A range of interesting lectures will be presented during the Euro Mine Expo 2012 in Skellefteå, Sweden. In one of the main theme sessions, Smarter, deeper, better mining, visitors will receive information on how Finland is working with green mining and how KGHM works on safe mining in Poland.On Thursday, June 14, presentations will be given on Smarter, deeper, better mining. Two of the topics raised during the day are green mining and the future of safe deep mass metal mining. The mining industry growth offers Finnish companies an opportunity to become pioneers in a sustainable mineral industry. Green Mining combines an industrial production process with ecological operating practices.
Harry Sandström is a senior consultant and Green Mining program coordinator at Spinverse Oy in Finland. He will be presenting the Finnish Green Mining Program under the headline: Aims and ongoing research activities. He started his career in mining working as a researcher, project manager and lab manager at GTK during 1977-1999. He continued at GTK in positions as Director, Regional Director and Director of Geoservices between 1990-2006. Sandström has been CEO af Labtium and currently holds the position of Senior Consultant at Spinverse Oy with key competences including service business within the mining sector as well as business development and overseas project management.
“The objective of the Green Mining program is to minimise adverse impacts through compliance with environmentally and socially sustainable objectives in the entire cycle of extraction and beneficiation process and to ensure alternative land uses following mine closure. The program also wants to find improved working methods and operating practices”, says Sandström.
The main objective of the program is to make Finland a global leader of sustainable mineral industries by 2020 and creating new business that requires specialised expertise alongside traditional mining. Furthermore the project is workning to increase the number of SMEs targeting the export market in the mineral cluster and achieving global leader status for research in selected sectors.
Another of this day’s speaker is Henryk Karaś. He is Corporate Adviser for KGHM in Poland and on Euro Mine Expo he will talk about the vision of future deep mass metal mining in Poland. Karaś has since 1972 to 2009 worked in many management positions in the production and research units in mining industry, mainly the KGHM Polska Miedź, encompassing underground mining and mineral processing operations. Since 2009 to date he’s employed as corporate advisor to the KGHM Management Board.
Between 2006 and 2012 Karaś was acting chairman of the European Technology Platform on Mineral Resources and also a committee member of a number of European associations in the metal sector representing KGHM, for example: Euromines, Euromeatux in Brussels and the Swedish project “Smart Mine of the Future” which started in 2009. Furthermore he is a member of the CIM (Canadian Institute of Mining) Association),
Karaś presents the vision of future deep mass metal mining in Poland. The project is being carried out by KGHM since 2009 and is based on hard rock continuous mining technology. “It should be the introduction to an intelligent and remote controlled robotic technology for deeply laying copper and silver deposits in Central Europe. Owing to successful implementation of the project results KGHM hopes to extend its activity in the next 40 years in Europé”, Karas says.
He also describes how the development of Hard Rock Cutting methods in Europe and in other countries, such as USA and Australia, gives KGHM the opportunity to implement remote sensing, steering and automation when using both continuous mining and hydraulic powered roof support (HPRS) units.
Karaś says that the development of novel Hard Rock Cutting methods is based on two assumptions: First: The current method of drill and blast is inherently dangerous, cyclic and slower. Second: Rock Cutting – the way of the future is based on continuous operation (non-cyclic mining) which is easier to automate, easier to respond to geology, faster and safer. “Additionally, continuous mining gives more opportunities for implementation of Lean Management in underground mining operations”, Henryk Karaś concludes.
Euro Mine Expo takes place June 12-14, 2012 in Skellefteå. This third international trade fair and conference for the mining industry and its suppliers is held in the very heart of Sweden’s mining industry. In this region, tradition and history go hand in hand with technical development and innovative approaches. www.eurominexpo.com