All posts by Paul Moore

Cascadia Scientific’s SmartRView brings fuel benefits to New Gold and Glencore operations

Base metals, Bulk handling, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining

New Gold’s Rainy River gold operation northwest of Fort Frances, Ontario and Glencore’s Antapaccay copper mine in Peru have both benefitted from deployment of SmartRView technology from Canadian company Cascadia Scientific on mine haul trucks which can then be used to identify road segments with higher fuel intensity, such as uneven grading and inconsistent slopes, and these areas marked for improvements. This has resulted in significant fuel and emissions savings for both mines.

Cascadia Scientific uses precision fuel flow meters, corrected for temperature and viscosity to capture highly accurate fuel consumption data over short intervals. This data is coupled with data captures from the engine ECM, payload measurements system, on-board altimetry, and motion sensors to produce geo-spatially referenced breadcrumbs on 10-15 second intervals. These ‘breadcrumbs’ are combined and analysed to create a visual representation of fuel intensity across the haul road network. Areas of the heat map that appear as a deep red are those associated with the highest fuel consumption per unit distance travelled. Identification of these areas triggers closer examination of regions with highest consumption and corresponding excess emissions.

Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and managing its environmental impacts are key elements of New Gold’s Sustainability Strategy. New Gold has committed to a reduction of GHG emissions by 30% by 2030. In 2022, the Rainy River Mine began installation of new equipment on its haul trucks provided by Cascadia Scientific to manage, report and assist in identifying opportunities to reduce haul truck fuel consumption and resulting emissions.

It says this technology provides the operations with information such as identifying ‘hot spots’ along the haul road requiring attention, as well as notification when haul trucks accelerate or idle unnecessarily. The data guides the maintenance, operations, dispatch, and training departments to pinpoint areas for real-time improvements. All haul trucks are now fully equipped and Rainy River Mine says it continues to monitor and quantify the GHG emissions data to support achieving its emission reduction goals.

“People are key to any successful energy or GHG management initiative – they are the drivers here – and are definitely committed to digging into a more efficient tomorrow,” said Rainy River Energy Specialist Cheryl Maki.

This fuel initiative, along with biodiesel supply utilised during warmer months resulted in an annual tracked avoidance of two million litres of fuel and CO2 equivalent reductions of over 7,000 t in 2023, which exceeded Rainy River’s annual target of 3,800 t/CO2 equivalent for its diesel fuel-attributed emissions.

New Gold added: “Moving forward in 2024, our energy and GHG-reduction projects will continue to focus on optimising processes, supporting electrical grid reliability for the region, using biodiesel as a fuel source, reducing energy/fuels across the HVAC systems, updating to LED lighting with controls, and using waste heat generated by the site as a free and renewable energy source.”

Glencore, in collaboration with Cascadia Scientific, conducted a study to improve the haul roads at the Antapaccay mining operation. The study utilised Cascadia’s SmartRView platform for data collection, complemented by precise instrumentation installed on both Komatsu and Caterpillar haul trucks.

Antapaccay worked closely with Cascadia’s data scientists, employing various statistical methods to analyse the data and identify potential enhancements to the haul road design. The study utilised Cascadia Scientific’s heat mapping tool to identify road segments with high fuel intensity. As a result, four main road segments were identified for improvement. With the collaboration of Antapaccay’s operations staff, these road segments were regraded, including one section where the grade was reduced by 0.34%. These road improvements led to cost and environmental benefits amounting to fuel savings of US$1.4 million and a reduction of 9,000 t of CO2 emissions.

 

 

 

Booyco says human factor remains key to integrating collision prevention on mines

Automation, IoT, Mine shafts and equipment, Mining equipment, Mining people, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software

While South Africa leads the world in regulating the field of collision prevention in mining, a key challenge in implementing effective solutions is to secure the buy-in and collaboration of all the people involved.

Speaking as a panellist at the recent Investing in Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town, Booyco Electronics CEO Anton Lourens reminded delegates that the available world class technology is just one aspect of the solution. The African Mining Indaba panel session on Collision Prevention attracted so much interest that there was standing room only, indicating the high level of interest and concern about the relevant regulations in the sector.

“As one of the pioneers in Proximity Detection Systems (PDS) and Collision Prevention Systems (CPS) on mines, Booyco Electronics is rightly regarded as a technology company,” says Lourens. “In truth, however, we are also in the ‘people business’ – because it is the people who wear and operate our technology who are vital to its effectiveness.”

Moderated by the Minerals Council South Africa, the panel discussion focused on how mines should be keeping up with the new legislation on PDS. Lourens emphasises that Chapter 8 of the Mine Health and Safety Act was now very clear that compliance was non-negotiable, and mines were increasingly embracing technology in applications where mobile equipment posed ‘significant risk’ to health and safety.

“There have been great successes in the implementation of collision prevention strategies, but at the same time the overall industry picture is uneven,” he explains. “Even on one mine site, we have witnessed variable success rates between one shaft and another.”

This highlights the wide spectrum of adoption which needs to be achieved, he says, not just with the operators but right through the mine’s different departments. There can even be disruptive expectations between the mining production team and the engineering team , for example, if the management-driven strategy has not been clearly communicated and accepted.

He emphasises that everybody on the mine has a part to play, with the production department usually being the owner of the vehicles fitted with PDS. A successful PDS strategy will facilitate a good understanding of the respective roles – including planning, engineering responsibility, technology implementation and maintenance.

“It is important for everyone to be on the same page, as the mine’s production suffers when a machine stands, including due to a PDS issue – and that affects the whole mine and everyone’s future,” he says. “The good news is that the mines and their professional associations are engaging much more about CPS, and they recognise that the way forward should involve closer links between mines, their suppliers and the regulator.”

The key message is that no single player in this equation can achieve better safety levels on their own. Lourens points out that South African mines may be quite unique in the way they engage multiple Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and technology partners on each site. This creates some complexity when applying PDS technology, as each PDS supplier has to work closely with a number of mobile equipment OEMs to achieve the customers’ requirements.

He highlighted, however, that the building blocks for successful compliance were already in place. These include ISO standards adopted by OEMs, as well as best practice guidelines on PDS developed by the Minerals Council South Africa.

“The technology is available to address significant risk, and the tools are there to apply these solutions,” says Lourens. “What is important, though, is that the application of this technology is recognised as a process of change – not just a flick of a switch or a silver bullet.”

He reminded African Mining Indaba delegates at the panel discussion that people generally do not like change, and that this was natural. It is therefore necessary to carefully assess the conditions and attitudes on each site, and to design a change management plan aligned to operational culture that will satisfy all stakeholders.

“All parties are committed to the same goal – Zero Harm – so they need to reinforce this and find the best way forward in applying PDS solutions,” he concludes. “This is not to ignore the technical complexity of the solutions, but the main result is to drive safe and efficient production.”

He noted that modern PDS also generates extensive data on machine and pedestrian movements on mines. This is contributing to ‘digital twin’ simulations for mining operations, which can be harnessed to inform ongoing safety improvements in traffic management.

RheEnergise to deploy High-Density Hydro® long duration storage demonstrator at Sibelco Cornwood

Environmental, Mining consumables, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining

RheEnergise, a UK company that is developing a new and advanced form of long-duration hydro-energy storage system, is to build its first-of-a-kind demonstrator of the system at Sibelco’s mining operations at Cornwood, near Plymouth. Work onsite to build the demonstrator will start imminently with its commissioning to start in September 2024.

The power generated by RheEnergise’s HD Hydro demonstrator – it has a peak power production of 500 kW – will support Sibelco’s mining operations at times of high energy demand and support the company’s work to decarbonise its operations. The Cornwood site produces kaolin, mainly for sanitary ware, ceramics, tiles and industrial applications.

The project is being supported through the UK Government’s Longer Duration Energy Storage (LODES) Demonstration Programme, the support of Devon County Council, which has permitted the project, and the valuable co-operation and commitment to the project from Sibelco.

The development and commercial deployment of long-duration energy storage technologies, like RheEnergise’s HD Hydro system, is regarded by the global energy industry and market experts as essential to the energy transition, the evolution and security of a country’s energy system and the expansion of renewable power generation worldwide.

Ben Uphill, Director Operations at Sibelco said: “Sibelco is looking at new ways to manage and secure its future energy needs and at the same time decarbonise its operations, and so we are excited about the potential contribution that RheEnergise’s hydro storage project can make to our operations. We are keen to adopt green technologies as part of an overall effort to reduce our carbon footprint, so we are delighted to be working with the RheEnergise team on this world-first.”

Stephen Crosher, Chief Executive of RheEnergise said: “We are hugely appreciative of the support and assistance given to us by Sibelco, the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and Devon County Council. Our scheme will help Sibelco’s energy security at Cornwood and show the long-term contribution it can make to the company’s Net Zero ambitions.”

“The demonstrator is a trailblazing project for the LDES sector and will place us in a strong position to build commercial-scale projects in this country and overseas. We have global interest in our technology, from as far as Australia and Chile. We would like to have our first 10 MW grid-scale project in operation within two years.”

RheEnergise’s High-Density Hydro® storage system is low-cost, energy efficient and environmentally benign. Rather than using water, RheEnergise has developed a fluid, which is 2.5 times denser than water, and which can provide 2.5 times the energy when compared to a conventional low-density hydro-power system that operate in the Scottish Highlands, Wales and other parts of the world.

 

 

 

EnviroGold Global to build NVRO Clean Leach Process demo plant in Brisbane

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining

EnviroGold Global Ltd, the technology company seeking to enable the global mining industry to monetise valuable metals contained in mine waste and tailings including gold, silver, copper, zinc, and nickel, has provided an update on its plans to demonstrate and commercialise its proprietary leaching technology – the NVRO Clean Leach Process. EnviroGold has selected a manufacturer to construct the processing unit that will be used to demonstrate the NVRO Clean Leach Process to several potential customers, including major global mining companies.

In addition, EnviroGold says it has received an indicative quote for the construction and containerisation of the unit, which is materially less than initially estimated. The company expects these developments will allow it to commence commercial demonstrations of the NVRO Clean Leach Process during the fourth quarter of 2024.

The company has received interest from several major mining companies asking that it locate the NVRO Clean Leach Process processing unit at their mine sites. To better streamline the testing process and serve multiple clients in quick succession, the company has opted to construct and install the unit at a centralised industrial facility near Brisbane, Australia, managed by the EnviroGold technical team.

It says: “There are several benefits of installing the processing plant at a centralised location, which include, allowing multiple mines to ship tailings for processing and testing, eliminating regulatory and environmental permitting issues associated with mine site development, and allowing the company to decrease turnaround time between mining company demonstrations.”

Under this arrangement, customer tailings will be transported to the NVRO demonstration facility, processed using the NVRO Clean Leach Process with the residues transported back to the mine for disposal. The tailings throughput and data collected throughout each project’s tailings processing operations it says will be sufficient to enable customers to proceed to scale up, front end engineering, and design and project economic assessments.

In addition to allowing multiple mine sites to test the NVRO Clean Leach Process, the demonstration plant will allow the Company to extrapolate its findings into the necessary data for the bankable feasibility study required to fully commercialise the business. It believes that having this will dramatically reduce timelines for major mining companies to deploy the NVRO Clean Leach Process on a much larger commercial scale.

“This is a very exciting development that we expect will decrease the time and cost to begin showcasing the NVRO Clean Leach Process and allow the Company to demonstrate its technology to more customers in less time,” said CEO David Cam.

The process uses a weak acid leach technology that operates at atmospheric pressure, relatively low temperature using an exothermic reaction, with a short 1-hour residency time. It does not necessarily require fine grinding to optimise metal recovery from complex ores, and the acid acts as a catalyst in a self-sustaining chain reaction, and little of it is consumed. An acid recycling circuit serves to further control costs.

Vale’s S11D goes from truckless to some trucks plus compact crusher project advances

Bulk handling, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining project news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore

Vale has reported its Q1 2024 results, where the stand out figures are for iron ore whose production increased from 66.8 Mt in Q1 2023 to 70.8 Mt in Q1 2024. A big bonus was seen in its Northern System, namely at S11D in Para state, Brazil, where iron ore production was up by 1.4 Mt year on year from 16.32 Mt to 17.71 Mt. This was S11D’s highest Q1 output since 2020, with Vale stating that continued asset reliability initiatives had secured greater operational stability during the rainy season.

Eduardo Bartolomeo, Vale CEO, gave some clues to the reasons for the improved performance in the webcast discussion on the results: “At S11D, increased geological knowledge enables more accurate mining plans, while the truckless system combined with a mobile mining fleet provides further operating flexibility. Our long-term ability to deal with jaspilite relies on the installation of the new crushers, as you know, but these surgical measures have allowed us to operate S11D with more efficiency, with the highest production for a first quarter since 2020.”

What are the surgical measures? Bringing trucks back into a previously all truckless mine is a major part of this. The mine since it began operation has used a truckless concept with an IPCC system for waste and ore. There are four mobile crushing systems working in conjunction with conveyor belts that move along the benches as the mining face advances in favourable zones. These systems were originally suppled by Sandvik as four PF200-9500 fully mobile IPCC systems; with FLSmidth assuming responsibility for the project when it acquired Sandvik Mining Systems in 2018. The crushing stations are loaded by a Caterpillar 7495 rope shovel. The PF200 conveyor loads a mobile Sandvik beltwagon with 11,500 t/h capacity which in turn loads a main pit conveyor.

Initially the crushing stations used Sandvik CR810/18-40 so-called hybrid roll crushers but later FLSmidth ABON sizers were deployed – 16/400 sizers with a new teeth interlacing chevron pattern to reduce the granulometry of the final product without impacting the feed rate of 9,000 t/h with top size up to 1,600 x 1,600 mm. Ultimately after a lot of hands on experience these systems have worked well but where the fully mobile and belt systems are not feasible, the mine has also increasingly been using traditional truck-shovel methods for extraction of ore and waste to add much needed flexibility. Vale is now calling this a hybrid approach.

A major issue S11D has had from the outset is the referenced jaspilite in places – a hard rock from the Carajas formation containing bands of jasper and iron minerals with 42% average Fe and 36% average SiO2. It is a challenge due to its high abrasiveness and compressive strength. To try to handle the compact material better as well as to mine more marginal areas of the deposit Vale at the start of the project also sourced three fully mobile crushing rigs from TK Mining equipped with a large jaw crusher of type EB 20×15 which were hydraulic excavator loaded. These are understood to be still in use but mainly as stationary crushers.

Vale has now opted for a dedicated solution involving a separate investment of US$755 million for the Compact Crusher Project at S11D which will enable the efficient processing of harder jaspilite and transition material. The scope involves the implementation of primary crushing, secondary crushing and a belt conveyor system with a capacity of 45 Mt/y. Vale has said it is based on gyratory crusher technology. To date, the project is 33% complete. Concrete has been laid for the first floor of the building of the primary crushing structure. Civil construction for the second crusher has started. Work on the associated conveyor belts of the Western Corridor are expected to be completed in H1 2024.

Overall S11D capacity is now 90 Mt/y but a major expansion is underway known as Serra Sul 120, referring to the fact that the project will see production reach 120 Mt/y by 2026. The project consists of the opening of new mining areas and includes the installation of a semi-mobile crusher in Area 5.

Full steam ahead at Ok Tedi on both production and lease renewal

Base metals, Bulk handling, Mineral project development

Papua New Guinea copper & gold mining major Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) has announced a record production result for the first quarter of 2024, with an achievement of 26,114 dry metric tonnes (dmt) of copper, marking a substantial increase of 61% compared to the same period last year which was 16,265 dmt.

This record production has been complemented with a safe start to the year with a Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) of zero (0) and Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) of 0.22 compared to 2023 with LTIFR and TRIFR recorded at 0.21 and 0.63 respectively. Unlike in the past, the strong production results this time it said were achieved with all environmental KPIs at the mine, mill and Bige dredging site being fully met.

OTML said the performance is a testament to its commitment to responsibly enhancing production, implementing strategic business improvements, and optimising operational efficiency across the entire production chain, from mine and mill to the port. It added: “These results are driven by OTMLs ‘restore, reset, and reinvigorate’ strategy, launched in 2023 to revitalise our business operations. Importantly, the company remains committed to fulfilling our environmental, legal, and social obligations, consistent with its vision to maintaining positive relationships with the communities impacted by our operations, and thereby securing the social license to continue to operate, which is vital for our ongoing success.”

Looking ahead, with the approval for the Mine Life Extension in principle up to 2050 by the OTML Board, the company is poised for sustainable growth well into the future.

OTML has also successfully renewed its Special Mining Lease (SML) 1 (0), gaining an additional 20-year lease term from 2022 to 2042. This is the second SML 1 (0) lease term extension for OTML. The initial SML 1 (0) lease, granted in 1981 expired in May 2002 and was extended for another 20 years until its expiration in 2022. An application for the renewal of the SML 1 (0) and associated leases for mining purposes in compliance with the Mining Act 1992 provisions was lodged with the Mineral Resources Authority on Monday December 20th, 2021 resulting in the current extension grant.

The SML 1 (0) lease renewal includes renewal of 22 Lease for Mining Purposes (LMP) and two (2) Mining Easement which are tied to the term of SML 1 (0). The 24 ancillary leases hosts supporting infrastructure for the mining operations while the SML 1(0) lease is the host area for active mining and milling operations activities.

While speaking at the SML 1 Presentation event at the Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby on April 23, OTML Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kedi Ilimbit, thanked all stakeholders involved in furnishing the extension of the SML 1(0) citing OTML’s gratitude and excitement in continuing to explore opportunities for sustainable resource development in the region while also providing social and economic benefits to its impact communities and the country.

Freeport to get Caterpillar early learner battery electric truck at Sierrita in 2024

Automation, Base metals, Bulk handling, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining

More specifics on one of the major miners set to get Caterpillar’s highly anticipated early learner battery electric haul trucks. In its just published 2023 Sustainability Report, Freeport McMoRan says that it is “planning a trial with Caterpillar of an electric prototype truck at Sierrita in late 2024.” This will be among a group of early learner battery trucks heading out to key customers from Caterpillar this year – Newmont has already said it will be getting one at Cripple Creek & Victor (CC&V) gold mine in Colorado. Additional early learner units are heading to mines operated by BHP, Rio Tinto and Teck amongst others.

Caterpillar’s Early Learner program launched in 2021 and the OEM says focuses on accelerating the development and validation of Caterpillar’s battery electric trucks at participating customers’ sites. It adds: “This approach supports the individual commitments each Early Learner participant has made to reduce and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from their operations. A primary objective of the program is for Caterpillar to collaborate more closely with its customers as the industry undergoes transformational change through the energy transition.”

Sierrita is an open pit copper and molybdenum mine located 20 miles southwest of Tucson, Arizona. It is fitting that this mine be one of the first to get an early learner unit – Caterpillar’s first battery electric prototype that was demonstrated in 2022 to customers including Freeport is based on the 793 platform and the first Cat 793 truck ever built was put into service at Sierrita back in 1991. The mine still operates a 793 fleet today. Plus Sierrita is next door to Caterpillar’s Tucson Proving Ground in Green Valley where the prototype battery truck was showcased as well as the Cat Tinaja Hills Demonstration & Learning Center.

The operation includes a 100,000 t/d concentrator that produces copper and molybdenum concentrate. Sierrita also produces copper from a ROM oxide-leaching system. Cathode copper is plated at the Twin Buttes EW facility, which has a design capacity of approximately 50 million pounds of copper per year. The Sierrita operation also has molybdenum facilities consisting of a leaching circuit, two molybdenum roasters and a packaging facility. The molybdenum facilities process molybdenum concentrate produced by Sierrita, from Freeport’s other mines and from third-party sources.

Overall, Freeport says its current fleet of haul trucks accounts for approximately 75% of its annual diesel fuel consumption. It says: “Transitioning the fleet away from diesel to lower emissions alternatives will require new technological solutions and innovations — many of which will be driven by industry and value chain collaboration. For the past several years, we have been trialing and simulating various truck models and scenarios, including alternative fuels, payloads, and enabling technology such as trolley assist and autonomous haulage systems in order to define the potential benefits of converting our fleet.”

In addition to Caterpillar’s Early Learner program, Freeport is also a participant in Komatsu’s GHG Alliance, which is also focused on the development and advancement of zero-emissions mining trucks and supporting technologies and infrastructure. Freeport has been trialling both Komatsu and Caterpillar hybrid drive ultra-class haul trucks at Cerro Verde adding that these diesel-electric trucks provide a more flexible platform for the future as it evaluates and considers enabling technologies, such as trolley assist systems. “These trials and various simulations demonstrate the potential to reduce fuel use by 20% to 30% compared to mechanical-drive trucks.”

In 2023, Freeport also announced plans to convert its fleet of approximately 30 haul trucks at the Bagdad mine in Arizona to fully autonomous over the next three years. This project is expected to optimise the fleet, improve operating efficiency and contribute to safety by reducing the number of people in active mining areas. “Our preliminary estimates show that Bagdad’s haul trucks could reduce idle time by more than 10,000 hours per year, which is expected to contribute to a reduction in GHG emissions. Although commercially viable innovation in electrification of haul trucks on a large-scale is still years in the future, we believe this project will position us to capitalise on future technological advancements in electrification.”

 

 

 

Wenco on open autonomy, fleet management and right-sized trucks

Automation, Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining

At the MINEXCHANGE SME conference in February 2024 in Phoenix, Wenco International Mining Systems’ President and CEO, Andrew Pyne, presented on open autonomy. He began by suggesting that it may not be business as usual for AHS in the medium to long term.

“What we’ve seen in mining, is that the adoption of autonomy in more complex environments – that aren’t the Pilbara in Western Australia – is starting to stagnate. We are starting to see fleets being decommissioned and we are seeing some real adoption challenges. We are also seeing some really interesting evolutions in the early adopters of autonomy – companies like Fortescue changing direction on how they are going to deploy autonomy. Rio Tinto approached Wenco more than five years ago and today we are engaged with them on their right-sized autonomous truck project. As we see the emergence of new technology in the area of automation – along with the requirements for carbon emissions targets – the premise that bigger is better in the haulage fleet is really being challenged.”

He added that while Wenco is working directly with Rio Tinto, it knows other major miners are also adopting or evaluating the adoption of this capability. “We are looking at a future where you will have mixed fleets of larger haul trucks but also smaller haul trucks as well.”

Pyne argues that the mining industry is facing challenging market dynamics – ESG obligations and ambitions, workforce constraints, access to capital and marrying increased costs with pressure to up productivity. “Innovation in the mining business model is not optional. Emerging technologies are addressing challenges so that miners can plan in advance and accelerate operational benefit. Open autonomy is a keystone in innovation and an industry-based initiative focusing on creating new value-based haulage models. Open autonomy systems and a convergence with electrification initiatives are enabling a growing trend in mining toward the use of smaller, more versatile autonomous haul trucks to tackle mining challenges.”

Wenco is a leading global fleet management system company with fast growing fatigue management, open autonomy, machine guidance and asset health management technologies. It has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi CM since 2009 – and today has about 100 customers using its Wencomine FMS – “some of those customers are saying they want to adopt autonomy but in the current domain of how autonomy is deployed, that means we would have to stop using your FMS, and we really don’t want to do that, so they asked us what we were going to do about it. Innovation happens when there is a crisis – and our crisis was that our customers were telling us – this trend towards automation in the current way in which it is being delivered by Caterpillar and Komatsu – means that we will have to stop using your technology. And we had customers sharing some of the limitations of the established automation solutions. What Caterpillar and Komatsu have done in autonomy is very valuable. So, we are focused on where there is additional value that the industry can gain through the emergence of a new generation of technology providers.”

But what is Wenco’s definition of open autonomy? “It is a term that one of our engineers came up with in 2018. It is a contrast to an OEM-based closed stack solution coming from Caterpillar and Komatsu. So, in that generation of technologies, if you wanted to go autonomous as a miner, that meant you were effectively committing yourself to one OEM and – all the truck fleet are one make, all the technology stack comes from the OEM and all the IT/OT integrations are locked to what the OEM decides. You can’t have a mixed fleet – and in many cases it would mean you would have to buy new trucks that you hadn’t planned to. The change management, adoption and capital cost are all significant. Those companies had built very integrated, tightly coupled systems where all the key building blocks – trucks, situational awareness, autonomous driver, traffic management and FMS, were from one vendor. Very monolithic – but it delivered a value – no question. But the locked value of a single OEM approach and commitment does not represent what the market now is looking to invest in.”

He continued: “We are not a truck OEM – while we are owned by Hitachi Construction Machinery, we operate quite independently from them in the way we do business. When we embarked on the task of contributing to an Open Autonomy framework, we started by defining what are the logical separation points between the various technology pieces that make up the system. You can have the truck, perception tech and drive by wire from one supplier, for example, then the different implementation and integration services from another, and the FMS and traffic management from another.”

Pyne said that it was clear this had to be an industry led initiative and since it started on this path, one of Wenco’s engineers has taken a leading role in a workgroup to define and establish a new ISO standard – ISO 23725: Autonomous System and Fleet Management System Interoperability. And this standard Application Programming Interface (API) is readily available for anyone that wants to use it. “There is now a growing number of companies that we have been engaging with that reinforces the industry need for open systems approach. Wenco understands that the ISO standard is expected to be published by end 2024. And this approach creates the opportunity for new entrants, not deters them.” Hideshi Fukumoto, Hitachi CM CTO summed it up well in 2019: “We believe that if you have an open approach, and help new entrants integrate with customer operations, you won’t get new competitors, you’ll get new partners – and together we will be able to provide better autonomy solutions to customers.”

Enabling this paradigm evolution, Pyne said, requires three things from miners – establishing the open architecture/protocols; proving a commercially ready and available solution; and influencing the OEMs to adhere to the protocols through demand side pressure – or living with reverse engineered drive by wire solutions. But the key benefits are significant – open systems enable new innovations to be deployed to capture incremental value from traditional Level 4 OEM autonomy. It also provides further cost reduction and productivity increase outcomes. Furthermore, it accelerates the ESG drivers for miners through emissions reduction by using electric drives, trolley systems, battery powered and smaller payload trucks.

Back to this truck sizing question – what is the right size for autonomous trucks? Pyne: “Taking the three big Pilbara players as an example, they all have the same issues – they have a lot of big mines, they’re mining 100s of millions of tonnes of iron ore each year, plus a lot of rail and overland conveying and crushing infrastructure. Rio Tinto is producing over 300 Mt a year alone – so a lot of mineral resources need to be replaced on an annual basis – if you are opening up new mines many 10s of kilometres away from existing operations and infrastructure – what are your options? Rail and overland conveyors come at a huge cost. But if you have a high speed, Level 5, autonomous and electrified truck option, that precludes the need for that expensive infrastructure.” Pyne said he had had similar conversations with a mining client in Chile where it had identified potential deposits that were currently not economic with existing scenarios, but with these smaller flexible trucks, they could be.

Smaller trucks also come with other financial benefits such as payload to weight ratio. With a large rigid 200 t truck, for every one tonne of steel you can only carry two tonnes of payload, plus it requires a significant amount of diesel for material haulage. For a smaller 40 to 50 t truck, the ratio works out to be one tonne of steel for four tonnes of payload. Smaller trucks can support more selective mining facilitated by new technologies – with reduced dilution and strip ratio and increased ore recovery. Smaller trucks also allow for narrower haul roads and higher speed longer hauls. With more trucks it also means your production is less affected by breakdowns. On the electrification front, it is still going to be some years until large battery trucks achieve the required productivity in a full fleet sense – with smaller trucks it is likely going to be a reality within the next few years.

Pyne then reviewed some of Wenco’s existing projects. Rio Tinto have been quite open they are testing lower profile 50 t Scania trucks at their sites. In this instance, AHS-FMS messages are integrated over the cloud, so Scania can deliver AHS within the cloud based on a combination of sensors but requiring less real time connectivity. Staffed Digging Units are equipped with Wenco High Precision Guidance to spot autonomous trucks. This right-sized autonomous truck project is a collaboration between Rio Tinto, Scania and Wenco that joins together a team of over 300 engineers.

Wenco is part of Rio Tinto’s right-sized autonomous truck project along with Scania

Pyne said whilst there is still considerable work to be done, we aren’t too far from reaching estimated the required technology readiness level (TRL) to support deployments.

At Roy Hill, Wenco’s FMS and Open Autonomy service adopted by ASI Mining’s Mobius platform has established the interoperability demanded for mixed HME equipment fleet in autonomous operations. Well documented by IM in several articles, this is a mixed Cat and Hitachi fleet and will soon have 96 autonomous trucks running – though these are larger rigid mining trucks.

Pyne concluded: “A number of big miners have now done the sums and are looking to adopt both open autonomy and smaller trucks where they make sense. In some cases, they are also investing in us to help accelerate delivery and be able to support this. And of course, underlying a lot of it are the carbon emissions reduction targets they have committed to, where smaller battery trucks will get them there sooner.” Our company vision is ‘reshaping the future of mining’ and with the right partners from the technology sector and collaborative innovative miners, we are on the right path to achieving that.”

Drive intelligence – Flender says torque measurement with AIQ portfolio is a revolution for mining

Automation, Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mineral commodities, Mining maintenance, Mining services

Innovation in drivetrain technology is important to help increase mining efficiency and productivity. While the mechanical concept has been tuned to excellence over many years, Flender says it is helping pioneer symbiosis of mechanics and digitalisation to open a long awaited next chapter in mechanical drive solutions. It says digitalisation promises a significant reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) and saves lifecycle costs. It reduces the consumption of valuable energy resources and promotes the optimisation of production processes.

Flender says this is possible with the use of highly integrated sensors and analytics. Data relevant to your drive technology is recorded during the process and evaluated at the gear unit itself. According to Flender, only digitised drive technology is fit for the future. The company has set up a distinct department called ‘Digital Business’ devoted to the development of digital solutions and it has called the new digital product portfolio AIQ.  

Andreas Evertz, CEO of the Flender Group: “The digitalisation of drive technology has incredible potential. We are convinced that drive technology needs to be reinvented. The goal must be to design gear units for plant manufacturers and operators in such a way that it is both economically and ecologically optimal: as simple as possible and only as large as necessary.”

Flender says drive solutions created according to this principle represent the most sustainable path: optimised processes, maximum lifecycle cost savings and minimum use of time and resources are the outcomes. Julia Zundel, Head of Digital Business at Flender, argues there is no alternative to taking the step towards the digitalisation of all drive components. AIQ Flender says stands for best-fit solution packages that use intelligence, knowledge, and extensive experience to meet customer requirements for diagnosis, early fault detection and process optimisation. 

In the field of minerals and mining, particularly the AIQ Core Torque Flender says offers a cost-efficient and helpful technology that combines sensor technology and analytics. It continuously monitors the drive and evaluates operationally relevant data. In addition to torque, AIQ Core Torque also measures oil temperature, speed, and vibration values.

Over past years, Flender has carried out extensive field measurements, and collected and evaluated reliable data. For example, the load spectra collected by torque measurements from a wide variety of applications and thousands of gear units provides comprehensive information about the utilisation of drives and their optimal operating points.  

Zundel: “The most important finding of our investigations is that AIQ leads to a massive cost reduction for plant manufacturers and operators. When designing drives, the exact operating data was often not known. Today, we know that many drives could be significantly smaller in their application for regular operation. The world’s largest plant manufacturers have confirmed the relevance of gear unit data and process information already, and are now able to plan drive technology with almost pinpoint accuracy. In many cases, they have set Flender sensor technology as a standard.”

In the long term, the focus is therefore on optimising processes and drive concepts. “Torque measurement will play an even more decisive role,” says Zundel. “If you want to achieve the perfect application-fit of your drive technology and optimise the application as well as the drivetrain, you can’t avoid digitalisation. We are talking about savings of up to 50% on all relevant components. We can say that because we’ve been measuring and analysing it for years.”

For most users, it will be crucial that Flender allows for simple and complete AIQ integration into the customer’s existing individual process infrastructure in order to be able to get the advantages of the measurement system.  

AIQ Core Torque is used to create transparency of drive and process. Flender: “The system meets every individual requirement: as part of the system control in the control room or integrated into a digital concept in which the data is available around the clock. The operator is able to keep an eye on his drives at will and immediately take the right actions in a situation with unusual data. The measurement data is analysed, interpreted, and provides concrete recommendations for action. The operator has full access to all important information at all times. This is especially useful when the operator is not in close proximity to the equipment or when a large number of equipment needs to be visible at a glance.” 

Wood awarded key project execution contract for AMSA Nueva Centinela project

Base metals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining project news, Mining services

Wood, a global leader in consulting and engineering, has been awarded a major contract by Antofagasta Minerals SA (AMSA) for its Nueva Centinela copper project. Located in the Antofagasta region of Chile, the contract will see Wood support AMSA in expanding the Esperanza Sur pit.

Wood has been appointed as the strategic partner for project execution and will work together with AMSA to deliver all key aspects of the project. This will include managing the construction of a new concentrating plant, ore crushing facility, conveyor transportation systems, sea water pipeline, tailing disposal and facility expansions as well as other necessary infrastructure at the Centinela port.

The project forms part of AMSA’s US$4.4 billion investment into the Minera Centinela facility and will support the world’s increased demand for copper – largely driven by the energy transition and the global move towards electrification.

The project will position Centinela to become one of the top 15 copper mines in the world by output, producing an additional 170,000 copper equivalent tonnes per annum – enough copper to build over two million electric cars. First production is expected in 2027 with work commencing in May 2024.

Jim Shaughnessy, Wood’s President of Minerals, Metals and Life Sciences, said: “Copper has a pivotal role to play in our energy transition. As the world continues to build more sustainable energy systems, a safe and secure supply of energy transition materials is critical. We’re proud to build on our existing relationship with AMSA and support increased production to meet surging demand for copper. This award underlines the strength of our mineral processing capability and experience of delivering end-to-end EPCm services for complex, large-scale projects.”

The near three year project will be supported by around 130 Wood employees with the company planning to hire around 50 new positions immediately as a result of the award. The majority of these will be on-site, with the remainder at Wood’s Santiago office.