Redefining resource mobilisation with Orica Digital Solutions business

Orica, one of the world’s leading mining and infrastructure solutions providers says it continues to reinforce its commitment to innovation and value delivery with its growing Digital Solutions business.

Established in 2019 “to seamlessly connect customers’ physical and digital worlds for improved decision-making and enhanced predictability of outcomes,” Orica Digital Solutions includes solutions categories spanning the resource value chain, including:

• Orebody intelligence – enabling customers to gain accurate insights into their orebodies from the outset, enabling informed decision-making throughout the value chain

• Blast design and execution – providing intelligence at the right time to optimise blast outcomes and improve productivity, safety and environmental performance

• Measure and monitor – delivering precise and reliable information so operators can better manage risk, optimise production, and keep people, communities and cultural heritage safe

• Mine simulation and optimisation – providing powerful simulation technology to optimise the entire value chain

Drawing on Orica’s deep domain expertise in blasting in mining and infrastructure, spanning nearly 150 years across more than 100 countries, Orica Digital Solutions brings further focus to developing digital capabilities across the mining, infrastructure sectors as well as other extractive industries. “Moving beyond physical solutions, for over five years, Orica has accelerated its development of powerful digital solutions from exploration to processing, to meet customers’ most critical and emerging challenges.”

Orica Chief Technology Officer, Angus Melbourne said: “Orica fosters innovation and collaboration by working closely with customers, technology partners, and leading research organisations. While most of our innovations have been developed for and with the mining and infrastructure sectors, we are now expanding our technologies to other sectors that need to mobilise the earth’s resources more efficiently and responsibly. As customers pursue digitisation, automation, and ESG gains across their value chain, the ability to seamlessly connect the digital and physical worlds becomes increasingly critical and urgent.”

Rajkumar Mathiravedu, Vice President of Digital Solutions emphasises further how Orica Digital Solutions is accelerating this journey for the benefit of its customers, saying: “Our end-to-end ecosystem connects the digital world to real-world actions within the operation, giving customers timely insights across their operations. This then allows us to translate those insights into critical intelligence for better decisions and more predictable outcomes in near real-time. We can support our customers in their journey by moving them from the traditional disconnected silos to connected workflows to reduce risk, create efficiencies and improve outcomes in a sustainable manner.”

The new Digital Solutions business offers a flexible suite of digital solutions that can be deployed separately or across the value chain, depending on customers’ needs and the existing digital ecosystem. While these digital solutions truly harness their full potential when integrated from exploration to processing, they are also designed to operate independently and seamlessly integrate with existing independent systems, enabling customers to effortlessly exchange and utilise data across their entire operations.

Mathiravedu continued: “Driven by a customer-led innovation mindset, we have nurtured an agile and entrepreneurial culture that enables us to swiftly adapt to and meet the demands of our customers. In addition to driving digitalisation across the value chain, Orica Digital Solutions actively addresses environmental, social and governance concerns associated with operations. These solutions aim to optimise water and energy usage, enhance ore recoveries, and compliance to regulatory and community constraints.”

He added: “By improving operational efficiency, reducing waste, and providing real-time data, customers can make better decisions and achieve more predictable outcomes as we sustainably mobilise the earth’s resources essential to progress and a lower carbon future.”