Mining Magazine - July 2021 by Mining Global

July 2021 | miningglobal.com

Deep sea mining: Sustainability Saviour or Environmental Menace? EnergyX: Powering the future

NOKIA: Enhancing Operations through LTE/5G Connectivity GEOVIA: A smart approach to the future of mining

Developing a World Leading

Mining Companies

Iron Ore Company

Jim North, CEO of Ferrexpo, reveals how the Ukrainian mining business is embracing digital transformation

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The Mining Team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DAN BRIGHTMORE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

SCOTT BIRCH

PRODUCTION DIRECTORS

GEORGIA ALLEN DANIELA KIANICKOVÁ PRODUCTION MANAGERS

CREATIVE TEAM

OSCAR HATHAWAY SOPHIE-ANN PINNELL HECTOR PENROSE SAM HUBBARD MIMI GUNN JUSTIN SMITH REBEKAH BIRLESON DUKE WEATHERILL JORDAN WOOD

OWEN MARTIN PHILLINE VICENTE JENNIFER SMITH

VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER

PRODUCTION EDITOR

DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCERS

JANET BRICE

KIERAN WAITE

SAM KEMP EVELYN HUANG

MOTION DESIGNER

SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR

TYLER LIVINGSTONE

JASON WESTGATE

MARKETING MANAGER

MANAGING DIRECTOR

KAYLEIGH SHOOTER GRETA ANDREJEVAITE PROJECT DIRECTORS

GLEN WHITE LEWIS VAUGHAN MICHAEL BANYARD STUART IRVING KRIS PALMER MIKE SADR MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR

MARK CAWSTON

LEWIS VAUGHAN

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

STACY NORMAN PRESIDENT & CEO

GLEN WHITE

EDITORS LETTER

Evolution through Innovation The mining industry is experiencing an era of rapid evolutionary change… In this issue, we salute that pioneering spirit and examine the latest innovations with 5G, lithium extraction and virtual twins, and weigh up the pros and cons of exploration with the proposals for deep-sea mining.

“Innovation, in all its forms, holds the key to the mining industry sustaining its pioneering spirit”

MINING MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY

Innovation, in all its forms, holds the key to the mining industry sustaining its pioneering spirit in search of the metals and minerals needed to realise the benefits of the technological advances driving everything from Industry 4.0 to electric vehicles and wireless communications. In this issue, we take a closer look… While the industry seeks the resources to create the communications solutions of the future, the future is now for mining when it comes to adopting the latest tools to collaborate. GEOVIA (a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes -3DS) provides a virtual twin 3DExperience to model and simulate plans for underground mines which can better monitor their potential environmental impact and enhance their productivity. To help deliver the underground wireless communications driving that collaboration, Nokia is working with chipset and device manufacturers like Qualcomm and Motorola to deliver the 5G mmWave spectrum opening up a wide range of new opportunities in all stages of mining via ultra-fast data rates to smartphones and computers. Revolutionary technology is also being applied to the production process. With demand for lithium on the rise, to meet the insatiable need for battery metals for energy storage and electric vehicles, EnergyX has developed a unique DLE (direct lithium extraction) tech estimated to be capable of contributing the production of 1.5 million tonnes of lithium by 2025.

DANIEL BRIGHTMORE

daniel.brightmore@bizclikmedia.com

miningglobal.com

CONTENTS

Our Regular Upfront Section: 08 Big Picture 10 The Brief 12 Global News 14 People Moves 16 Timeline: Newmont Celebrates 100 Years 18 Legend: Ray Threlkeld 20 Five Mins With: Rohan Davidosn

FERREXPO

Developing a World Leading Iron Ore Company

Digital Mining

Geovia: a smart approach to the future of mining

Industry X.0

Technology

Nokia enhancing operations through LTE/5G connectivity

EnergyX powering the future

Supply Chain

Deep-Sea Mining: Sustainability saviour or environmental menace?

Top 10

Mining companies

BIG PICTURE

CAT R1700 XE LHD

July 2021

CAT R1700 XE LHD Illinois, USA

Caterpillar is set to launch the world’s largest, most powerful and efficient electric drive dozer… Underground mining continues to be an early adopter of sustainable mobile equipment solutions, based on the need for a clean and safe working environment. The new Cat R1700 XE LHD, with its 15-tonne payload and 24,190-kg lift and tilt breakout, features a battery electric design that delivers superior productivity in underground applications with the benefits of no engine heat or exhaust emissions. It will be unveiled at the upcoming MINExpo 2021 event in Las Vegas, USA, in September. Miningglobal.com

THE BRIEF “Our connectivity goal is a full end to end solution from the pit or the underground mine to the port; helping and enhancing the complete supply chain solution” Jaime Laguna

Digital Industries, Head of Vertical, Oil & Gas, Nokia  READ MORE

“We can see what fossil fuels and carbon emissions have done to our planet, and it's something we urgently need to address. And that's the overarching focus of renewable energy and where I want to focus our efforts at EnergyX” Teague Egan CEO, EnergyX 

“We can support the push to decarbonise by modeling the benefits of mine electrification, automation and robotic techniques, looking at how these approaches play out in terms of underground mine design” Michelle Ash CEO, GEOVIA 

July 2021

BY THE NUMBERS Iron ore prices up after mine closures in Brazil and China as supply gap widens

$220.77 per tonne

29.57

million tonnes

Did you know? Anglo American becomes first mining company to work with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and NatureMetrics sharing its eDNA data to support the eBioAtlas programme. The initiative combats extinction by using DNA technology to create a global atlas of the state of life in rivers and wetlands of world importance. READ MORE

Ups and Downs for Barrick Gold Barrick’s Porgera gold mine is closer to reopening following protracted negotiations with the Papua New Guinea (PNG) government. Over a year of downtime is estimated to have cost the country close to a billion dollars in revenue. READ MORE

Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) unveils ESG standard The RMI, a cross-industry body targeting supply chain traceability and responsibility whose 400 members include Sandvik and Newmont, has announced a new ESG Standard What they said: “The RMI’s ESG Standard offers the most comprehensive set of Environmental, Social & Governance requirements globally for facilities sourcing and processing minerals. It will help companies meet government, investor, customer and regulatory requirements, such as the expectations set by EU Due Diligence frameworks and the London Metals Exchange (LME), while improving conditions for workers, addressing environmental and community impacts, and managing governance risks in all mineral supply chains.” ESG Standard – the key components: • Environmental criteria cover the impact from operations on the environment and biodiversity as well as the communities companies operate in. • Occupational health and safety provisions address company hygiene, safe operation of equipment and personal protection requirements. • Social obligations cover labour practices supporting age of employment, fair working hours, minimum wages, grievance mechanisms and diversity provisions, including women’s rights and underrepresented communities. • Governance requirements ensure businesses are duly registered, adhere to laws and regulations.

 IVANHOE MINES Following 24 years of exploration and development, both Ivanhoe and partner Zijin have revealed production of copper concentrate at its Kamoa-Kakula project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had begun months ahead of schedule against the backdrop of record prices for the red metal.  ALBEMARLE The world’s biggest lithium producer is set to boost extraction from the brines it pumps from Chile’s salt flats. Albemarle’s $200mn tech investment is forecast to lift yields of ingredients for the battery metal up to 80-85% from 50-55%.  AUSTRALIA Australia’s government, reliant on coal and gas-fired power for its mining industry, has rejected carbon tariffs. However, The EU is set to propose a carbon border tariff policy on 14 July that would impose emission costs on imports of goods including steel, cement, and electricity to level the playing field with countries (like Australia) that have weaker carbon policies.  VALE Vale halted production at its Timbopeba mine in Brazil, and part of its Alegria mine, after it was ordered to evacuate an area near Xingu Dam in the state of Minas Gerais. The closures were forecast to reduce iron ore output by 40,000 tonnes per day.

W A Y U P

JUL21

W A Y D O W N

Miningglobal.com

GLOBAL NEWS 2

UNITED KINGDOM

Cornish Lithium trialling DLE technologies Cornish Lithium, a pioneering mineral exploration and development company headquartered in Cornwall, UK, has completed construction of its United Downs Geothermal Water Test Site. Cornish Lithium has also installed its first demonstration plant to trial environmentally-responsible Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) process technologies. The company has made significant progress towards defining its maiden Resource estimate at its lithium in hard rock Trelavour Project.

CHILE

Codelco partners with Microsoft to extend automation at its copper mines Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, has announced a deal with tech giant Microsoft to fast-track the digitisation of its sprawling mining operations, helping it extend automation and improve analytics. "We are promoting profound changes so different areas operate in a completely remote and automated way, reducing risks and improving the productivity, safety and reliability of our operation," said Codelco executive Alvaro Garcia.

July 2021

SAUDI ARABIA

Ma’aden reaches milestone on The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) has completed utilities commissioning on a $900mn ammonia plant in Ras Al-Khair industrial City. Construction completion is expected in the fourth quarter of 2021, with full activation in Q1 2022. The ammonia plant is the first project in the $6.4bn ‘Phosphate 3’ expansion to Ma’aden’s phosphate fertilizer portfolio, encompassing the full mine-to-market development process of phosphate fertilizers.

AUSTRALIA

BHP, Rio Tinto & Vale launch Charge On Innovation Challenge In partnership with Austmine, Australia's leading mining equipment, technology and services industry association, founding patrons BHP, Vale and Rio Tinto have launched a competition, the Charge On Innovation Challenge, to encourage technology innovators to develop new concepts for large-scale haul truck electrification systems. The main goal is cutting emissions from surface mining operations.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Ivanhoes Mines begins copper production at Kamoa-Kakula Following 24 years of exploration and development, Ivanhoe Mines has begun copper production at KamoaKakula in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Against the backdrop of record prices for the red metal, it has the potential to be the largest copper mining complex in the world producing a very high-grade, clean concentrate grading approximately 57% copper, with extremely low arsenic levels.

Miningglobal.com

PEOPLE MOVES BEN WYATT FROM: AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO: RIO TINTO WAS: ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS MINISTER NOW: EXECUTIVE-DIRECTOR Ben Wyatt, retired from state parliament in March after a 15-year career that included time as Aboriginal Affairs Minister, where he helped reshape legislation to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage. Wyatt’s appointment as a non-executive director is timely as Rio Tinto seeks to rebuild its reputation with the communities it operates in following last year’s destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters.

“I have deep respect for the resources sector in Australia and have long been impressed with the professionalism and commitment demonstrated by Rio Tinto. I was deeply saddened and disappointed by the events at Juukan Gorge, but I am convinced that Rio Tinto is committed to changing its approach to cultural heritage issues and restoring its reputation, particularly in Australia and Western Australia. I am looking forward to working with the Board in building on the momentum for change generated by the new leadership team”

ANDY JONES FROM: PAVILION HEALTH AUSTRALIA TO: THE METALS COMPANY (FORMERLY DEEPGREEN) WAS: CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER NOW: CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

NOLITHA FAKUDE

Andy Jones brings over 30 years of technology and software development experience to The Metals Company and is a specialist in large-scale, business-critical and data-driven applications with a focus on security and technical excellence. He will begin developing The Metals Company’s ‘Track and Trace’ system, which will enable it to monitor provenance and ESG impacts of metal from seafloor to customer gate and then through the supply chain, throughout the product life cycle, and until the end-of-life return of the used metal.

FROM: N/A TO: MINERALS COUNCIL SOUTH AFRICA WAS: N/A NOW: PRESIDENT Nolitha Fakude becomes the first female President in the 131-year history of the organisation. Fakude was formerly a VP and is also the Chair of the Minerals Council Women in Mining Leadership Forum. Before taking up her post as Director and Chair of Anglo-American South Africa in September 2019, Nolitha held several senior positions at a number of blue-chip companies. Among these, she served as an Executive Director of Sasol and Non-Executive Director of Harmony Gold. She was also MD and then President of the Black Management Forum (BMF) and is a trustee of the Women’s Development Bank. Miningglobal.com

TIMELINE Celebrates 100 Years

Newmont was founded by Colonel William Boyce Thompson in 1921. Celebrating 100 years since its early beginnings in mining in California, Newmont grew to become a geographically diverse and diversified mining house. Following international expansion and a series of mergers and acquisitions, Newmont is currently the world’s leading gold mining company with 12 operating mines and two joint ventures, all in top-tier jurisdictions across North America, South America, Australia and Africa.

1937

1961

1971

Acquires two historic lead, zinc, and gold mines, and opens the O’okiep copper mine in South Africa, becoming a major source of supply to Allied Forces during World War II.

With the discovery of Nevada’s prolific Carlin Trend, Newmont begins production on the world’s first open pit ‘submicroscopic’ gold mine, which revolutionises the gold industry.

Utilises heap leaching technology on sub-mill grade ores at Carlin and celebrates 50th anniversary with revenues of $241mn.

July 2021

1992 Development begins at Yanacocha in Peru, which becomes one of the largest and lowest cost gold mines in the world.

2002

2019

Acquires Normandy Mining and Franco-Nevada Mining to become the world’s largest gold producer with annual production in excess of eight million ounces.

Merges with Goldcorp in a $10bn deal to create the world’s leading gold company as measured by assets, prospects, and people.

Miningglobal.com

LEGEND

Ray Threlkeld Job Title: Director Company: Calibre Mining/Kirkland Lake Gold/Northern Vertex

iscovering and developing world-class assets has been the driving force behind a glittering career in mining across more than four decades for Mining Hall of Fame alumni Ray Threlkeld, who holds a BSc in Geology from the University of Nevada. Offering technical expertise with reserve estimates and feasibility studies, construction and operations management experience, and as the President, CEO and Chairman of public companies, Threlkeld has been involved in the acquisition of more than US$1bn in assets, managed an estimated US$1.4bn in construction spending, and created billions in shareholder value. Currently, Threlkeld is a Director of Calibre Mining. He was recently Chairman of Newmarket Gold and became a director of Kirkland Lake Gold upon the sale of Newmarket to Kirkland for US$1bn. In addition, Threlkeld was a Director of Northern Empire, which was sold to Coeur Mining in 2018 for US$90mn. Threlkeld was President and CEO of Rainy River Resources, leading the team that completed permitting and feasibility studies, increasing gold resources to over six million 18

July 2021

Born

1946 40 years

experience as a technical expert leading teams from exploration to operations

Involved in the acquisition of over

$1bn worth of assets

ounces at the Rainy River deposit in Ontario. New Gold purchased Rainy River for US$310mn in 2013. From 2006 to 2009, Threlkeld led the Western Goldfields team that commissioned the Mesquite Gold Mine in California on time and on budget, resulting in a massive increase in the company’s market capitalisation from US$12mn to more than US$300mn. From 1996 to 2004, he held a variety of senior executive positions with Barrick Gold, rising to the position of Vice President, Project Development. Responsible for seven world-class gold projects, among his accomplishments were the Pierina Mine in Peru, Bulyanhulu Mine in Tanzania, Veladero Mine in Argentina, Lagunas Norte Mine in Peru and the Cowel Mine in Australia. Threlkeld introduced social and sustainability initiatives for Pierina and Bulyanhulu that involved agricultural development, company sponsored employee housing, schools, health clinics, and scholarship funding for all children of employees. His team's US$50mn reclamation work at El Indio mine in Chile set reclamation standards in South America. "Ray is a recognised leader in our industry,” noted Northern Vertex Chairman Douglas J. Hurst. "He has a proven track record of technical and business successes that has continually created value for shareholders.” Northern Vertex President, Michael G. Allen added, "Ray's experience is second to none. All of us at Northern Vertex are extremely proud to have him join the Board of Directors as we advance the Moss Mine and Hercules Gold Project.”

“A proven track record of technical and business successes that has continually created value for shareholders” Miningglobal.com

FIVE MINS WITH...

ROHAN DAVIDSON Rohan Davidson, Chief Information Officer, Anglo American, explains why Advanced Process Control (APC) is improving business performance and supporting the sustainability journey.

Q. WHY IS ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL INTEGRAL TOWARDS ANGLO AMERICAN’S DIGITALISATION APPROACH?

» “As part of our digitalisation

approach, one key component is to take the best technologies across all industries and adapt them to our operations. And we have leant heavily on the tools and techniques forged in the petrochemical industry and we have developed our own industry-leading capability and Advanced Process Control (APC). APC automates the implementation of the Operating Model across our plant control systems, unlocking optimisation that has previously been beyond our reach.”

Q. HOW DOES APC WORK?

» “At its heart, APC employs virtual

operators or algorithms in closed loop control that are responsible for optimising a single process step to achieve a target output. This might be a mill rotation or maybe a sump level or a valve setting. The technology is particularly useful where the process steps involve time lags, like long conveyor runs or surge pins or float tanks. Operators and their conventional control systems struggled to accommodate these time lags but they lend themselves very well to advanced mathematical modelling. In particular, with artificial intelligence and machine learning we can usually produce models that outperform the best operators running these complex systems.” 20

July 2021

“APC automates the implementation of the Operating Model across our plant control systems, unlocking optimisation that has previously been beyond our reach” Q. WHAT BENEFITS HAVE YOU SEEN ACROSS OPERATIONS?

Q. HOW IS APC IMPROVING ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY?

» “At our large plants, there are many APCs. Take, for example, our copper operations at Los Bronces. Our endstate for Los Bronces has over 100 of these virtual operators, we are three years into the programme, we have completed about half, and last year the half that we have completed contributed over $60mn to the underlying operational performance of Los Bronces through improved recoveries, energy savings and throughput improvements… Our goal is to have all available processes under APC by 2024. Last year, we reached the half-way mark and the systems that we have put in place contributed over $170 million to underlying earnings. We are on track to double that record next year.

» “APC lets us optimise our energy

APC lets us optimise our energy inputs and our water consumption. Last year, we saved

$5mn from our power bill

inputs and our water consumption. Last year, we saved 173,000GJ of energy, dropping over $5mn from our power bill. Most of this came from our Chilean copper operations where APC controls the grinding mills but a 7% energy reduction across the entire system. Each time we build one of these controls we look for opportunities to solve the same problem that exists elsewhere in the Group. The copper mill logic is being retrofitted to our PGM operations and the early stages of this project have already reduced our power and consumption there by 4% across the system.” Miningglobal.com

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FERREXPO

DEVELOPING A WORLD LEADING IRON ORE COMPANY

July 2021

WRITTEN BY: DAN BRIGHTMORE PRODUCED BY: GLEN WHITE

FERREXPO

Miningglobal.com

FERREXPO

Jim North, CEO of Ferrexpo, reveals how the Ukrainian mining business is embracing digital transformation, expanding its global sales footprint and future-proofing operations with its sustainability goals

errexpo’s priorities are to position for growth and further optimise its operations while ensuring disciplined governance. Ferrexpo’s strategy is to produce and export high-quality pellets to premium steel mills around the world that produce sophisticated steel products. It aims to be a low-cost efficient producer of iron ore pellets with a reliable logistics infrastructure. A global player in the steel industry Since Ferrexpo listed in 2007 its focus has been on improving the quality of the iron ore pellets it produces (now a high grade 65%+), transforming facilities for a broadened portfolio outlook, and growing its customer base with Tier 1 steel producers. “We now have a first-class sales book and have become a global player in the raw materials supplying the steel industry in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US”, explains Interim CEO & Executive Director, Jim North. “We've continued that quality journey in the last couple of years, and been broadening into the DR market, which is where we see a large proportion of our growth in production going in the future. We've been doing trial cargoes since 2018, and in 2020, we sold saw a substantial amount, just over 300,000 tonnes of material, into the DR market, and we would see a larger proportion of our sales portfolio moving that way going forward”.

July 2021

Jim North, Interim CEO & Executive Director, Ferrexpo

FERREXPO

Miningglobal.com

FERREXPO

Expansion “We've been planning how we want to grow our business with a high-quality, long-life resource in Ukraine. One of the challenges we have with that resource is the amount of options, but what is the actual highest value-add path forward?", asks North. “We’ve been working on answering that and we've now started executing. We're into the detailed design and execution of our growth programme. 28

July 2021

We've informed the market we intend to double our production over time. We can incrementally grow the business by expanding our brownfield activities. Two years ago, we started the development of our third open-pit mine, Belanovo. We’ve started stripping activities and are gradually expanding. We are timing this to come online when we'll need a more high-grade material as we expand our concentrator and pelletiser footprint”.

FERREXPO

JIM NORTH TITLE: INTERIM CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMPANY: FERREXPO

1960

Year Founded

Resources Industry

$1.7bn Revenue

EXECUTIVE BIO

Jim North joined Ferrexpo in November 2014 as Group Chief Operating Officer. In February 2015, Jim was appointed the Non-executive Chairman of Ferrexpo Belanovo Mining. On 28 May 2020, Jim was appointed as Acting Chief Executive Officer of Ferrexpo plc, and was appointed Executive Director for the Board of Ferrexpo plc on 5 July 2020. Jim joined Ferrexpo in November 2014 and since then he has successfully managed the Company's operations and introduced world class operating practices. Previously, Jim was Chief Operating Officer of London Mining plc, where he was accountable for setting the company's operational and investment strategy around the world. Prior to this, he held a variety of senior operational management roles in multiple commodities with Rio Tinto and BHP.

Zeppelin is a Caterpillar Dealer since 1954. Zeppelin International responsible for construction and mining equipment business in several countries in the CIS. In the CIS Zeppelin has a strong footprint in the mining industry. We create solutions to meet the expectations of our mining customers in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and in Uzbekistan. Reliable Caterpillar machines and operational excellence are essential for sustainable success. Zeppelin supports mining companies with professional 24/7 on-site service support, with preventive maintenance solutions to reduce downtime and maximize profit, with adopting best practices and with financing solutions. Highly qualified operators and technicians are crucial for utmost equipment performance. Therefor Zeppelin pays high attention to the training of customer personnel and to knowledge transfer by its own training centers. Digital solutions such as an Asset Management Tools enable a proactive maintenance approach and lead into low ownership costs. Sustainability, focused on social responsibility, environmental management and economicgrowth is one of the core values of Zeppelin and Caterpillar. Caterpillar has been always

investing in new technologies to be ready to meet the future needs of our customers. One focus is on energy and emission reduction in the own business, and helping customers decrease their carbon footprints through technical solutions that contribute to lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Fuel reduction technologies, alternative fuels, diesel-electric machines, and trolley assist are widely used today. Autonomous vehicles are a strong trend in the mining industry. About 350 autonomous Caterpillar mining trucks are running today with a high milage. Customers experience productivity increase in the rage of 30%. More than 3 billion tonnes of material are moved by Cat® autonomous trucks using Cat® MineStar™ Command for hauling since first in operation. Electrification is another area in which Caterpillar is investing heavily to meet future customer expectations. For about 100 years Caterpillar has been helping our customers building a better world, making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent.

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FERREXPO

Embracing transformation in Ukraine

“ We live and work in a cyclical industry; the commodity prices vary considerably year on year, so we’ve chosen a conservative but very solid program for expansion” JIM NORTH

INTERIM CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FERREXPO

July 2021

Ferrexpo has four pellestiser lines of pelletisers with investments planned in each line followed by incremental expansion of concentrated production with more crushing and grinding equipment. “We’ll be growing out production slowly over the next 10 to 12 years”, confirms North. “I think that's the best strategy for us and it de-risks the business. We know we live and work in a cyclical industry; the commodity prices vary considerably year on year, so we’ve chosen a conservative but very solid program for expansion”. Decarbonisation Decarbonisation is gathering pace so the DR market is the key to future growth for

FERREXPO

UKRAINE OPERATIONS Ferrexpo’s resource base is situated along a 50km mineral deposit in the Ukraine, which allows for the efficient expansion of production through brownfield developments. As of 1 June 2020, the company has estimated proven and probable ore reserves of 1.7 billion tonnes classified according to the JORC Code. These Ore Reserves are included in Ferrexpo’s mMineral Resources of resources approximately 6.1 billion tonnes. In addition, as of 1 June 2020, the company had estimated resources of 13.1 billion tonnes under the FSU Classification.

Ferrexpo. “There’s a lot of talk about green steel”, says North. “If we want a green steel industry, blast furnace technology either needs to substantially change or will eventually be phased out. Traditionally, our standard pellets feed the blast furnace market. For a green steel product, you need to move away from the traditional technologies that use coke and filament gas for fuel, and towards electric arc furnaces and the DR processes. As we work on our growth programme we're modifying our technology to allow us to produce a higher-grade, ultimately carbon-neutral pellet needed for the green steel process”.

Ferrexpo’s ore body has been classified into nine deposits of which the first three have been developed into two open pit mines: • FPM exploits the GPL deposits. The FPM mine has consistent geology and a long-life production profile beyond 2040, based on annual mining output of approximately 30 million tonnes. • FYM exploits the Yerystivske deposit. The development of the FYM mine fully utilises known and existing technology and infrastructure. FYM has an approximate mine life beyond 2055 based on current annual output

Miningglobal.com

TO BE THE NO.1 SYSTEM SOLUTION PROVIDER

Sumitec, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, has been providing engineering and technical support for mining equipment and Komatsu shovels and trucks since 2003, when its working partnership with Ferrexpo began. Well established in Ukraine, Sumitec is the official representative for Komatsu construction and mining equipment as well as Toyota material handling and lifting equipment and works with a host of mining multinationals, including ArcelorMittal and Metinvest.

Trusted technical support

“We provide 24/7 in-house technical support for Ferrexpo with a maximum reaction time of one hour,” explains Sumitec

Director Alexander Scherbakov. “Our people are trained by Komatsu Germany’s mining division and in Japan. We also work closely with our Canadian sister company SMS Equipment which has 60 years of industry experience. “We aim to reduce downtime of the equipment and, despite the limitations of Ukraine’s infrastructure, meet international standards. For example, we’ve replaced conventional lifting with jack systems which have reduced repair time down from 20-28 days to just 5 days.” Sumitec manages rebuilds of all components: final drives, engines, transmissions, differentials. “We can also rebuild hydraulic cylinders and manufacture hydraulic hoses at our in-house facility,” adds Scherbakov. “We’ve always got the right parts in stock to put machines back into operations as fast as possible.”

Digitalization

Digitalization is driving efficiencies for both maintenance and operations at Ferrexpo. “We’re looking at introducing more automatic equipment on site,” adds Scherbakov. “We can design the workflow and work with Ferrexpo much faster with a digital approach that also allows for the introduction of new autonomous equipment. We can receive projects and download them on to our machine and take control of daily operations progress. This enables us to ensure everything is done on plan and controlled remotely to guarantee quality and reduce time.”

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FERREXPO

MAINTAINING A LICENSE TO OPERATE “We’re proud of the charitable activities in our CSR program,” asserts Ferrexpo’s Interim CEO & Executive Director, Jim North. “Maintaining a social license to operate is important for Ferrexpo. Our foundation, the Poltava Charity Fund, typically receives investment of around 1% of EBITDA from the previous year into its community projects. We invested $6mn last year, of which $2.5mn was related to the Covid-19 response effort. It's targeted expenditure, we’re not just investing into the community. We're thinking about the next generation of miners, so we want the community to have the facilities that they have. We're a rural community, far from any large city, so we want the children to have good sporting and education facilities. We invest in health programs, and improve the local environment so we have a more engaged workforce.” “Education is very important to us,” he adds. “I don't think that the Ukraine is any different to what you're seeing globally; urbanisation across the globe presents challenges. We actually want to help people understand the important role of mining in actually developing the modern world. For the renewables industry to expand, it actually needs mining to provide the raw materials. We want to be a good corporate citizen, so part of our CSR program is supporting our communities, but also, the focus is on the younger generation. We want people to understand that mining is important and interesting. The technology driving it is a window into the future: autonomy, AI, drones, robotics… We want to help inspire the next generation of miners to join our industry.”

July 2021

FERREXPO

Digital transformation supporting sustainability and safety Ferrexpo is on the journey towards decarbonising its mining fleet by implementing mine electrification, transitioning to renewable energy sources for electricity, and making the move away from using natural gas in its pelletisers with hydrogen the most likely solution. “Automation will also play a role in the future”, adds North. “It delivers efficiency and lowers cost inputs. So, if you're thinking about the carbon journey, with lower inputs into your process you're generally going to use less carbon too”. Ferrexpo is continuing its fleet autonomy journey with Epiroc. “We first began automating our drills back in 2017”, recalls North. “We currently have three semiautonomous drills being operated via a tele-remote process from our mining control room – we call the process teleremote. The driller now can come to work, sit in front of a computer screen with a joystick, almost like a Sony PlayStation, and get to operate the drill from the office. This removes our drillers from the mining hazards of the pit. They don’t work in a highvibration environment. There's no dust. And you're removing people from that person/ machine interface, which is removing the potential for accidents to occur”. North also notes the spike in productivity when shift changes are minimised with continuous operation. “We've been running continually since 2017, and the intention is to move to fullautonomous drilling as we expand the business. Once we're comfortable with the technology and our workforces have adopted fully, we'll move to the point where one driller can operate two or three drills at one time”. Miningglobal.com

At Outliers Mining Solutions, we elevate productivity at mines around the globe. We deliver lasting solutions in mining operations, asset management and mine technology. So, when you need an advisor and implementors with a distinguished track record and deep industry experience, Outliers is a miner’s major advantage.

Outliers: improving mine performance and efficiency Operational consulting and implementation expertise across a range of mining-specific services to increase productivity and reduce costs Outliers Mining Solutions is a multidisciplinary operational consulting firm serving the global mining industry. Outliers CEO & Co-founder Salar Javid leads an innovative consulting and value delivery approach across the mining space. “In partnership with our clients, we deliver end-to-end solutions to improve productivity and efficiency. We use data from mining operations to analyze past performance and implement sustainable solutions that lead to effective decision making to improve productivity and efficiency,” says Javid. Outliers’ unique approach to consulting and operational improvement results from their expertise in technology and a deep understanding of the challenges mining operations face, delivering rapid improvements over short periods. “Our consultants use their breadth of experience in technical, leadership and management roles in the industry and can also leverage the latest innovations in mine technology and delivery solutions,” assures Javid. “We don’t need to rely on external technical expertise. We have the agility to go into organizations to diagnose problems and correct them with a small team. More than

just consultants, we strive to deliver lasting solutions in mines by increasing the capability within our client’s workforce.” Building partnerships to bridge the gap “The needs of industrialisation have created a niche for specialists, but they can’t always communicate with each other, so the value these specialists provide can be lost. As a result, generalist consulting groups have emerged to service the sector,” explains Javid. “We consider ourselves as ‘bridgers’ of that gap in the mining industry to help companies effectively implement and take advantage of innovations like automation.”

Outliers Mining Solutions supports companies like Ferrexpo so they can maximise their investment in tech and innovation. “At Ferrexpo, we were able to quickly close the gap that existed in the knowledge, capability and capacity of their people. This allowed them to effectively utilise the technology they already had in place. We helped analyse their data and operations and gave the team the tools to make more effective operational decisions in real-time. This improvement delivered an increase of over 22% in truck productivity.”

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“ For a green steel product, you need to move away from the traditional technologies that use coke and filament gas for fuel, and towards electric arc furnaces and the DR processes” JIM NORTH

INTERIM CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FERREXPO

Drones Ferrexpo implemented drone surveys in 2019 at its seond original Ukrainian mine in Ukraine called Yeristovo, and is now in a position to roll out the process at its original mine, Poltava. “What took three surveyors two weeks to do, we can get done now in around two days using drones”, reveals North. “Some of our surveyors have trained to become drone pilots; taking place positions and feeding 40

July 2021

that digital information back to the office to convert into a data file and load into our planning systems. It’s dramatically improved the efficiency with which we can do surveying and mapping of the mine and, obviously improves the accuracy, because you're taking that chance for human error out of the equation. And we’re also improving safety by taking workers out of the hazards of the person/machine interface in the mine”.

FERREXPO

Autonomous evolution of the mining workplace North highlights the misconception around autonomy. “People think we're driving it because we want to reduce roles and the number of people deployed in the process”, he says. “Generally, that’s not the case. Pushing processes to be more efficient can result in less people involved, but not significantly. Mostly what we see happen is the role, instead of sitting in a truck drill

or dozer, transitions into a technician supporting the processes required. For example, the communications networks that actually run all this technology are extensive and need to be maintained. That creates new roles that didn't actually exist before”. Ferrexpo is partnering with ASI Mining, an American robotics company with decades of experience working with the likes of Ford and Toyota that were also part of the team delivering autonomous solutions Miningglobal.com

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PUTTING A HUMAN FACE ON CHANGE Two Proudfoot sr. executives discuss the Covid driven surge in demand and how they’re helping clients meet digital and operational change to achieve hard-results while focusing on people. JJ Van Pletzen and Jon Wylie are veteran mining experts at Proudfoot. They have almost sixty years’ experience between them. Van Pletzen says they’ve come a long way. ‘Our focus is far more about people now, aligning company operating systems with strategy and bringing all that together in a digital world.’ Wylie agrees. ‘The challenge in the digital world is to put people at the centre of any company strategy. Change happens on an individual basis.’

to meet growing demand. That stretches an organisation and that requires new skills and systems to meet those demands.’ Proudfoot specializes in helping clients focus on adopting technology and optimising that through the right operating model while engaging people – all the stakeholders. Making the most of work processes across the entire value chain and identifying and releasing the hidden millions in the operation. ‘When Jon talks about digital transformation, it’s all about helping clients humanize this process in addition to optimizing. That’s down to the way you manage. And, of course, you have to optimise before you digitise,’ says Van Pletzen.

‘Many think there is resistance to change in a business. There isn’t. There is resistance to how change is being led and created.’ Global mining faces huge geographical and cultural challenges and the pandemic has meant solutions to those challenges and the changes needed have been accelerated with once unimaginable speed. Wylie sites Proudfoot’s work with the Ukrainian based iron ore mining company Ferrexpo as a good example of how the obstacles of a Covid/climate change age are being met. ‘In a Covid world we are seeing pent-up consumer demand,’ says Wylie. This is sparking significant growth. ‘Mining companies such as Ferrexpo, providing raw materials, will be going through that demand cycle.’ There is a surge in new capital projects… a move to build new mines and expand capacity

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FERREXPO

Experts in Training and Consultancy Services – Worldwide TTE International delivers high quality technical training and consultancy services to clients in the energy, engineering, process and mining sectors – delivering instruction either at our first-class UK facilities or on location at client operational locations across the world. Flexible and prepared to travel, our experienced trainers have delivered training in Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Oman, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

We can work with your business to complete skills matrices, design and carry out training needs analysis and competency assessments. Supporting you with new training, upskilling or re-skilling your workforce, our programmes are accredited by internationally recognised awarding bodies and supported by externally audited quality systems and procedures.

Clients we work with: • Ferrexpo • Anglo American • BP • Shell • Marathon Oil • ICL • Lucite

Tel: +44 1642 462266 • Email: gts@tte.co.uk

AUTOMATION RETROFIT LEADERS ASI Mining is the leading non OEM automation retrofitter in the mining industry. Since our first automation retrofit in 2006 with CAT 777s, we’ve continued to mature and scale. Today, we’re deploying AHS on 3 continents and have expanded our scope to provide autonomous solutions in multiple areas of the mine.

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FERREXPO

“We've been running continually since 2017, and the intention is to move to fullautonomous drilling as we expand the business. Once we're comfortable with the technology and our workforces have adopted fully, we'll move to the point where one driller can operate two or three drills at one time” JIM NORTH

INTERIM CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FERREXPO

Miningglobal.com

FERREXPO

“ What took three surveyors two weeks to do, we can get done now in around two days using drones” JIM NORTH

INTERIM CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FERREXPO

Reduce energy consumption and improve recovery rates? How vertical grinding mills helped Ferrexpo achieve both Partner for positive change.

July 2021

FERREXPO

and our concentrators. And we've recently signed a deal for Weir to provide highpressure grinding rolls; the HPGR units, which we're going to use to expand our concentrator capacity and improve our crushing and grinding capability.” Allied to these key partners, Sumitec provides high-quality metal cutting tools, machine accessories and engineering equipment to meet the demands and challenges of the market and Outliers deliver mining optimisation and consulting services to improve mine performance efficiency.

for NASA’s rovers. “Working with ASI has allowed us to deploy an OEM-agnostic autonomous solution, so we can work with any truck across our operations”, explains North. “ASI can also help us make that truck autonomous truck. Caterpillars, Hitachis, Komatsus, Liebherrs… ASI can deliver the solution to get them to interact and work together and we don’t need to change out the entire fleet”. Partnering for success Part of Ferrexpo’s CSR programme involves developing local suppliers and supporting the communities it operates in. Allied to its local reach, a global focus on producing high-quality iron ore pellets requires leading tech partners like ASI (who bring skills to the site and help train local workers building the in-house skillset) and major OEMs like Komatsu. “Metso has been key to our development”, adds North. “They offer process technology for both our power lines

Green Steel “We, as an organisation, need to think about what COVID's taught us”, believes North. “If you think about health and safety and the well-being of people, we've been quite fortunate that we haven't been heavily impacted. I think it's taught us a lot about thinking outside the box. What are the issues you might not have in your risk register that could play out and impact your business? It's taught us to think more broadly in terms of impact”. With the increased move online via remote working and tech adoption, cybersecurity is critical. “Moving forward, to understand how we can protect the business with its data online while using online tools to communicate, we need to develop systems to protect ourselves from external sources”, pledges North, who notes the same care must be taken to avoid attacks on the environment with the push towards carbon neutrality. “Ferrexpo is well placed to increase production in a way that can produce the green steel of the future”.

Miningglobal.com

DIGITAL MINING

A Smart Approach

TO THE FUTURE

OF MINING 48

July 2021

DIGITAL MINING

The ability to design and develop in the virtual world through digital twins and 3D models can create value in the real world by reducing risk, enhancing safety and improving productivity

EOVIA provides a virtual lens to create 3DExperience Universes to model and simulate our planet, from the vast expanse of the geosphere to the smallest details of urban settlements. A part of the Dassault Systèmes (3DS) group, GEOVIA supports the sustainable capture, use and re-use of natural resources across the planet. From mining to urbanisation, GEOVIA delivers innovations to improve life on earth. Dassault Systèmes (3DS) offers a 3DExperience with GEOVIA Established in 1981, 3DS is a French software group working across industries such as construction, aerospace, marine and heavy industries. GEOVIA’S solutions support city planning, earth modelling, resource management and more. CEO Michelle Ash believes the synergies GEOVIA can draw from within the 3DS group can help drive new capabilities for mining customers. “We can bring our experience helping companies like Renault and Land Rover transform maintenance systems, supply chain management and design,” explains Ash. “For example, we’re developing an approach to parametric design, to help the mining industry with both underground and surface design, that was first trialled in construction and manufacturing.” Ash notes that thanks to GEOVIA’s 3DExperience, you don’t have to be an Miningglobal.com

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DIGITAL MINING

3DEXPERIENCE mine | Driving Digital Transformation with the 3DEXPERIENCE mine | GEOVIA

“ We’re developing an approach to parametric design, to help the mining industry with both underground and surface design, that was first trialled in construction and manufacturing” MICHELLE ASH CEO, GEOVIA

expert in any facet of mining, so everyone, from the boardroom to the community, can get a visual sense of design choices and the numbers behind them for strategic mine design and tactical planning. For example, she explains that many mining companies are keen to understand their options around haulage, assessing the benefits of diesel versus electrification and examining new developments with conveyance mechanisms and train technologies. “Rather than having to make a commitment on the basis of twodimensional number crunching, we can simulate the options,” explains Ash. “We can show them what the changes to their mine design might look like… With one customer, we recently ran 14,000 options for them in a matter of days, allowing them to finetune their choices for a deep dive around what it means for their mine design and its productivity, the community and their environmental impact.” Miningglobal.com

DIGITAL MINING

“ Whether its underground caving or in-situ leaching, I’m convinced the way we are going to rapidly innovate and de-risk innovation in conservative industries like mining is through the creation of virtual twin experiences” MICHELLE ASH CEO, GEOVIA

July 2021

Virtual Twin – a step beyond Digital twins have been in use since the 1960s, and although the technology has advanced, they continue to be 3D CAD models representing a real-world object in isolation. “Virtual twin experiences, however, are a significant step beyond that,” says Ash. “They are scientifically accurate virtual models of real-world objects and systems that can be submitted and tested in sophisticated virtual models of the environments where they will operate. This enables us not only to understand the modelled object but also to observe and analyse its behaviour in different conditions and scenarios, including solving problems in 4D (3D plus time), and with the use of VR/ AR (virtual and augmented reality) tools, so both the problem and solutions can be communicated faster to team groups, which also increases its understanding, collaboration and participation.”

DIGITAL MINING

Michelle Ash TITLE: CEO COMPANY: GEOVIA

This is especially interesting for the mining industry where Ash highlights problems are often multidisciplinary, driven by fundamental sciences such as geology, geomechanics, chemistry and many others, including increasingly ecology and anthropology. These require the communication of complex solutions to groups who may not be experts in that science. “Whether its underground caving or in-situ leaching, where you don’t move the dirt and just take the metal out, I’m convinced the way we are going to rapidly innovate and de-risk innovation in conservative industries like mining is through the creation of these virtual twin experiences that go beyond just offering a solution set,” maintains Ash. “We’ve developed an experience multiple people across teams can have simultaneously so they can discuss it and innovate in real-time. It’s like an interactive

Michelle Ash started her mining career in Australia as a blasting engineer with Rio Tinto, but her work has taken her across Southeast Asia, Africa, North and South America, in senior roles, including Chief Innovation Officer at Barrick Gold. Steering the digital transformation of one of the biggest mining companies in the world, she focused on how innovation can drive productivity and be harnessed to deliver alternative business models. Meanwhile, her “unique operational and strategic background” was hugely beneficial in positioning the Global Mining Guidelines Group during her recent tenure as Chair, where she contributed to developing best practices and guidelines for the implementation of technology and socially enabled changes in the mining industry. She is also on the advisory board of several startups such as Petra Data Science, OffWorld, Behault, Descartes Labs and MineSpider. With over 20 years of experience in the mining and manufacturing sectors and a focus on business improvement and change management working for the likes of Mitsubishi, Ash was named to the 2016 list of ‘100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining’ and won the Technology Innovator of the Year Award by Mines and Technology in 2019.

Miningglobal.com

DIGITAL MINING

movie where people can jump into the models they've created, move around wearing a virtual headset and get a feel for the proposed environment. We can offer this decentralised virtual experience via Zoom meetings with pointing devices that can focus the collective attention of a group to comment and interact around the model.” Accelerating sustainability with technology “Incremental and continuous improvement in productivity, resource use, emissions, waste and energy reduction are critically needed,” believes Ash. “But such efforts alone are not enough to achieve ambitious targets such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). That requires a fundamental transformation of underlying systems and processes, and virtual twin technologies can be the lever to operationalise sustainability at speed and scale.” Ash also notes that mining companies are asked to provide data that extends beyond climate to questions around how they serve their full set of stakeholders, such as the diversity of their workforce, the sustainability of their supply chain, or how well they protect their customers’ data. Each company’s prospects for growth are inextricable from its ability to operate sustainably and serve those stakeholders. “Although the rate of technology adoption and digital transformation in the mining and metals industry is picking up, it is slower than the rate at which society expects us to change. We’ve got this ever-widening gap between our capabilities, no matter how much they’re improving, and the capabilities that society expects us to have as mining companies.” “It’s all about innovation,” she continues. “We can support the push to decarbonise by modelling the benefits of mine electrification, automation 54

July 2021

“ We ran 14,000 options for a customer in a matter of days, allowing them to fine-tune their choices for a deep dive around what it means for their mine design and its productivity, the community and their environmental impact” MICHELLE ASH CEO, GEOVIA

DIGITAL MINING

Case Study – Zijin Mining Group Challenge: Intensive engineering works required the management of a massive amount of data - especially for complex ore body shapes. A more efficient modelling solution was required. Zijin’s current solution with dynamic anisotropy helped in some aspects, but the challenge was the cumbersome workflow. Assignment of attributes from the trend surface only supported bearing and dip, which needed conversion to the azimuth of the trend surface. Solution: The company adopted GEOVIA Surpac to solve the fold problem. It introduces implicit algorithms for resource estimation, as well as the capability to model the folded ore body by surface flattening. Additionally, it provides functions for sample distribution

analysis, specialised for soft-hard boundary layers in statistical analysis. Benefits: The solution enabled comparative studies and connection of the spatial morphology of geologic bodies (ore bodies) in three-dimensional space. Additionally, it forecast the prospect of exploration in deep and marginal areas of mine. Moreover, it dynamically indicated market and cost to optimise enterprise resources and ultimately improved efficiency and business value. Testimonial: “GEOVIA Surpac provides the foundation for comprehensive mining information and is key for our digital transformation.” Yu Bo, Deputy General Manager, Zijin Mining Group Miningglobal.com

DIGITAL MINING

Case Study – Agnico Eagle Challenge: Agnico Eagle needed to create and integrate mine design and production schedules with geological modeling to increase in-house knowledge and ensure profitability did not falter at the Meadowbank mine in Canada – Agnico’s largest gold producer. After struggling for over a year with a competitive software solution, the mine switched to GEMS and engaged the Dassault Systèmes’ GEOVIA Services team to help streamline their longterm planning. Solution: Agnico Eagle implemented GEOVIA’s GEMS SQL, MineSched and Whittle with onsite GEOVIA Services training and assistance for life of mine estimation, life of mine production scenarios, pit optimisation, pit designs and ore control. GEMS SQL allowed Meadowbank to choose a design that increased the capacity of the in-pit dump by 1.7 million tonnes, which decreased hauling and construction

“ We can support the push to decarbonise by modelling the benefits of mine electrification, automation and robotic techniques, looking at how these approaches play out in terms of underground mine design” MICHELLE ASH CEO, GEOVIA

July 2021

costs when compared to the original plan, for an overall saving over the life of mine of approximately US$1.4mn. Benefits: GEOVIA’s solutions delivered a strong mine plan and streamlined operating process that decreased hauling and construction costs. Additionally, a smoother process for resource updating with rapid analysis reduced evaluation time from weeks to days. Elsewhere, GEMS Ore Control module improved accuracy in the classification of pit material, increasing output at the Goose Pit by 70,000 ounces in 2013. Testimonial: “Since we have started working with MineSched, our team training and mine planning at Meadowbank have improved significantly.” Yvon Sylvestre, Senior Vice President, Operations, Canada & Europe, Agnico Eagle

DIGITAL MINING

and robotic techniques, looking at how these approaches play out in terms of underground mine design.” GEOVIA’s cities technologies can support approaches to sustainability with water management under different rainfall conditions that can influence dam designs from a water-shedding perspective and how that impacts communities. Applied to mining, GEOVIA can rapidly create significant sustainability outcomes for the industry and the communities it operates in. How do you mine with less waste? It’s a question driving innovation for GEOVIA. And recycling that waste holds the key to driving sustainability in the future with in-situ leaching and reusing tailings to

extract metals, something sister brand BIOVIA is developing the capabilities to do. Meanwhile, Ash highlights that virtual twins can reduce the risk of implementing new energy solutions, test chemicals that are less impactful to extract metals or optimise how we store tailings. Future-proofing to mine smarter “We can build on the great capabilities we have, and I think we can rapidly then pivot to solving problems using digital technologies,” says Ash. “The mining industry is full of value networks; OEMs, energy suppliers, battery suppliers… Driving their collaboration is key and something we’re doing as part of the Electric Mine Consortium, alongside mining companies, academics and other simulation providers to promote new approaches to mine electrification and decarbonisation. At 3DS, we can bring learnings from automotive in the manufacturing industry and make the connections that fast track innovation.” Change is being led by medium-sized companies, says Ash, who believes their need to be agile and re-orientate sees them better placed than the majors to embrace a culture of innovation. “It’s tough to bring new capabilities and products to any market,” she stresses. “It's just too hard to do it on your own. It's much easier and faster and less costly to do these things collaboratively; build a market for products that they want. And then, if they want to compete against each other, compete on how rapidly they can implement those technologies and create that solution and those new behaviours which ultimately create value in a company. GEOVIA will focus on accelerating partnerships like these in 2021 to scale our capabilities and help drive innovation across the mining industry.” Miningglobal.com

POWERING THE FUTURE 58

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INDUSTRY X.0

Teague Egan Founder and CEO, EnergyX

How a visionary startup is supporting the global transition to sustainable energy with direct lithium extraction technologies and the development of effective energy storage solutions

EnergyX LiTAS Tech Module Cluster Rack

WRITTEN BY: DANIEL BRIGHTMORE

ithium demand is already high and is growing year on year. Over the next 10-20 years, lithium will become the most important natural resource in the world. As our society transitions to a fully sustainable future, EnergyX will tackle the hardest problems for the production of lithium and many aspects of energy storage.” EnergyX CEO Teague Egan is a man on a mission… The lightbulb moment that proved to be the genesis for his fledgling company came when the young entrepreneur was on a sabbatical exploring South America. As he ventured across the Salar de Uyuni, in the mountains of Bolivia, he came to learn the area was not only the world’s largest salt flat at 4,000 square miles but also that the world’s single largest lithium reserve was held in the salt brines below. Part of a larger area known as the ‘Lithium Triangle’, up to 75% of the world’s lithium is captured in this small area between Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. Primarily untapped, Egan recognised a huge opportunity. EnergyX was born. Electric Vehicles Thanks to the electric vehicle revolution, the demand for battery metals like lithium is rocketing. “The future is going to be powered by lithium and batteries, but we're not prepared to supply oncoming demand with the current methods of manufacturing,” says Egan. “The answer is direct lithium Miningglobal.com

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INDUSTRY X.0

“ The future is going to be powered by lithium and batteries, but we're not prepared to supply oncoming demand with the current methods of manufacturing” TEAGUE EGAN

FOUNDER AND CEO, ENERGYX

extraction… So, we need to introduce new technology to be able to produce lithium and other battery materials in a more efficient and cost-effective way. That’s our focus at EnergyX.” That focus is being backed by a recent funding round that saw the company secure a further $20mn of investment to develop its technology. Energy Storage The market for zero-emission, hybrid and fully electric vehicles is estimated to be

worth $912bn by 2026. IEA predicts there could be 130 million EV’s on the road by 2030. However, there are significant issues to be addressed, and battery costs need to be further reduced while performing more efficiently with longer lifespans. EnergyX is working on solid-state battery electrolyte technology using its core LiTAS nanotechnology to solve some of these problems. “Solid-state batteries are the Holy Grail of energy storage,” notes Egan. “During our preliminary research, we have seen that lithium ions transport through metalorganic framework (MOF) nanoparticles at unprecedented rates. These results translate to extraordinary levels of conductivity and possible application as a solid-state separator inside the battery.” Miningglobal.com

INDUSTRY X.0

Solid-state batteries are a transformational extension and optimisation of lithiumion batteries; an ideal approach because it maximises the energy density of the battery while lowering the weight and making it safer. The result delivers 500% more capacity, 10 x higher energy density, 6 x faster charging and a battery that lasts up to 10 years longer. University of Texas EnergyX grew out of a partnership with the University of Texas (UT), which saw Professor of Chemical Engineering Dr Benny Goodman offer invaluable scientific guidance. “We ended up licensing the core technology for LiTAS (Lithium Ion Transport and Separation), our approach to direct lithium extraction, via four patents licensed on a worldwide 62

July 2021

exclusive basis. We still carry out R&D at the university - they have incredible access to equipment, resources and the human capital that has given credibility to our efforts,” explains Egan. Dr Freeman now serves as the Chairman of the company’s science advisory board; his research, backed by the US Department of Energy, is in polymer science and engineering with mass transport of small molecules in solid polymers. His group performs fundamental research in gas and liquid separations using polymer membranes and barrier packaging along with structure/property correlation development for water/ion separation, hydrogen separation, natural gas purification, and carbon capture.

INDUSTRY X.0

Teague Egan TITLE: FOUNDER AND CEO COMPANY: ENERGYX Teague Egan is a serial entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of EnergyX. “Along the way, I've worn every single hat in the company,” he jokes. “From marketing and finance to capital raising, science and technology… I’ve got a great team around me, and I think it helps that, as an outsider, I can provide a different perspective on

“ We can see what fossil fuels and carbon emissions have done to our planet, and it's something we urgently need to address. And that's the overarching focus of renewable energy and where I want to focus our efforts at EnergyX” TEAGUE EGAN

FOUNDER AND CEO, ENERGYX

the challenges faced with lithium tech and lead the team in breaking things down to a first-principles approach. That team of people are much smarter than me, but it’s my job as CEO to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and try to connect the dots.” He is responsible for all aspects of building the company into the world leader in renewable energy technologies. His focus is on commercialising the LiTAS™ technology for direct lithium extraction and the company’s SoLiS™ solid-state battery electrolytes. He believes 100hour working weeks and little sleep is the recipe to success. Egan’s entrepreneurial background is in investing, inventing, and philanthropy. He has been working across public sector energy assets and sustainable technologies since 2013. Prior to EnergyX, he started businesses in entertainment, music, and sports and is also the inventor of EnergyDNA – a patented multi-component graphene textile fibre technology. Egan founded Innovation Factory VC,, a venture capital fund focused on tech, life sciences, real estate, and consumer products, in 2012.

Miningglobal.com

INDUSTRY X.0

Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Lithium-Ion Transport and Separation (LiTAS) is EnergyX’s proprietary technology that stems from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) nanoparticles capable of selectively separating monovalent ions, such as lithium, from the rest of the ions in mixtures of high salinity solutions while maintaining stability in myriad conditions. No other technology has ever been able to do this. Lithium being a speciality material that provides enhanced performance and unique characteristics to transform the energy industry, cost-effective and time-efficient extraction is the holy grail. EnergyX is working on mastering these problems and is driving the growth of the global lithium industry while making low-carbon technology cheaper and more accessible.

July 2021

Overview: LiTAS tech is the synthesis and characterisation of mixed matric membranes (MMMs) comprising mixtures of polymer and MOF to retain the attractive selectivity of the MOF and the scalable and robust mechanical properties of polymers. EnergyX has designed and patented a proprietary scalable casting method to combine MOF nanoparticles with polymers to create the MMMs in a thin film format. • Recovery Rate – 90% lithium • Continuous Process – 1-2 days • Fresh Water Required – Minimal • Operating Conditions – 20-40% high salinity

INDUSTRY X.0

EnergyX is Powering the Future.

“ We’re partnered with the national Australian agency CSIRO (the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation which invented polymer bank notes and developed Wi-Fi), America’s Critical Minerals Institute (CMI) and other educational institutions such as Monash University in Australia and the University of Texas” TEAGUE EGAN

FOUNDER AND CEO, ENERGYX

“Membranes don’t need a phase change to achieve separation. They are compact and fast – it takes minutes,” explains Dr Freeman, who notes that the incumbent method of separation by solar radiation in massive salars takes up to two years. He’s confident that EnergyX can be a game-changer: “We believe we have the most select lithium separation membranes currently available that can be manufactured using the same process currently employed for desalination membranes which will aid the eventual scaling up of our approach to DLE.” The relationship with UT has opened the doors to further collaborations for EnergyX, says Egan. “We’re also partnered with the national Australian agency CSIRO (the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation which invented polymer banknotes and developed Wi-Fi), America’s Critical Minerals Institute (CMI) and other educational institutions such as Monash University in Australia. We continue Miningglobal.com

INDUSTRY X.0

to search for partners across the world who are leaders in their disciplines because this international effort is really the only way to build a disruptive technology that's going to provide the value.” ESG Driving value for others is key to the ethos behind EnergyX. “There’s a bigger cause behind an ESG company,” reflects Egan. “There's an altruistic side. Of course, anybody that starts a company that is possibly affecting the lives of thousands or millions or more people is going to reap the monetary benefits of that; look at Tesla… But the only way a company becomes truly successful is by driving value for other people and improving the world they live in.” “We really need to address climate change; I compare it to ageing - it's not something you see overnight. But when you look in the mirror or look back 20, 30 years, it's noticeable. We can look at the trends and patterns of the past 30 years and what fossil fuels and carbon emissions have done to our planet, and it's something we urgently need to address. And that's the overarching focus of renewable energy and where I want to focus our efforts at EnergyX.”

“ We believe we have the most select lithium separation membranes currently available that can be manufactured using the same process currently employed for desalination membranes which will aid the eventual scaling up of our approach to DLE” 66

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DR BENNY FREEMAN

PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

INDUSTRY X.0

implemented into batteries that can store energy and be used for 25 years, and then hopefully recycled, which is another growing focus for our industry. “On the utilisation side, there are essentially no carbon emissions with rechargeable batteries. Accessing the natural resources needed will always leave a carbon footprint, but we can try to make that more efficient and look at the process in two ways… One is the actual environmental footprint of these huge evaporation ponds that lithium is currently produced in. The ones in South America are bigger than Manhattan island - they're in the middle of the desert, but that's a huge footprint for surrounding indigenous cultures and ecosystems. The second is water usage. Operations use a tremendous amount of freshwater with current systems, and that's something that we aim to improve upon with our technology and its approach to direct lithium extraction (DLE).”

Renewable Energy Egan views sustainability from two standpoints: the carbon emissions reduction that utilising lithium in a renewable energy ecosystem has and the mining process itself… “Everything we see around us originates from a natural resource we take from the ground, and there's a carbon footprint associated with that and beyond when we look at how it's used in society,” highlights Egan. “Fossil fuels deliver a onetime use with a certain carbon emissions footprint. Lithium, on the other hand, is

Orocobre & Galaxy Resources In 2020, EnergyX announced a pilot partnership with Orocobre to offer the DLE tech that will support cleaner, more efficient energy extraction. Last month, Orocobre announced a multi-billion dollar deal with Galaxy Resources to create a lithium giant with the potential to become the thirdlargest producer in the world. “Orocobre is already one of the top lithium producers in the world,” notes Egan. “The merger with Galaxy further enhances an important partnership for us. EnergyX is also working with tier one producers that have sent us real-world brine and lithium brine material to test in our laboratories here in the US. But we're getting ready to ship these pilot plants that are in our lab into the field, and Orocobre couldn't be a better partner to pilot Miningglobal.com

INDUSTRY X.0

with. It’s a big milestone to test our tech in the field for longer. Once that is accomplished (a 6-12 month process), we will scale up towards a fully commercial facility.” Meeting the demand for lithium With the demand for lithium set to grow exponentially in line with electric vehicles, Egan projects that existing production infrastructure, even operating at full capacity, will not be enough to meet demand. “There’ll need to be new 68

July 2021

greenfield projects that come online,” he says. “We’re already developing the roadmap to create that end to end solution to support our customers. We want to be in the market with our complementary technology and maximising the current infrastructure two years from now. And when fully maximised, contributing towards the production of 1.5 million tonnes of lithium by 2025. Beyond that, by 2027, we’re looking at solutions that don't require existing pond infrastructure.”

INDUSTRY X.0

Powering the Future Having gained the interest of the wider industry by working hard to remove the risks of the early adoption of new technologies, the test pilot with Orocobre and the completion of Series A financing leaves EnergyX well place to achieve its goals. “We’ll start deploying some of our new capital this year,” says Egan. “We have five main initiatives. The first is to deploy our pilot plants into the field. We have three pilot plants, one of which will go to

Orocobre. Two of the others we're working on the agreements right now, and we have brine testing agreements with all of the tier one producers out there. These are big milestones for 2021. The second initiative is consolidating our team. Right now, we're spread out and working remotely with people in DC, New York, Austin and the Bay Area, but we are building our own 25,000 square-foot innovation lab in Austin, Texas, which will become our home this summer. Next, we scale the team; with this brandnew facility, we're looking to build from 15 to 50 people, mostly scientists and engineers. Fourth, we start scaling up our commercial manufacturing. And for us, that means producing our secret sauce, our lithium separation membranes. “We have partners that do the rest of the equipment that the membranes go in - the stacks, the pumps, the drivers, the valves and the casings... However, we will commercially manufacture our own membranes; that's a big initiative, building out that custom equipment. Fifth, and finally, is our intellectual property portfolio. We have 23 patents right now, and we'll look to grow our patent portfolio into the hundreds. This relates to two categories: DLE is about 90% of our bandwidth right now, but we also have our solid-state battery initiative, around 10% of our focus, and we'll file patents around both of those areas.” With global warming escalating, there is a high demand for innovation in the energy materials sector. Founded in 2018, when the US government placed lithium at the top of its List of Critical Minerals, EnergyX is primed to help meet global demand and contribute towards the development of the renewable energy capable of reducing our carbon footprint and lessening humanity’s environmental impact on the planet. Miningglobal.com

TECHNOLOGY

: ENHANCING

OPERATIONS THROUGH

LTE/5G Connectivity How reliable connectivity with LTE/5G is delivering safer, more efficient and productive mines via industrial grade private wireless networks making Industry 4.0 a reality

okia provides high-performance wireless networks that enable mining companies to use digital technologies to adapt to fluctuating demand, control operational costs and address growing safety and environmental concerns. They provide a starting point for bringing new levels of agility and automation to mining facilities. Nokia’s connection to the mining industry is strong, dating back 156 years. The Finnish multinational was originally founded by mining engineer Fredrik Idestam. After establishing a paper mill, the company expanded into electricity generation in 1902 before a rubber business was merged in 1922, which saw Nokia restructured into four major businesses: forestry, cable, rubber and electronics. The early 70s saw Nokia enter the networking and radio industry, also making military equipment alongside professional mobile radios, telephone switches, capacitors and related chemicals. Nokia went on to acquire television and electronics manufacturers before establishing itself as a major player in the mobile phone handset market after

July 2021

TECHNOLOGY

Miningglobal.com

The Department of Defense trusts the cloud with the most tools, technology, and accessibility at the tactical edge.

www.BuildOn.aws

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“ We take the deep telecommunications experience Nokia has developed across its core business and apply it to industrial end markets like mining” JAIME LAGUNA

DIGITAL INDUSTRIES, HEAD OF VERTICAL FOR OIL & GAS AND MINING, NOKIA

developing the first GSM network with Siemens. Recent years have seen a focus on the development of networking solutions. Today, Nokia’s solutions are being optimised for the mines of the future. Nokia has over 260 enterprise customers, and more than 40 mines are powered

by Nokia's private LTE / 4.9G and 5G networks. LTE/5G connectivity can deliver streamlined operations by taking advantage of automation, robotics, digitally enhanced equipment, sensor data, predictive analytics and machine learning. Connectivity “We take the deep telecommunications experience Nokia has developed across its core business and apply it to industrial end markets like mining,” maintains Jaime Laguna, Digital Industries, Head of Vertical for Oil & Gas and Mining at Nokia. “The value added by working with Nokia comes from the experts we have in-house and our longstanding collaborations with equipment manufacturers like Sandvik and Komatsu and industry partnerships with the likes of Nornickel, Codelco and Gold Fields.” The challenge is always the pursuit of connectivity. “Historically, the connectivity for surface and underground mining has relied on enterprise wireless solutions,” notes Laguna. “And that's the main issue Miningglobal.com

TECHNOLOGY

Nokia Industrial grade private wireless is powering the new age of Industry for mining

because they are using technology not developed for that type of environment. As a consequence, there is a need to deploy segregated networks for single services, which requires a lot of resources to maintain these different networks.” Laguna highlights that the industry-wide push we are seeing towards remote and digital operations via digital transformation will help with mine optimisation, safety and productivity. “The basic platform for all of these goals is reliable connectivity… How can we improve that?” asks Laguna. “Nokia’s industrial grade private wireless solution is providing a reliable backbone. We’re offering a multi-service network; the same infrastructure is going to enable the multiple use cases needed for improved communications for personnel, equipment, autonomous and remote operations and more… This will give us the base to manage what comes next and go beyond connectivity.” 74

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“ We worked with Sandvik and Komatsu to test our solution and validate its technology so we can guarantee the interoperability required for our customers” JAIME LAGUNA

DIGITAL INDUSTRIES, HEAD OF VERTICAL FOR OIL & GAS AND MINING, NOKIA

Jaime Laguna TITLE: HEAD OF VERTICAL FOR OIL, GAS & MINING COMPANY: NOKIA Jaime Laguna boasts more than two decades of experience in the telco industry… Following an internship with Compaq and a spell as an engineer, Laguna joined Alcatel (a Nokia company) in Mexico 21 years ago, working to support the company’s customers in the resources industries. “It’s always been a discussion about maintaining missioncritical networks and how to deliver a solution,” maintains Laguna. “In the telco world, there’s often a box to solve each connectivity problem... However, in this particular segment, especially with oil & gas and mining companies, it's not about the box; it's about how we deliver that solution. It’s my responsibility within Nokia to translate those customer requirements by building a strategy that meets their objectives for optimisation, efficiency and safety.” Working with a team to develop new technology and the strategies for its implementation inspires Laguna. “I’ve always been the type of person looking for what's next. I consider myself an early adopter. However, the mining industry can be quite conservative, so I see it as my job to inspire its leaders to see what technology can do for their operations. Thanks to ongoing digital transformation, little by little, mining companies are looking at the drivers – optimisation, efficiency and safety – pushing them towards adoption. That combination of technology and implementation is what excites me about Nokia.”

Miningglobal.com

TECHNOLOGY

Collaboration = Innovation Collaboration is the key to unlocking that next level of connectivity, believes Laguna. “It’s super important because we are talking about ecosystem availability,” he says. “Nokia can deliver end to end solutions, but we are not building everything for a mine… That ecosystem, that availability a customer needs to start connecting, equipment is very important for the adoption of new technologies. You can have the best network, but if you cannot connect your personnel, your machines, your processes, then you can’t achieve anything.” When Nokia first deployed private LTE networking for the mining industry, it was a “no-brainer” to start working with leading equipment providers like Sandvik and Komatsu to define future objectives. “They provide the real assets driving the daily activity of mining,” notes Laguna. “But they’re not interested in becoming telcos.” That’s where Nokia comes in, to ensure that when its mining customers buy new equipment, it works and connects, as expected. “We worked with Sandvik and Komatsu to test our solution and validate its technology so we can guarantee the interoperability required for our customers,” assures Laguna. “We deployed a 5G standalone network at Sandvik’s test mine in Tampere, Finland, for the purpose of validating specific applications related to the autonomous operations and maintenance of its machines. The telemetry and video coming from the machines need to be supported by the network, and that's the play we’re working on with Sandvik.” Meanwhile, a similar approach was taken with Komatsu to test connectivity for its autonomous haulage (AHS) trucks in an open-pit scenario required by many 76

July 2021

“ We want to give our customers the flexibility to embrace 5G by being able to choose from a variety of devices that follow open standards” JAIME LAGUNA

DIGITAL INDUSTRIES, HEAD OF VERTICAL FOR OIL & GAS AND MINING, NOKIA

TECHNOLOGY

mining companies. “We’ve helped them develop their FrontRunner platform,” explains Laguna. “We deployed our Future X infrastructure at their proving grounds in Sahuarita, Arizona, where they are using our network to test various applications. With all of this validated, we can tell our customers that want autonomous trucks, whether they’re buying from Komatsu or Caterpillar, they can rely on the technology that allows you to connect these machines; the answer is Nokia’s private wireless solution.”

Nornickel & Qualcomm Nornickel, the world’s largest producer of palladium and high-grade nickel and a major producer of platinum and copper, recently completed testing a private LTE/5Gready wireless network. It was deployed in Eurasia at one of the mines of the Skalysty mining enterprise at a depth of 875 metres. It was piloted simultaneously in 5G and LTE bands to support mission-critical and business-critical functions, such as reliable and secure voice and data communications, Miningglobal.com

TECHNOLOGY

Case Study – Gold Fields Nokia and Claro Chile (a subsidiary of Latin American telco América Móvil) deployed a private wireless network for Gold Fields set to transform Salares Norte into one of most digitalised mines in Latin America and a benchmark for Industry 4.0. The private LTE/4.9G solution, including AirScale radio, small cells, packet core, IP routers and NetAct network management system, will support the automation of mining operations by using different applications, such as remotecontrolled trucks, excavators, drills and, in the future, drones. In total, the network will connect 150 sensors for operational processes, monitoring and accident prevention in addition to 72 connected vehicles and machines. Nokia and Claro will also provide professional services such as network

July 2021

design, testing and deployment. With this infrastructure, the network will enable critical voice, data, internet and video communications to improve employee safety, as well as operational efficiency and productivity. “Automation relies on the ability to sense, analyse and act,” says Fernando Sosa, Head of Market Unit Southern Cone, Nokia. “To do so, industries are connecting every sensor, machine and worker in the most flexible way — and for that, they need business and mission-critical wireless networking solutions such as private LTE/4.9G. By working with Claro Chile to create such an automated ecosystem for Gold Fields, we are opening new opportunities for enterprises and other assetintensive industries, such as energy and rail, throughout Chile.”

TECHNOLOGY

video surveillance, remote management of machinery through video channels, communications between production sites, the control centre and beyond. Nokia’s industrial-grade private wireless connected digital mine solution, including 4.9G/LTE and 5G core hardware and software, Flexi Zone Micro LTE and Nokia AirScale 5G base stations, also features a special solution for mission-critical group communications. Project partners included the telecom operator Tele2, Qualcomm and SPBEK-Mining. 5G “Working with a chipset manufacturer like Qualcomm is very important,” highlights Laguna. “That chipset will be placed in many other devices, so we are going to be able to connect multiple things. The success of that ecosystem is about realising open standards. The use of the 5G mmWave spectrum opens up a wide range of new opportunities in all stages of mining. Ultra-fast data rates to smartphones and computers powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets are critical to both improving workplace safety and increasing efficiency by instantly transferring information directly to corporate cloud storage.” Nokia aims to encourage collaboration by rejecting the proprietary approach taken by other vendors. “We want to give our customers the flexibility to embrace 5G by being able to choose from a variety of devices that follow open standards,” pledges Laguna. “Options are the key to being able to select the right rugged comm’s devices for your operations, so chipset and device manufacturers (such as Compal’s 5G laptop and Motorola’s edge+ smartphone both based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset) are a vital component for delivering an end to end solution via our open architecture.” Miningglobal.com

TECHNOLOGY

Digital Transformation “Digital transformation operations transformation, workforce transformation… Everybody's transforming, right? This is always the trend, but we really need to do a deep dive into these concepts,” asserts Laguna. “This is where Nokia is sitting down with mine operations managers and asking the hard questions because we want to understand exactly what they need…” Mining customers are approaching Nokia because they need fast, reliable, and secure connectivity to overcome issues with the wi-fi mesh and network problems. “Then we’ll address concerns with other services,” adds Laguna. “There’s a growing demand for mission-critical voice, and now video communication. With a private wireless network, we’re able to offer a push to talk and push to video in the same form factor as the traditional TETRA P25 or any land mobile radio that they are using. But again, we are now doing a convergence of services with a platform of connectivity to support communications.” Laguna notes that by solving these two basic elements, Nokia can address what’s coming next and help companies with their objectives. “We need to be aware of the concepts of extreme autonomy and automation, so we’re focused on the continued development of our low latency offering to improve the capabilities of our customers’ networks. Our technology can enable them to manage the high throughput required to accomplish these goals.” Nokia is offering a roadmap of solutions starting from the basic pain points experienced in day-to-day operations and towards the industry’s digital transformation goals. Meanwhile, safety is paramount for Nokia’s mining customers, who are always 80

July 2021

looking to leverage technology to reduce risk. “Remote operations are becoming more important than ever before,” notes Laguna. “Blasting activity can be augmented by autonomous machines while drones can more safely monitor the initial results. For all of this, you need a reliable network.”

TECHNOLOGY

Case Study – Komatsu Komatsu announced the mining industry’s first Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) running on Nokia Industrial-grade Private Wireless technology in January 2019. This is enabling ultra-high system availability and reliability across Komatsu’s commercial operations while upholding the company’s renowned safety standards. Today, more than half of Komatsu’s production sites in North America, Latin America and Australia are running on Nokia 4.9G/LTE. Komatsu’s FrontRunner AHS allows uncrewed operation of the ultra-class mining trucks that are critical to the mining industry. These autonomous haul trucks are centrally controlled through a wireless network. This integrates onboard vehicle controllers, highprecision global positioning, and obstacle detection and avoidance systems. The system uses full supervisory logic, harnessing complex data fusion to control the dump truck to safely

operate through a load, haul and dump cycle. It also allows integration with other mining vehicles such as light vehicles, dozers, loaders and graders. Komatsu’s FrontRunner AHS brings together the world’s best-selling, ultra-class dump trucks with Modular Mining Systems’ DISPATCH Fleet Management System. This is the preferred management system in 90% of the largest mining operations in the world. Komatsu’s FrontRunner AHS has experienced exponential growth in cumulative production since its first commercial deployment in 2008 at Codelco’s Gabriela Mistral copper mine in Chile. It has moved more than 3 billion tons to this date. A Komatsu study revealed that transitioning to private LTE at a production customer site reduced communication errors per truck operating hour by 84.6%. This resulted in a productivity increase of 8.5%, up to 250,000 tonnes per year. Miningglobal.com

TECHNOLOGY

The connected digital mine of the future Nokia is focused on reinforcing the credibility of its offering to the mining industry with a holistic approach to 5G and the benefits it can offer remote and underground operations. “We’ll continue collaborating with partners like Sandvik and Komatsu to prove the benefits of the evolution of our networks,” adds Laguna. 82

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“In 2021, we look beyond connectivity… Now, we’ve proved the platform for supporting autonomous operations, Nokia will take a role in analysing all the data coming in to see how we can complement systems already in place across mining operations and also how we can transport this information, apply analytics, and send it to the corporate network for

TECHNOLOGY

“ Our connectivity goal is a full end to end solution from the pit or the underground mine to the port, helping and enhancing the complete supply chain solution” JAIME LAGUNA

DIGITAL INDUSTRIES, HEAD OF VERTICAL FOR OIL & GAS AND MINING, NOKIA

more proactive decision making. Our connectivity goal is a full end to end solution from the pit or the underground mine to the port, helping and enhancing the complete supply chain solution.” It doesn't stop at the site, at the pit or the underground mine; Nokia is investigating how it can optimise the railways, something already underway with

Vale in Brazil… Laguna’s team will continue following a roadmap of successful use cases delivering connectivity and move forward to support wearable technology, deeper analytics, digital twin, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality. “We’re embracing all of these concepts to deliver the fully connected digital mine from Nokia.” Miningglobal.com

SUPPLY CHAIN & OPERATIONS

DEEP-SEA MINING: Sustainability Saviour or Environmental Menace? Polymetallic nodules found on the seafloor contain the battery metals needed for the renewable energy transition. But do the environmental concerns outweigh the sustainability benefits? Mining investigates… WRITTEN BY: DANIEL BRIGHTMORE 84

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SUPPLY CHAIN & OPERATIONS

olymetallic nodules found on the seafloor contain copper, nickel and a variety of rare earth minerals – the key battery metals needed to support the ongoing transition to renewable energy. The IEA predicts that 130 million electric vehicles will be on our roads by 2030. These raw materials are required if that mobility revolution is to be realised. And these strategic metals would contribute towards wider sustainability efforts with the production of solar panels, wind turbines and more... Deep-Sea Mining Deep-sea mining has the potential to supply rare earth metals free from the social strife

associated with unsafe working conditions and labour rights abuses and can reduce the raw material cost and carbon footprint of vital green technologies. “On the other hand, concerned scientists have highlighted our limited knowledge of the deep-sea and its ecosystems,” notes the World Economic Forum’s Platform Acceleration Lead Winnie Yeh. “The potential impact of mining on deep-sea biodiversity, its habitats and fisheries are still being studied, and experts have questioned the idea that environmental impacts of mining in the deep-sea can be mitigated in the same way as those on land.” Miningglobal.com

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“ The potential impact of mining on deepsea biodiversity, its habitats and fisheries are still being studied, and experts have questioned the idea that environmental impacts of mining in the deep-sea can be mitigated in the same way as those on land” WINNE YEH,

PLATFORM ACCELERATION LEAD, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

In the face of this uncertainty, the European Parliament, the prime ministers of Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and more than 80 organisations have called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining until and unless a set of precautionary criteria are fulfilled. Harvesting minerals from the seafloor Deep-sea mining companies are focused on harvesting polymetallic nodules found in the mud layers of the seafloor, which are also rich in copper and rare earth minerals. Exploration of the seafloor in international waters is administered by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) as mandated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In July 2011, The Metals Company (formerly DeepGreen), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI), was granted a 15-year exploration contract for the NORI Project Miningglobal.com

SUPPLY CHAIN & OPERATIONS

The Metals Company: Vision

“ When you perform a life cycle sustainability analysis (LCSA), as we have done, it becomes clear that obtaining critical base metals from ocean nodules has the least impact in terms of biodiversity, carbon, ecosystem services and human communities” DR GREG STONE,

CHIEF OCEAN SCIENTIST, THE METALS COMPANY

July 2021

with a combined area of 74,830 km2 in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). The Metals Company is exploring CCZsourced base metals for what it views as a lower impact and more ethical alternative to land-based mining for the world’s transition to electric vehicles and carbonfree energy. The company is dedicating significant resources to studying the impacts of different sources of critical base metals. “When you perform a life cycle sustainability analysis (LCSA) as we have done, and you look at the dynamic and interacting systems of the whole earth - rainforests and mountains, deserts and oceans - it becomes clear that obtaining critical base metals from ocean nodules has the least impact in terms of biodiversity, carbon, ecosystem services

Polymetallic Nodules

and human communities,” argues The Metals Company’s Chief Ocean Scientist, Dr Greg Stone. Dr Stone is leading the company’s research program in collaboration with the UK National Oceanography Centre, the Natural History Museum and a host of academic institutions worldwide. Involving over 100 researchers, they are studying the entire water column - from seabed to surface - involving ROVs, nets, sail drones and sophisticated sensors and moorings. Dr Stone hopes the data collected for The Metals Company’s environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) will enable informed decision-making and regulatory development ahead of the company’s proposed polymetallic nodule collection project.

Polymetallic nodules, also called manganese nodules, contain four essential battery metals: cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese, in a single ore. Formed over millions of years by absorbing metals from seawater, these nodules lie unattached to the abyssal seafloor and are almost entirely composed of usable materials. Unlike land ores, they don’t contain toxic levels of heavy elements, and producing metals from nodules generates 99% less solid waste, with no toxic tailings. Polymetallic nodules could help with the growing need for battery metals to enable a full transition to clean energy and electric vehicles. They were first discovered more than a century ago. In the 1970s, four consortia started to collect the rocks in trials. Tests confirmed that the nodules could be collected and processed to produce usable metals with the technology available at the time, but the activity was paused because there were no regulations or governing body in place to protect the deep ocean, especially in international waters. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) was set up by the United Nations in 1994, and the organisation granted the first license for exploring polymetallic nodules to Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI, a subsidiary of The Metals Company) in 2011. Miningglobal.com

SUPPLY CHAIN & OPERATIONS

Deep-Sea Minerals Dialogue The Deep-Sea Minerals Dialogue is part of the World Economic Forum’s Shaping the Future of Global Public Goods Platform. The project provides an impartial space for value chain dialogue on the responsible sourcing considerations for the potential emergence of minerals from the deep seabed. Minerals from the deep-sea could enter supply chains within a decade. Downstream metal value chain companies are uniquely placed to weigh stakeholder views on deepsea mining, balancing input from seabed mining companies, national and international authorities, civil society, scientists and the public with their own commercial and reputational considerations. They have done so – in the context of mining on land – for many years. The World Economic Forum believes that only with broad and diverse participation can we ensure that the decisions taken will be the wisest for humankind and planet Earth. The Deep-Sea Minerals Dialogue is working to: • Inform downstream businesses and alert them to why this topic is important, their ‘stake’ and what their opportunity to engage is • Provide a platform for these downstream businesses to formulate an action plan and engage on the topic To get involved and be part of the solution, or if you are a downstream business (manufacturers of battery, EV, electronics and renewable energy generation, and the metal markets that supply these metals) interested in understanding how this topic may affect your responsible sourcing and in engaging with it safely, please contact the World Economic Forum’s Platform Acceleration Lead Winnie Yeh - winnie.yeh@weforum.org

“This is a collaboration of the best minds in ocean science coming together to answer many important questions about deepsea ecosystem function and connectivity throughout the water column,” explains Dr Stone. “The program will enable The Metals Company to put forward a rigorous, peerreviewed environmental impact statement to the International Seabed Authority, setting a high bar for this new industry.” One of the primary concerns researchers will address is the impact of sediment plumes on deep-ocean fauna throughout the water column and at varying spatial and temporal scales. “We are pleased to take part in this important, wide-reaching and collaborative effort to study the impacts of collecting polymetallic nodules,” says Dr Daniel Jones from the UK National Oceanography

SUPPLY CHAIN & OPERATIONS

Centre, whose team are investigating the seabed megafauna of the region. “We are also encouraged by The Metals Company’s proactive approach, desire to support highquality science and commitment to make all of our findings publicly available.” In May this year, The Metals Company unveiled designs for seafloor mineral collector robots, carbon-neutral vessels and waste-free metals processing and recycling plants it hopes will enable a circular supply chain for battery metals. In too deep? The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is calling for a deep-sea mining ban until its potential effects have been more widely researched. The WWF has been joined by four leading global companies calling for a moratorium

on deep seabed mining – BMW, Samsung SDI, Google and Volvo Group – and concerned by the potential for significant risks to economies and to ocean health that could arise from opening up the deep seabed to the extraction of minerals. "We welcome this important step and call on other companies who care about the ocean to join these leaders by signing on to the statement. It is a clear message to those who are swayed by the false promise that deep seabed mining is a ‘green’ and attractive investment proposition. It is not so," said John Tanzer, the WWF’s Global Ocean Leader. In a joint statement released in March, the companies said: “Despite uncertainties and risks to the future health of our ocean and to those who depend upon it for food and Miningglobal.com

SUPPLY CHAIN & OPERATIONS

jobs, there is increasing pressure from a few companies to begin mining the deep seabed. With much of the deep-sea ecosystem yet to be explored and understood, such activity would be recklessly short-sighted.” By committing to this public statement, the signatories pledged not to source any minerals from the deep sea, and to refrain from using mineral resources from the deep sea in their supply chains and not to finance deep-sea mining activities. Regulations to support deep-sea mining have yet to be agreed upon by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The UN-backed body of 167 countries has already issued exploration contracts to 21 companies, but they cannot begin this type of mining operation until the regulation is passed. Sustainability – the expert’s view TDi Sustainability develops sustainability strategies for businesses across sectors, including mining. It played an integral role in the development of The Copper Mark – inspired by United Nations Sustainability Goals; this project seeks to provide a credible assurance framework to promote responsible production practices and demonstrate the copper industry’s commitment to the green transition. TDi offers a breadth of expertise in the sustainability sector and the capability to develop pragmatic and solutions-oriented advice for clients. The conversation around Deep-Sea Mining (DSM) was brought under the spotlight, causing heated debate and media coverage, when The Metals Company revealed plans to become the first company to extract cobalt, copper, nickel, and rare earth minerals from the deep seabed in commercial quantities by 2024. 92

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“ (The moratorium) is a clear message to those who are swayed by the false promise that deep seabed mining is a ‘green’ and attractive investment proposition. It is not so” JOHN TANZER,

GLOBAL OCEAN LEADER, WWF

SUPPLY CHAIN & OPERATIONS

Visualizing Deep-sea Mining

Miningglobal.com

SUPPLY CHAIN & OPERATIONS

“Views surrounding the extraction of these minerals are polarised,” notes Dr Assheton Carter, CEO of TDi Sustainability. “The prospect of commercial DSM has compelled organisations, including Greenpeace, Amnesty International and WWF to release statements calling for a complete ban of DSM until we know more about its potential impact. Many fear we don’t yet know enough about the biodiversity of the seabed and what effect DSM could have on this unique and fragile ecosystem. This fear is compounded by the fact that many coastal communities depend on the ocean for their livelihood, and its disruption could have a negative impact on those relying on the fishing industries.”

“ For too long, both sides of this contentious issue have been focused solely on winning the argument. This is a conversation of generational importance, and we need to find the time and opportunity to ask the tough questions, consider the facts we have and find ways to generate data to fill critical gaps” DR ASSHETON CARTER, CEO, TDI SUSTAINABILITY

July 2021

SUPPLY CHAIN & OPERATIONS

Dr Carter highlights there is another side to this argument and opinions that are equally strongly held. “For example, a significant rise in demand for cobalt is needed to fuel new low carbon electric vehicles and, if we are to build green technology at scale, we need an abundance. Can we afford to turn away from this potential new source?” While deep-sea mining will undoubtedly have serious impacts, Dr Carter argues we must weigh this with the challenges surrounding mining for the same minerals on land. “Mining terrestrially is energy-intensive and is a major emitter of greenhouse gases. Exploration companies seeking new frontiers encroach into unpopulated areas where there are forests and animal populations of significant conservation value.” To move forward, he recommends an open and honest dialogue. “For too long, both sides of this contentious issue have been focused solely on winning the argument. This is a conversation of generational importance, and we need to find the time and opportunity to ask the tough questions, consider the facts we have and find ways to generate data to fill critical gaps.” Dr Carter is calling for processes in which the voices of multiple stakeholders can be heard. “Only by opening a true line of dialogue with all those involved and affected will we be able to move forward. At TDi Sustainability, we are working with the World Economic Forum to create the Deep-Sea Minerals Dialogue, which brings together manufacturers and metal markets. The dialogue offers an impartial and private space to learn about and to discuss the implications of deep-sea minerals and our individual and collective stakes in its stewardship.” Miningglobal.com

TOP TEN

July 2021

MINING COMPANIES Based on the 2021 Financial Times Equity List of the leading global companies, we count down the top 10 mining companies by market capitalisation WRITTEN BY: DANIEL BRIGHTMORE

he top ten global mining companies by market capitalisation – calculated by multiplying the total number of a company’s outstanding shares by the current market price of one share – shows that, while gold prices have fluctuated, the strong performance of copper and iron ore has seen the valuation of the top ten surge past the US$750bn mark. Based on the 2021 Financial Times Equity list of the

leading global companies, the top ten includes the leading producers of gold and iron ore, alongside the world’s largest government-owned mining corporation. With operations primarily based in Canada, South Africa, Australia, China, Russia, South America and the US, the performance of the top ten has been boosted by a boom in spending on green infrastructure, in China and across the US and Europe.

Miningglobal.com

TOP TEN

Franco-Nevada US$29.25bn

A leading gold-focused royalty and streaming company, FrancoNevada does not operate mines, develop projects or conduct exploration; it owns and continues to grow an extensive, diversified portfolio of royalties and streams, exposing the company to the exploration and price optionality inherent with geologically favourable properties. In 2020, Franco-Nevada sold 521,564 goldequivalent ounces (a 1% increase over 2019), generating US$1bn in revenue (up 21% YoY) and reporting an adjusted EBITDA of US$839.6mn (a 25% increase over 2019).

Anglo American Platinum US$33.88bn The world’s leading primary producer of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), Anglo American Platinum provides a complete resource-to-market service, supplying a network of global customers with a range of mined, recycled and traded products. Its business is at the heart of the broader South African economic and social landscape, where it is committed to working towards a safe, sustainable, competitive and profitable approach – “re-imagining mining to improve people’s lives”.

Zijin Mining Group US$44.21bn

A multinational mining group principally engaged in the exploration and mining of gold, copper and other mineral resources, Zijin Mining Group has a dual listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and Shanghai Stock Exchange. Ranked 778th largest public company in the 2020 Forbes Global 2000 in 2020 (3rd among global gold corporations), Zijin has gold resource reserves of more than 2,300 tonnes. The Kamoa-Kakula copper project, Zijin’s joint venture with Ivanhoe Mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has begun production and has the potential to become the largest copper mining complex in the world.

Barrick Gold US$44.94bn

Reporting a 78% jump in firstquarter profit, beating analyst expectations thanks to rising gold and copper prices, Barrick Gold is on track to meet annual forecasts. Production in the second half of 2021 is expected to be higher than the first, thanks to the ramp-up of underground mining at the Bulyanhulu mine in Tanzania and higher expected grades at Lumwana in Zambia. Meanwhile, the Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is set to restart under the terms of a new binding framework agreement between the PNG government and operator Barrick Niugini Limited (BNL). Miningglobal.com

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TOP TEN

China Shenhua Energy US$59.26bn

One of the largest governmentowned mining corporations in the world, China Shenhua Energy Company’s (CSEC) operations include coal mines, a railway network that is used to transport its coal, and power plants to generate and sell electricity. Ranked the 168th largest public company in the 2020 Forbes Global 2000, CSEC has over 75,000 employees engaged in coal production and electricity generation. Parent company Shenhua Group operates Huanghua Port, the largest port for seaborne coal in 2016 (approximately 270 million tonnes per year seaborne operation capability in aggregate), allied with its own shipping vessels capable of 2.2 million tonnes of loading capacity.

Newmont

US$59.29bn Celebrating 100 years of mining investment and operations in 2021, Newmont is the world’s leading gold company and a producer of copper, silver, zinc and lead. A world-class portfolio of assets, prospects and talent is anchored in favourable mining jurisdictions in North America, South America, Australia and Africa. With the help of partners like IBM, Newmont is accelerating its digital transformation efforts as it seeks to embrace automation and electrification to rethink the mining lifecycle.

Miningglobal.com

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TOP TEN

Glencore

US$61.08bn Among the world’s largest diversified miners and marketers of commodities, Glencore’s portfolio is positioned to play an essential role in the global transition to a low-carbon economy. Incoming CEO Gary Nagle will oversee plans to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 as Glencore seeks to reduce its direct and indirect carbon footprint by 40% by 2035. The company recently joined forces with battery material supplier Umicore and other major mining and metals companies to trace the cobalt they produce using blockchain technology with the Re|Source pilot scheme.

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July 2021

Anglo American US$63.37bn

Taking an “innovation-led approach to sustainable mining”, Anglo American’s FutureSmart Mining initiative sees the company embracing the transformation of how it sources, mines, processes, moves, and markets its products – including copper, nickel, iron ore and thermal coal. Anglo American continues to innovate, having recently partnered with the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Ivaldi Group to explore 3D Printing opportunities to maintain mining processing equipment.

TOP TEN

Rio Tinto

US$146.75bn

Producing iron ore for steel, aluminium for cars and smartphones, copper for wind turbines, diamonds that set the standard for ‘responsible’, titanium for household products and borates for crops that feed the world, Rio Tinto operates in 35 countries around the world producing materials essential to human progress. An approach to innovation with automation, smart mining, AI and a digital partner ecosystem is ensuring the world’s second-largest diversified miner sustains its pioneering spirit. A US$2.6bn investment in the Koodaideri iron ore project in Western Australia was made in 2020. The ‘Mine of the Future’ will serve as a production hub for the company’s world-class iron ore business in the Pilbara region.

“We need to be a more outwardlooking company. We need to engage much more with society” Jakob Stausholm, CEO, Rio Tinto Miningglobal.com

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TOP TEN

BHP's Climate Change Commitment

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July 2021

TOP TEN

BHP

US$180.45bn Holding steady in the number one spot, BHP’s revenue more than doubled between 2004 and 2014, growing from US$24.9bn to US$52.1bn, but decreased to US$42.9bn in 2020. Its primary focus is on metals and mining operations. With iron ore prices back above US$170 a tonne, top producers like BHP have seen a boost to revenues. Meanwhile, the world’s biggest miner is mulling over a partnership with Nutrien in its massive Canadian potash venture, which has already seen investment hit US$4.5bn. BHP is also leading efforts to help mitigate emissions in the steel industry through a partnership with HBIS and partnering with Rio Tinto and Vale in launching the Charge On Innovation Challenge to reduce mining truck emissions via electrification.

“We continue to like potash. We think the long-term demand and supply fundamentals for potash are attractive” Mike Henry, CEO, BHP Miningglobal.com

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