Alternator: 153 A brushless alternator
• Diagnostic interface: 6-pin connector SAE J1587/ J1708 located under dash
Operator’s cab
• Spacious, severe-duty, galvanised-steel cab construction for extreme durability
• Air-ride cab mounting for soft ride performance
• Standard heater, defroster and air conditioner for operator a in all climates
• Premium insulation package for noise abatement and temperature control
• Exterior sun visor and large, two-piece, tinted, curved windshield for optimal visibility and ease of serviceability
• Expansive operator’s dash with a full array of highly visible LED back-lit gauges to monitor vehicle performance
• Waterproof, marine-grade, heavy-duty instrument panel rocker switches
• Adjustable, air-ride driver seat with active air lumbar, armrests and tilt/telescopic steering for operator size flexibility and comfort
• Standard star gauge package, fuel gauge, axle temperature gauges, transmission temperature gauge, engine coolant temperature gauge, air system pressure and air restriction, speedometer and tachometer
Tailgate: 10 mm Hardox 450
Cab guard: 6 mm hi-ten
Hoist and hydraulics
• Front-mounted, single-acting, four-stage hydraulic cylinder
• Hydraulic system flow: 109 litres/minute @ 800 rpm
• Hydraulic system pressure: 250 bar
• Body tip: 58 degrees
• Body raise time: 25 seconds @ 1 000 rpm
• Body lower time: 18 seconds @ 1 000 rpm
SAFETY
• Dual West Coast type cab mounted mirror and down view for optimal visibility
• Daytime running lights
• 87 to 112 dB backup alarm
• Bumper sight rods and grille guard mounted onto heavy-duty front bumper with removeable tow pin
• Amber beacons on roof
The Western Star 6900XD 40 t dump truck does not disappoint when it comes to return on investment
OPTIONAL COMPONENTS
• Automatic greasing system
• Optional wheelbase and coal bodies also available
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
• Lots of lifting capacity
• A flexible rigid frame dump truck
• Multiple rails
• Uses independent parts, which makes them affordable to maintain
• Fuel efficient with less fuel mileage per hour
• Less cost per tonne for hauling
• Tyres and brakes last longer and are affordable to maintain
• Available in 6X6 and 6X4
Municipalities struggling with potable water distribution and wastewater control issues can get assistance from one of the world’s leading suppliers of pumps, valves and related services to governments around the world.
KSB Pumps and Valves in South Africa again made its expertise available to local municipalities and water authorities following a fact-finding trip by KSB’s global specialist, Emilio de Paz, who toured and assessed several plants and substations across the country. Where possible, the team also provided input to overcome some of the problems faced at the sites through easy-toimplement preliminary solutions.
During his visit, the charismatic Argentine, who resides permanently in Germany, committed the very best of KSB’s technical expertise to assist municipalities and water utilities to deal with current challenges and to future-proof existing operations with custom solutions for each application.
“We visited a number of sites across the country over two months and culminated the trip with a two-day conference including role players from disaster-hit eThekwini and further afield in KwaZulu-Natal. Municipal and consulting engineers, as well as specialists from a number of water and wastewater utilities, were also in attendance,” says De Paz.
The conference took place on 22 to 23 November 2022 at the Coastlands Hotel in Musgrave, Durban. “We covered many topics and shared the latest finding from operations across the globe, including complex systems in countries like China, Indonesia and Mexico.” The topics were diverse and touched on general to highly technical issues such as water hammer, cavitation and free passage of pumping systems. The design of pump stations, sumps, etc. for maximum efficiency and reliability was also covered.
De Paz explains that currently, KSB is one of the only suppliers in the country that can provide the resources and expertise to ensure that potable and wastewater infrastructure can be maximised and upgraded wherever
serious problems occur. “In some instances, big gains can be made with comparatively small changes – and in these instances, we can assist with immediate remedial action.
“It was a great interaction and it’s clear that our products and services are already well known in the industry, and it is currently a matter of encouraging municipalities and utilities to engage with us to address current and future challenges,” he adds.
Hugo du Plessis, acting market area manager: Water, Wastewater and Irrigation at KSB Pumps and Valves, says the two-day conference was attended by more than 100 people, with 85 on-site and 24 online participants on Day 1 – with nearly all returning the following day, which indicates the quality of the information shared.
Du Plessis explains that De Paz delivered a hardhitting technical presentation on ‘Wastewater Pump Station Design’ on Day 1 and followed up with an equally informative presentation on ‘Water Transport Systems’ on the next. “This type of knowledge is hard to find and visits like this help us to share knowledge across the country and help ensure our customers have access to the highest possible expertise when dealing with water distribution and wastewater issues,” concludes Du Plessis.
A well-functioning municipality is important in ensuring that communities receive adequate service delivery. With the many challenges facing municipalities, additional assistance from the private sector and businesses is often needed.Emilio de Paz is one of KSB’s top technical experts
Like the rest of the world, South Africa is not immune to the pressing issue of climate change. As Africa’s biggest polluter, South Africa has a responsibility to implement measures that will reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. In February 2022, the country's new carbon tax was signed into law.
This is the government’s measure to try to mitigate the severe impacts of climate change. The carbon tax means that government will be taxing businesses responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. All industries – including mining – need to keep a close eye on their carbon emissions to avoid hefty tax penalties. Innovative resources to assist in monitoring carbon emisions would definitely go a long way in helping both the mining and wider industries in South Africa to address climate change.
Constantly looking at technology trends and drivers, AIMC Technologies has recently partnered with a leading international emissions software provider to become the
disclose CO₂ emissions. Current emissions management tools are not built for modern businesses and new regulations and legislation.
The solution is cloud-based and seamlessly interfaces with Scada, historians and most other applications and systems, including MS Excel and Google Sheets. Emissions calculations data can be directly extracted from these sources.
AIMC Technologies has a vision to optimise the way business and people work. Using artificial intelligence, machine learning and cloud computing, the company helps businesses run better. As a strategic player in the ICT industry, AIMC Technologies understands that some businesses need a solid foundation layer. The company’s service offering to customers includes solutions in enterprise resource planning, customer relationship planning, business intelligence and various other enterprise applications.
The platform exists to help large businesses and governments embark on a journey to a climate-first economy. From emissions measurement and reduction to vendor engagement, the platform is the centrepiece
Organisations are struggling to develop and execute climate strategies to achieve their goals. Companies are urgently demanding modern tools to measure and reduce carbon emissions.
Meticulously observing only the highest standards in safety and environmental practice, specialist logistics services group Unitrans has established itself as a leading service provider to the Southern and East African mining sectors.
With proven, mining-sector, materialshandling capabilities, the company has operated road trains in Africa for more than 35 years, continuously developing safer high-payload combinations using performancebased systems (PBS), while having a positive impact on the regions it operates in and its partners.
“Having operated bulk handling equipment for most of the large mining groups on the continent, our pit-toport capability has been our major strength and where our focus has been,” explains John Kettlewell, COO: Mining at Unitrans, highlighting that the success of current operations offers the ideal springboard for the business to grow mining operations across Africa.
Services include on- and off-mine load and haul activities, the clearing and stripping of sites, performing specialised pit area preparation, removing overburden to access ore, and handling all excess material to waste dumps. The company also offers specialised in- and outbound logistics – be it the transport of bagged products on flat decks, or dry bulk products in pressurised tankers – as well as aggregate and raw bulk products in tippers. Unitrans boasts an extensive fleet of PBS vehicles that reduce costs and environmental impact, while improving efficiencies. Other services include staff transport solutions in support of mining operations, the transport and distribution of explosives, the supply of ancillary mining equipment, road maintenance at mining sites, the rehabilitation of postmine landscapes, and stockpile management – allowing for the provision of a total mining service.
According to Kettlewell, safety is deeply ingrained in the day-to-day operations of all Unitrans employees. “At Unitrans, there is a firm belief in the power of doing. We have a responsibility towards our customers, employees and the communities we operate in, to do so responsibly and safely.”
Understanding the importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters in mine design and development, Unitrans is aligned to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Ongoing investment into the use of performance-based road train technology, reducing net fleet size and emissions, as well as research into electric mining vehicle capabilities, underlines the company's commitment to do its utmost towards sustainability and the environment.
Kettlewell says that a proactive approach is taken towards sustainability and safety at Unitrans – with training being a critical factor in achieving the goals set. An in-house training academy delivers ongoing training, showcasing the commitment towards the development of people. “The Mining Business Unit has always strived to be the safest and most innovative operator in the industry, and we have a proud track record to prove this,” he adds.
With an expansive fleet of PBS vehicles and yellow equipment, as well as extensive on-the-ground experience, Unitrans plans to grow operations extensively in Africa, focusing particularly on aboveground mining operations.
“We have built up experience in a variety of countries where we have been operating for several years,” adds Kobus Burger, operations executive: Mining, Unitrans. This includes Madagascar, where Unitrans is responsible for the bulk transportation of products in road trains traversing a 14 km long lead distance for Rio Tinto. Operations include the load and haul of containerised monazite and zirsil, feeding the factory with front-end loaders, as well as stockpile management. In Botswana, Unitrans has expanded its fleet over the years to service the copper industry, where it currently loads and hauls
3.65 Mtpa of copper ore, while in Namibia it handles 80 interlink truckloads daily from a salt mine to the Port of Walvis Bay.
the current level during rapid filling and emptying processes. In addition, the wide opening angle of the existing sensors resulted in considerable interfering reflections, which repeatedly led to incorrect measurements. Upon further investigation, it was found that relocating the installed units to improve performance would only lead to other issues. The customer was then shown the latest developments in radar technology – the 80 GHz radar sensor, which was launched in 2016 – promising a significant potential for improvement in these applications.
In radar technology, the width of the beam is determined by two factors: the operating frequency and the diameter of the horn antenna. The devices installed so far worked with 26 GHz and had a horn diameter of 95 mm, which resulted in a beam angle of 8 degrees. This repeatedly led to the situation where the crusher was being detected instead of the ore.
Recently, an Australian mining company failed to meet its export tonnage targets, resulting in a supply shortage for its customers – a costly situation for all concerned. As a result, the mine launched an investigation at one of its main sites to identify and eliminate any bottlenecks.
Every process was examined in detail – from the first blasting, feed into the main plant, setup of the crushers and operational parameters implemented in the area, to loading the iron ore onto the trains that transport the raw material to the export ports. One problem area the team discovered was an unreliable level-check of the ore in the crushers.
Working at this particular plant for a long time, Vega has always provided the impetus to introduce new technology. In 2004, the company introduced the world’s first radar level sensor for bulk solids, the Vegapuls 68, which it installed across the entire site at the time. Accordingly, Vega was approached again with the current requirements for process optimisation.
To find a solution to the current problem, Vega investigated the secondary and tertiary crushing processes, finding that the sensor could not follow
With the Vegapuls 6X, the transmission frequency is 80 GHz, which allows for a beam angle of 3.5 degrees –an improvement of more than 50%. Improvements in the speed of response from the new Vegapuls 6X would also allow for the transmitter to keep up with the fastchanging level of the ore inside the chamber. So, Vega initially supplied some test instruments and supported the customer during setup after installation.
Huge strides
The result was immediately apparent. Thanks to the new measuring device, a much more reliable level of control was achieved. The more precise focusing led to a huge improvement, and the false return echoes from the main chambers of the crusher were eliminated, leaving only a measurement from the medium inside. The devices were tested and the levels recorded over three months. The results were compared with the originally installed devices, and the Vegapuls performed superbly. Even though the units were replaced with the latest radar technology, the basics of radar technology have always remained the same, thus allowing for an easy transition in installation and programming.
Other parts of the site equipment were also improved or replaced and various system components were finetuned and newly matched to each other.
The result was impressive: what initially began with a temporary drop in performance of up to 40% was improved to a worst-case scenario of only 3%, which led to an increase in production of over 700 tph. The Vegapuls was instrumental in not only solving the problem but in improving overall operations.
Through the deployment of Vegapuls, an Australian iron ore mine that experienced continuous supply bottlenecks realised a series of operational improvements, whereby processes were better coordinated, bottlenecks eliminated and efficiency increased.
Tailings dams are built to store by-products of mining operations after separating the ore from the commercially worthless material that surrounds it.
Tailings can be liquid, solid or a slurry of fine particles, and are usually highly toxic and potentially radioactive. Solid tailings are often used as part of the dam structure itself. They have many features in common with embankment dams, which are built to retain reservoirs of water, particularly where there is a requirement for the storage of water over the tailings, or where the stored tailings must be protected by a covering of water to prevent aerial pollution.
On 11 September 2022, a catastrophic tailings dam failure occurred at the Jagersfontein diamond mine in South Africa, leaving the residents of the small mining town in the Free State province destitute.
Another major disaster was recorded in Brazil where an iron ore mine tailings dam collapsed – 270 people died after the dam near Brumadinho in Minas Gerais state collapsed in 2019. Around 11.7 million m3 of sludgy tailings flattened the mining complex and tore across the countryside, damaging houses, schools, road infrastructure and motels. This incident has raised many concerns around the construction and monitoring of tailings dams at mines.
Constant monitoring is required to help prevent disasters occurring in tailings dams. Endress+Hauser offers reliable instrumentation solutions needed to provide data for a tailings dam monitoring system.
In a dam, you can usually monitor displacement,
strain, level, pressure and flow. Most mines check these manually, sending operators to the field to extract these values; the operators then capture the data on a spreadsheet later. This antiquated and inaccurate method is still used currently.
Smart instrumentation now exists that can send data throughout the day directly to a monitoring or control system. These tools can reduce or even eliminate human error from the readings. They can also provide more data in one day than an operator checking the dam two or three times a week. Some dams may have different needs, but most should measure level and flow measurement as a minimum. Mines typically need two level measurements – one for the water table level and one for the dam level.
For tailings dam monitoring, wireless devices provide effective solutions to avoid high costs in structure. They also provide significant process data, not to mention remote access to sensor status and configuration. While companies may look for an inexpensive solution, it is advisable to consider a standardised protocol like WirelessHART, which provides great diagnostic options in the case of device failure. Security should always be taken into consideration.
A mesh network will give stable network conditions if set up correctly. It will also encrypt all the data in the network to keep the information safe. Always remember that an economical solution today may cost more in the long run. We can’t see into the future, but we can think and plan ahead.
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Inside Mining talks to Moso Bolofo, Director at Steinmüller Africa, about the company’s 60-year legacy and its ongoing service offering to boiler- and process-steam operators in South Africa and across the wider continent.
Steinmüller Africa has been in South Africa since 1962 and as such has a 60-year legacy – largely in the power generation sector. The steam generation expert started with the now-old stations of Grootvlei and Hendrina, then went on to the other baseload stations of Kriel, Duvha, Tutuka and Majuba. “In recent times, Steinmüller Africa has been a subcontractor to Hitachi for the fabrication of the Medupi and Kusile boilers, which are supercritical boilers that operate at main steam conditions of 240 bar at 560°C, with reheat temperatures up to 570°C. This requires Level 1 high-pressure pipework, which is an area of expertise for us,” Bolofo tells Inside Mining
Steinmüller Africa also operates in other industries that use steam in their production processes – such as the pulp and paper or sugar industry – or for the generation or reticulation of that steam in the petrochemical plants and the fuel refineries. From doing all the fabrication and following up with the installation and commissioning of several early boilers, the company has progressed to become a key service provider for ongoing plant maintenance. Steinmüller Africa also assisted in the mothballing and de-mothballing of the return-to-service plants at the Camden, Grootvlei and Komati power stations.
Well-equipped facilities and a dream team
“Our large-scale facilities in Pretoria West have worldclass fabrication equipment, such as our steam headers, and the Cojafex Induction Bending Machine for pipe
spools – both of which are unique to the African continent,” explains Bolofo. The company’s Pretoria facilities have 50 000 m2 of under-roof fabrication workshops, with a lifting capacity of up to 50 t. Its bays are up to 35 m wide and 700 m long, and have a pressure component production capacity of 1 million hours per year. Its Piping Division is a true one-stop shop for all induction bending requirements, offering bending of pipes 48-850 mm in diameter and a maximum wall thickness of 120 mm, with a maximum radius of 4 600 mm.
The team also provides shop fabrication after bending, which entails heat treatment, pipeend preparation, spool fabrication, surface preparation and packing. The advantages of the bending facilities are high dimensional accuracy, custom-made individual bends and fewer buttwelds using complex 3D bend geometry. Based on the requirements and application of the material, certain alloys may require post-bend heat treatment.
Steinmüller Africa has furnaces with accurate temperatures up to 1 200°C. “We also specialise in electrical post-weld heat treatment, which is crucial to the quality and integrity of welding on highpressure parts and pipelines,” Bolofo explains.
Steinmüller Africa’s history proves the claim of being an end-to-end service provider that really does look at the whole life cycle of a plant – from conceptual design, manufacture and installation to maintenance and through the entire service life, until decommissioning or lifetime extension.
Multidisciplinary pioneer Stefanutti Stocks is one of Southern Africa’s leading listed construction groups with the capability to deliver a range of projects of any scale across the built infrastructure environment.
As a Level 1 BBBEE contributor with a Grade 9 rating from the Construction Industry Development Board, the company has an unlimited tender capability.
Stefanutti Stocks’ professional teams work in close partnership with the group’s clients and consultants, to develop innovative solutions that address project-specific requirements. It offers single-point accountability on multidisciplinary infrastructure development, effectively removing the interface risk from the client’s domain.
This multidisciplinary offering has enabled the group to strategically position itself in the mining industry, for which it has undertaken green- and brownfield mining infrastructure projects. Construction scope includes roads and earthworks, civils, geotechnical, building, mechanical and E&I installation services. Furthermore, to ensure infrastructure assets serve beyond their intended lifespan, Stefanutti Stocks offers economical and effective concrete repair, rehabilitation and maintenance solutions.
Multimillion-rand mine infrastructure projects
Stefanutti Stocks is actively engaged in a number of multimillion-rand, multidisciplinary mine infrastructure projects across Southern Africa. Construction highlights include its Inland Region’s sliding of one of the largest headgears constructed to date in South Africa at Ivanplats. With outside dimensions of 25 m x 21 m, with 1 m thick walls, the headgear is being slid to a height of 79 m above collar. The final 24 m will be constructed using structural steel and cladding, and will result in the final height of the structure being 127 m above hitch and 103 m above collar. During the first phase of this project, Stefanutti Stocks’ scope included the
construction of the vent shaft plenum, upon which the remaining headgear concrete structure is now being slip formed.
In Zimbabwe, the Stefanutti Stocks team is constructing mining infrastructure for the SMC SO₂ Abatement and Smelter expansion project at the Zimplats Selous Metallurgical Complex. This comprises an SO₂ abatement plant, additional furnace, Peirce-Smith converters and associated utilities. The contractor’s multidisciplinary construction scope spans early works, earthworks, civil works, concrete works, infrastructure services, roads and stormwater, and early works for the electrical installation. A recent project highlight is a 35-hour-long, 1 400 m3 continuous pour for the emission-stack foundation. A further highlight will include the construction of the 180 m high emission stack, which will be constructed via the conical slip forming method.
After completing three large-scale, multimillion-rand project phases for the construction of tailings storage facility (TSF) infrastructure for the Anglo American Platinum Mototolo Concentrator Project, the group was recently awarded the fourth phase, for the extension of the TSF.
The group’s operational offering to the mining sector includes materials handling, tailings management and hydraulic remining services. Its time-critical Global Industry Standards for Tailings Management (GISTM) compliance offering to mining clients includes assistance with and the tracking of the full GISTM compliance matrix (cloud-based monitoring platform), as well as digitisation of all TSF monitoring (real-time live piezometer and freeboard readings via app, cloud or document warehouse).
Transnet has been receiving a lot of negative publicity following a series of events. These include bottlenecks affecting rail and ports, strike action and, recently, allegations that the Minerals Council South Africa called for the resignation of group chief executive Portia Derby.
By Dineo PhoshokoDespite significant, mostly negative media attention, behind the scenes, Transnet is working on measures to effectively address constraints affecting Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and Transnet Port Terminals (TPT).
Speaking at the recent Mining Indaba, Derby delivered a keynote address that focused on Transnet’s plan to support the mining industry’s growth and inclusion. “One of the things we are pushing hard on is inclusion because it is time we included black miners into our system, black farmers and black manufacturers,” she said. She also highlighted inequalities in terms of the allocated rail capacity between major miners and emerging miners. Resolving this issue would require equity in Transnet’s capacity allocation and enablement processes.
TFR and TPT have been faced with major capacity constraints, which have affected many sectors including the mining sector. In her address, Derby discussed
Transnet’s plans to deal with capacity constraints. She mentioned that Transnet had arrived at a deal with major locomotive producer China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC). “We have arrived at a deal with BTE Alstom, CRRC who have the majority of our locomotives.” She added that although TFR had reached an agreement with CNR, they would no longer be taking locomotives from the manufacturer. Derby explained that the agreements would resolve the issue of longstanding locomotives. “We should be able to bring all of those back into the system over the next 12-18 months or so.”
Derby highlighted that one of the major challenges with obtaining locomotives for TFR was due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in the closing of some Chinabased locomotive factories. This then has an impact on long lead times. The situation is further exacerbated by continued restrictions on movement in China also due to Covid-19. “One of the things we’ve also done as part of the agreements: we’ve reached arrangements around master service agreements ensuring that there’s consignments stock that’s also available in South Africa, so that it takes a much shorter time to repair and to get certain componentry.”
In addition, Derby explained that Transnet has managed to rebuild a manufacturing sector, mainly responsible for manufacturing and maintenance in the rail sector. National Treasury has also granted Transnet an exemption, allowing the company complete control in terms of direct procurement at board level.
Another significant agreement was reached with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition regarding localisation. “We localise to the extent that it makes sense. A manufacturer must be competitive and must be able to export.” Derby also highlighted that
Transnet would now be able to enter into long-term contracts of between five and seven years with strategic suppliers – a move that would make doing business slightly easier.
Cable theft and rail infrastructure maintenance
Addressing increased incidents of cable theft, Derby mentioned that together with the South African Police Service task force, Transnet was also working closely with municipalities. Furthermore, Transnet can now hire peace officers, which gives them the authority to arrest. “That means that the processing of the people that we apprehend becomes entirely within our control,” explained Derby.
Looking at network maintenance, Derby mentioned a rail policy introducing an economic regulator. “We’re going to finally have a separation in the cost of infrastructure. Unfortunately, we’re in a situation where we have to fund everything directly ourselves – there’s no cash fill from the state. We are going to fill cost recovery.” She also added that the Rail Safety Regulator sets the standard at which the track should be maintained, and Transnet will have to meet the requirements.
Network capacity plan
Derby also stated that Transnet was pursuing a network capacity creation plan, which aimed to ramp up the capacity in certain commodities. Between 2022 and 2031, Transnet’s planned ramp-up capacity target is approximately 42.35 million tonnes per annum.
Manganese, iron ore, coal, magnetite and chrome are the commodities identified in the capacity creation plan.
On the port side, initiatives have been undertaken by TPT and Transnet National Ports Authority to improve operations at the Port of Richards Bay to adequately support the mining sector. Some of the initiatives include:
• TPT restoring conveyor belts that were damaged by two fire incidents in October 2021
• implementing a truck management system to minimise truck congestion
• creating an additional truck staging area within port limits
• upgrade the roads within port limits to accommodate current volumes and future anticipated volumes.
To achieve success in the abovementioned initiatives, Transnet is working closely with key partners such as RBT Grindrod Terminals, ArcelorMittal South Africa, Foskor, City of uMhlathuze and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport. Derby also mentioned other planned projects to improve efficiencies and export capacities at the ports of Saldanha and Ngqura. She concluded by highlighting that the container, auto and grain sectors had the highest impact on the country’s economy in terms of jobs and economic value. The same could not be said for commodities in the mining sector, largely due to challenges in the rail and ports sector. By improving rail and port efficiencies, the country’s GDP stands to benefit from opportunities in mineral commodities exports.
Addressing Mining Indaba 2023, President Ramaphosa expanded on the solutions to the challenges identified by Minister Gwede Mantashe of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). The President’s address covered more of the details that potential investors expected to hear, and he made a firm commitment to “remove all impediments and create an environment that will drive sustained growth in mining”. The overall message was that the South African government has made strides in arresting challenges faced in mining
and that it desires to work with the private sector to eradicate these challenges.
He addressed energy constraints, the acceleration of economic reforms, safety and security (which includes illegal mining and infrastructure), and the slow pace of the government’s structural reform programme.
To realise South Africa and its mining sector’s growth objectives, the President put the achievement of a secure supply of electricity at the top of his list of four actions. We believe he is correct to prioritise electricity security in this manner because of the huge impact the electricity crisis is having on the country and, in particular, the mining sector.
The President referred to the National Action Plan to improve performance of our existing power stations: to add new generation capacity to the grid as quickly as possible and to import 100 MW more electricity capacity from neighbouring countries than the current 300 MW being imported. He referred to the success of the renewable energy IPP procurement programme and agreements for 25 new projects that will soon be proceeding to construction. He referred to the removal of the licensing threshold, enabling new generation by private power producers, and the rate at which the mining sector is generating its own electricity. The Minerals Council South Africa has said there are 89 embedded power generation projects, with a focus on renewable energy solutions, contributing to the country’s decarbonisation process.
We support these measures, especially the President’s recognition of South Africa’s abundant renewable energy resources but would recommend that the Presidency also urgently apply its mind to unblocking grid constraints. In the recently closed Round 6 of REIPPPP, only 860 MW of a targeted 5 200 MW of projects was awarded to preferred bidders because of a shortage of grid capacity. Not a
single wind project was awarded preferred bidder status. We are indeed seeing large volumes of private power capacity being worked on in the country, but more can be done to unblock constraints to bringing these projects on stream in the shortest possible space of time, including a clear system for grid capacity allocations and urgent grid capacity development.
The President said government was accelerating economic reforms to improve the operating environment. This included reducing timeframes for environmental authorisations, exempting energy projects from some environmental authorisations, and speeding up the registration of new projects and grid connection approvals.
He also said government would continue to work to reduce backlogs in prospecting and mining applications, which has been a problem for the mining industry over many years. Ramaphosa said that, over the past 18 months, the backlog had been cut by 42% and he promised it would be eliminated in the “short to medium term”.
The President said the DMRE is in the process of buying an “off the shelf” cadastral system, which could be adapted to South Africa’s needs. This is an essential step to ensuring a speedy and transparent system of granting licences.
On logistics, the President referred to the partnership between Transnet and Mincosa and said opening up “key routes” to third-party operators would bring much-needed investment for upgrading, maintenance and rehabilitation.
The President referred to the multidisciplinary Economic Infrastructure Task Teams established by the SAPS that were operating in 20 hotspots and had already made a number of arrests. Transnet has developed relationships with the industry and private security to address cable theft and vandalism on the freight rail network. Given increased safety and security threats in abandoned and operational mine sites, more consideration should be given to increasing security awareness, training, capacity-building and governance.
Ramaphosa highlighted that South Africa presents a particularly attractive destination for investors looking for opportunities in the green energy transition and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
This is an important, positive message. South Africa’s laws are considered some of the most progressive in the world, and already ensure adequate consideration of ESG (environmental, social, governance) risks, impacts and opportunities. Our Just Transition Framework was
commended at COP27 and is being used as a benchmark for other developing countries to contextualise their own transition journeys. Our policy landscape is progressing as international developments drive action.
Ramaphosa said the implementation of social and labour plans (SLPs) must be improved, as “mining must be at the forefront of social development”. Basically, the President stated that if the mine has water, the community should have water. If the mine has roads, the community should have roads. If the mine has a hospital, the community should have a hospital.
There is certainly an obligation on mining companies to implement their SLPs and there is already a mechanism to monitor implementation in the SLP Regulations. When implementation is lacking, government has the means to identify and deal with the defaulting parties. International frameworks and expectations similarly require businesses to recognise and protect against adverse human rights impacts in their operations and value chains. However, it is the responsibility of the state to protect and promote basic and fundamental human rights.
The UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights expressly acknowledge the state’s duty to protect human rights. These obligations are similarly imposed on government under our Constitution (such as the duty to provide access to sufficient food, water and healthcare services in section 27 of the Constitution).
While the social obligations of mines regarding their host communities cannot be denied, government cannot superimpose its constitutional and international obligations onto the mining sector. The interplay between these obligations, and when mining companies can and should step in, must be carefully considered and balanced.
Resources for Africa is pleased to announce its sixth annual PGMs Industry Day taking place on Tuesday 28 March 2023 in Johannesburg. Key stakeholders including PGMs producers, users and investors will take an open, honest and frank approach to tackling the key issues facing the PGMs sector in the coming years. Early confirmed speakers include:
Nico Muller, CEO, Impala Platinum
Natascha Viljoen, CEO, Anglo American Platinum
Phoevos Pouroulis, CEO, Tharisa Minerals
Bernhard Fuchs, Senior Vice President Precious Metals Management, Umicore AG
Timothy Ingle, Senior Vice President, Precious Metal Services & Recycling, BASF
Henk de Hoop, CEO, SFA Oxford
Roger Baxter, CEO, Minerals Council South Africa
And many more…
Key topics to be discussed include:
• Trends in the PGMs sector and strategies of producers
• Current geo-political and economic realities and impacts
• The role of PGMs in the energy transition and the road to net zero carbon emissions
• PGMs and the transformation of the automotive industry - combustion engines vs fuel cell EVs vs battery EVs
• Supply, demand and future projections
• Market development and applications for the future
• Investors and funders – the latest views
• Recycling, recovery and reprocessing
• Beneficiation opportunities
• The role of PGMs in the hydrogen economy
• And much more…
Sadly, load-shedding has the potential to not only impact productivity and income of the consumers, but also the very system that provides us with power.
Equipment residing in substations and distribution centres, new or old, is not designed to withstand an onslaught of surges, continued interruptions, and on/off switching multiple times a day.
One example is medium-voltage (MV) switchgear that has been designed, in optimal circumstances, to last up to 40 years. However, as mentioned, no equipment can handle the extraordinary circumstances that come with load-shedding, which means switchgear and other equipment simply stops working well before its projected end-of-life (EOL).
In the case of gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), how SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride) is collected and recycled at its EOL is a major priority. Furthermore, with pure-airinsulated switchgear now becoming available, there is a compelling case for replacing faulty equipment with SF6 -free options.
SF6 -free MV switchgear is a viable choice not only for the environment, but also for operational safety. Additionally, it offers ease-of-maintenance, EOL treatment, functionality and performance, as well as environmental compliance.
Pure-air switchgear is natively connectable, which means new equipment can be added with minimal disruption. Additionally, SF6 -free switchgear is designed in such a way that doesn’t require operator retraining, thus mitigating downtime. And importantly, if there is a gas leak, the pure air will simply escape into the atmosphere, causing no environmental impact.
One of the main responsibilities of utilities is to maintain voltage limits to ensure safe, stable and optimised usage. Voltage control is traditionally performed by transformers,
using on-load tap changers and capacitor banks that inject reactive power into the grid at the MV substation level.
The grid operator then fixes a set point and prepares scenarios and ranges based on seasonal load curves, as an example.
However, as we add more distributed energy resources (DERs) to the grid, effective energy mix management becomes critical. It is paramount – as renewable resources are added – that this is managed intelligently, keeping a close eye on, for example, loads during peak and off-peak times. This will allow the management of a stable grid comprised of fossil and renewable energy resources. Several new digital solutions can be deployed to address this challenge:
• Next-generation remote terminal units allow users to remotely control the substation and to accurately track operating parameters to ensure stable operations during load-shedding, for example.
• New smart sensors can be easily installed on new and existing switchgear and can be connected to the cloud, or on-premise systems as required. This allows for predictive maintenance and EOL management, which are key in reducing long-term costs.
• Digital twin environments allow for virtual modelling of networks, providing insights into equipment performance within the set parameters.
SF6 -free and digital technologies – a powerful force
Utilising modern, digital technology allows us to untangle the complexity of modern electricity networks and the increasing levels of renewables and DERs coming into the fold.
Coupled with connected SF6 -free switchgear, we are one step closer to finding a sustainable solution to the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment.
*Vladimir Milovanovic is the vice president: Power Systems, Energy Management Business at Schneider Electric.
The ripple effect of South Africa’s loadshedding is well publicised, impacting the entire user life cycle, from large conglomerates to our own homes.
Norwegian clean-tech companies Morrow Batteries and Optimeering join forces to develop AIdriven automation software for short-term power market operations.
o ensure power systems remain stable, production must at all times align with consumption. In Norway’s case, the country used to have a large surplus of flexible hydropower; however, the green energy transition will change this, as society is increasingly electrified, and there is an increase in the use of energy sources that are renewable but fluctuating.
• timing, pricing and volumes when buying power for storing in the batteries
• handling management from a connected power plant, either injecting it into the grid or storing it
• meeting corresponding demand – using stored energy, or taking it from the grid.
These decisions will be made in real time and advance, depending on the market. It is also continuously updated based on physical position changes – e.g. higher-than-expected wind production of a connected wind park – and forecast market prices, liquidity and related production and demand levels.
TThe two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding. Morrow Batteries will use AI technology to combine hardware and software to establish their battery factories.
Batteries are expected to play a crucial role in energy transition
New technology solutions are needed for large power producers and suppliers to balance the energy system by efficiently using the power markets.
“Batteries are an essential part of the transition toward green energy. Implementing the AI platform will automate market operations, which is vital for Morrow to operate effectively in the future power market,” says Christian van Veen Aas, head: Business Development, Optimeering.
Veen Aas compares his company’s AI solution with an airplane’s autopilot. The ‘autopilot’ will automate several decision processes for the batteries:
• timing, pricing and volumes when selling energy and capacity/ system services to the markets
“We plan to build Norway’s most extensive battery energy storage system in Arendal. Incorporating Optimeering’s AI technology is another step towards our goal of delivering the most cost-effective and sustainable battery cells in the world”, says Amin ElKouatli, director: Strategic Partnerships at Morrow Batteries.
South Africa is currently facing power supply challenges, meaning that industries now more than ever need to explore solutions that will assist in optimising power. With data-driven insights, the energy efficiency, reliability and management of electrical assets can be optimised. In this way, ABB is helping to power lives more sustainably.
In the dynamic, fast-paced data centre industry, a passion for change is essential. Having been at the forefront of industrial power and automation for over a century, it’s in ABB’s DNA. The company’s clients can be confident that whatever demands the future brings – from scale to speed to sustainability – it will have a capable partner in finding the best data centre solutions.
ABB’s class-leading data centre power solutions keep operations running 24/7, while saving on space, time, energy and costs, as well as being infinitely scalable. Most importantly, each is perfectly suited to individual businesses.
ABB is making a world of difference by enabling safe, smart and sustainable operations with integrated solutions that digitalise, automate and electrify the oil and gas industry. The company is focused on helping energy companies operate more efficiently to reduce
their environmental impact, while enabling new, clean energy value chains to fuel the future.
The food and beverage industry is under constant pressure to adapt and evolve to meet consumer demand. This means increased production, lower prices and improved quality and variety, all while maintaining a commitment to sustainability.
Optimising production in this context is about more than simply finding a supplier. It’s about finding a partner. A partner who understands these big-picture challenges. A partner who is willing to listen. A partner who understands individual businesses – and their goals – from power to palletising.
ABB Ability solutions deliver a safer, smarter, more sustainable electrical infrastructure by providing data-driven insights that enable clients to reduce costs, increase comfort and drive efficiency. Through leading solutions, clients can unlock the full potential of their equipment by quickly and easily adding innovative new features and functionality.
As the world’s demand for electricity grows, ABB is electrifying the world in a safe, smart and sustainable way as a global technology leader in electrical distribution and management. The company collaborates with clients and partners to enable energy efficiency and power a sustainable future for society through its leading products, solutions and digital technologies.
With Smart Power, ABB has solutions that make power supplies smart, connected and protected.An offshore oil rig drilling platform The collaborative operations centre in Oslo, Norway Power for data centres
Together with clients, partners, governments and other key stakeholders, Hitachi Energy pioneers technologies to enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future.
According to Malvin Naicker, managing director: Sub-Saharan Africa for Hitachi Energy, the company provides the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain.
“South Africa is seeing the wholesale transformation of its energy system,” says Naicker. It encompasses generation, transmission, distribution, storage, monitoring and control. As renewables ultimately replace fossil fuels, power grids must remain resilient and become even more flexible to adapt to fast-changing demands.
“It places the spotlight on innovative new technologies in the energy sector,” says Naicker. The focus on renewable energy and microgrid solutions with battery energy storage system (BESS) solutions is ideal to ensure stable and sustainable power by harnessing solar energy for a clean-energy future. Even though coal continues to play a dominant role in South Africa’s power mix, the country can still leverage the massive opportunity of harnessing renewables and distributed energy resources. Here, asset performance management (APM) is key to continuously monitor the health of assets, predict potential failures and reprioritise maintenance.
Hitachi Energy’s Lumada APM not only enables a more effective maintenance management environment, but also improves the productivity of the technical teams carrying out the work. Hitachi Energy’s e-mesh digital ecosystem provides software management for distributed generation at both a local and fleet level, with built-in maintenance management for performance prediction.
The e-mesh portfolio offers end-to-end distributed energy solutions, combining advanced analytics, software technology and hardware systems. Hitachi Energy’s PowerStore™ BESS ensures the highest penetration of renewables share, increases grid stability and provides reliable power while minimising CO₂ emissions.
Hitachi Energy’s BESS solutions focus on grid support functions and are designed to work with third-party batteries. Currently, the technologies deployed in highenergy projects include lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and Li-ion chemistries. This could extend to other battery chemistries in the future.
Network Manager is an integrated network operations platform that includes advanced distribution management system (ADMS) capabilities to extend grid control and optimisation. It provides functionality for the safe and efficient operation of subtransmission, medium- and low-voltage distribution networks.
“It is important to note that Hitachi Energy is a technology and solutions provider,” stresses Naicker. Its Energy Trading & Risk Management (ETRM) solutions consistently win awards and recognition from users and renowned industry think-tanks, thereby confirming its proven track record as a global ETRM leader.
Hitachi Energy assists organisations to meet sustainability targets, minimise market risk while maximising profitability, and comply with everchanging industry regulations and standards. Its ETRM solutions are uniquely positioned to support the ‘three Ds’ of energy: decarbonisation, digitalisation and decentralisation.
These drive the energy transition as well as commodities that enable renewable energy technologies. Serving producers, utilities and trading companies across the globe, Hitachi Energy’s award-winning ETRM solutions are purpose-built software systems designed to automate complex tasks that support the entire trade cycle from the front to the back office
Inside Mining is a quarterly special interest publication focusing on the key issues currently affecting the mining industry. They will include leadership insights and one-on-one interviews with various captains of industry.
Resources such as water and electricity are cri�cal in the mining process; however, they are scarce in environments such as South Africa. Mine companies are well aware of the challenges regarding the availability of resources and therefore need to be resourceful within their various opera�ons. This issue focuses on the following themes:
Health & Safety Training Development
Energy
Pump & Valve Technologies
Transport & Logis�cs
The mining industry has historically gained a reputa�on of focusing only on the bo�om line and disregarding the environment, communi�es and employees. That has since changed, as mine companies are constantly working towards best sustainability prac�ces to benefit everyone. In the November issue, the following topics are being discussed:
Underground Mining
Mining Digi�sa�on
Legal & Finance
Post-closure Rehabilita�on
ESG Warrior
Africa is one of the most well-endowed con�nents in the world. It has also become an a�rac�ve des�na�on for poten�al mining investors. There are many projects in the pipeline aimed at exploring new minerals, as well as developing new mine opera�ons. ‘Focus in Africa’ looks at the following features:
African Energy
Engineering, Procurement & Construc�on Management
Materials Handling & Earthmoving Equipment
Mineral Explora�on
