Made to work for you

safety comes first it’s at the heart of what merlo does

In 1987 Merlo released the world’s first Telehandler, with 360-degree panoramic visibility. This feature removes potential room for error, offers increased accuracy and increased safety for operators. Other Merlo safety features come standard on most Australian models and include: Patented Merlo Chassis Frame Leveling which allows the operator to effectively offset uneven terrain for safer machine operation. Falling Object Protective Structure (FOPS), Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS), the Merlo Ring of Steel, removable Operator Protective Guards (OPG), reversing camera, emergency rear exit and industry standard safety lights. Merlo CDC Dynamic Load Control introduces a completely new approach to the control of safe operating as the system identifies the weight and position of the load and enters them in a virtual load diagram calculating the stability index and conveying this to the operator in real time.

New Boys In Town

Demand for base metals is being driven by the electrification revolution that will power transport for decades to come. And it’s sending prices of base metals used to make rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to the moon. Copper prices hit a record high in 2021 while the spot price for lithium jumped more than 600 per cent in the first half of 2022. Citigroup projects more “extreme” price hikes are likely for lithium – which spells good news for Australia, the world’s largest producer.

“There is a growing demand for the minerals integral to renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy storage systems,” says Paul Mitchell of EY. This means more demand for battery metals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt as well as rare earths.

Professor Matthew Hill, deputy head of chemical and biological engineering at Monash University, adds: “We are going into a commodity super-cycle as we electrify everything.”

Demand for hydrogen, a gas made with renewable energy that will be the key to decarbonising hard-to-electrify sectors like trucking and steelmaking, is also on a steep upwards trajectory. Australia, which has vast areas where either sunshine or wind is in nearconstant supply, is emerging as the regional hub for green hydrogen production. In fact, the Australian government estimates hydrogen exports and domestic use could generate more than $50 billion within 30 years.

Paul agrees: “Australia has the opportunity to be a green energy powerhouse if it has the political will and foresight, endowed with vast reserves of lithium, nickel, copper, rare earths, uranium and plenty of wind and sun, to drive renewable energy production.”

Remote mining towns in Western Australia and Queensland are also looking toward hydrogen and base metals as a way to mitigate the boom-bust cycle that has dogged Australian mining communities since the very first gold rush of 1851.

“Relying on six commodity prices certainly helps level out the field,” Tony Simpson, CEO of Regional Development Australia’s Pilbara office, told the ABC. “The more we can diversify, we’re not relying on one commodity price or two.”

People And The Planet

To make good on these opportunities, mining companies are going to have to solve staff shortages that have put a dent in production in Australia during the pandemic. Rio Tinto’s iron production declined 3.3 per cent in 2021 compared to 2020, due to labour shortages and commissioning delays, while a shortage of train drivers and weatherrelated disruptions saw BHP’s iron ore supply increase by only 0.1 per cent in the same period.

Accenture head of natural resources David Burns believes a more individualistic approach to human resources, which looks at every dimension of every worker, will help solve the deficit. “Acknowledging and adapting to this reality can help mining companies operate with greater understanding and empathy, ultimately transforming their workplace – and the workforce,” he told Australian Resources & Investment, a mining journal. New technologies, such as drones to carry out pit surveillance and autonomous trucks and trains, can further devise new ways to gain efficiencies, he added.

But the biggest challenge to unlocking more value in the sector will be meeting –and exceeding – environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements in a lowcarbon, low-waste, purpose-driven future.

“ESG is no longer optional or a point of differentiation. It is the minimum operating standard,” says Paul Bendall, global mining leader at PwC.

“Stakeholders are increasing the pressure, and strong social licences, responsible divestitures and tax transparency will be important for success.”

Professor Neville Plint, director of the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland, reckons a key focus of the moment and beyond will be how to extract minerals from the ground without doing any harm whatsoever to local communities and ecosystems.

“[Mining companies] must show how they are working positively with local communities, how they are mining responsibly and sustainably, and how they are contributing to a low-carbon economy,” he says, adding that new ESG requirements must be carried by every single person working in the industry.