As outlined in its just released 2022 Sustainability Report, a new pilot project at the Chelopech and Ada Tepe operations in Bulgaria is helping gold miner Dundee Precious Metals pave the way for the electrification of its mines. In 2022, it began collaborating with Sandvik Mining & Rock Solutions to begin piloting electrified heavy vehicles at the two mines in Bulgaria. DPM purchased three electrified heavy-duty vehicles – a Solo production drill, a battery loader and a battery truck – for the two mines.
The electric drill was pictured in the report and is a DL422iE. The unit is already operating on site, while the other two machines are expected later in 2023. The load and haul models were not named but at Sandvik 2022 Innovation in Mining event in Tampere, Finland attended by IM, DPM’s Nikolay Kirov, Director Operations Design, referenced in his presentation the TH550B truck and LH518B loader. He stated: “We do expect productivity improvement, reduction in CO2 emissions, savings from lower heat and exhaust emissions, plus lower maintenance and labour costs and last but not least we expect the equipment to come fully equipped with the latest technologies capable of streaming data so that afterwards we can do our own analysis.” Kirov also referenced potential BEV productivity improvement of 16% as a result of shorter cycle time plus BEV loaders and trucks having 66% lower CO2 emissions over their lifetime compared to their diesel counterparts.
Back to the 2022 Sustainability Report and DPM stated: “By replacing some of our corresponding diesel equipment we expect to reduce GHG emissions by approximately 1,600 tCO2e per year. The pilot is a big step in achieving our Scope 1 & 2 decarbonisation targets, and will help build valuable experience that will be transferred to other existing and new sites.”
In the same report, DPM also says it continues to build on the competitive advantage that it has gained over the years by leveraging new technology to help achieve its overarching purpose of unlocking resources and generating value to grow and thrive together.
In 2022, it began scoping out a key strategic initiative called the Intelligent Mine which involved preparation activities focusing on mine maintenance, planning, and scheduling. “We have identified priority areas with use cases covering integrated operations, enterprise-wide advanced data analytics, digital twins for simulating mine operations, smart use of equipment, integrated management and supply, and intelligent exploration.”
It adds: “We plan to run mine simulations that will enable us to determine the best way to operate our sites, taking into account factors such as equipment placement and work sequencing. This same approach is being used at the process plant level, allowing us to optimise our operations further. Another key focus area is the Mine of the Future and data management initiative, a multidisciplinary process of unifying data sets across the organisation, integrating systems, and figuring out what can be automated.”
In 2021 DPM Chelopech took another step in its technological evolution by introducing a new technology for operating mobile mining equipment – teleremote control. Together with Sandvik, it is working to implement remote control of two of the six front loaders using the AutoMine automated system.
“The aim of this system, which allows both remote and fully autonomous control, is to ensure greater efficiency by creating safe conditions for machine operations in hard-to-reach areas. Thanks to the mine’s 100% Wi-Fi coverage and the necessary infrastructure underground, front loaders can carry out their operations controlled from a smart centre on the surface. 2022 also marked the successful launch of the new all-electric drilling machine, which includes remote and automatic modes.”
DPM continued: “This innovative technology allows us to work remotely during the time intervals immediately after production blasts. This model is the first of its kind to be released in a real production environment in Europe.”
Finally, the ACT project (Advanced Control Technology) has been a key initiative in the ore processing sector and has shown excellent progress over the past year. This platform consists of highly technological tools that improve the management of the Enrichment Plant and provide the ability to stabilise and optimise the processing of ores, enabling DPM to lay the foundation for future digitalisation initiatives.
