Tag Archives: Canada Mining Innovation Council

Olitek ships first Remote Charge-up Unit to Newmont’s Cadia operation

Olitek Mining Robotics says it has reached an important milestone in its Remote Charge-up Unit (RCU) project with the dispatch of a RCU to Newmont’s Cadia operation in New South Wales, Australia.

The RCU uses robust mining robotics and a modified Volvo Construction Equipment wheeled excavator platform to enable full face charge-up from the safety of the cabin, Olitek explains.

Mechanised charge-up of tunnel development faces significantly reduces exposure of charge-up crews to tunnel face hazards such as seismicity, rockfalls, thermal stress and repetitive strain injuries. The development face explosives loading and priming crews are most ‘at risk’ to these geotechnical hazards due to the lengthy exposure duration at the tunnel face to perform their tasks.

The RCU project was part of a Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC)-backed consortium involving Vale, Newcrest (now Newmont), Agnico Eagle and Glencore, which sought to deliver a TRL7 (Technology Readiness Level) fully functioning prototype unit that will move personnel at least 4-5 m away from the underground development face and provide faster manual charge-up options to reduce exposure time for existing operations.

The system leverages Olitek’s patented HELX initiation system, allowing full charge-up and tie in to be completed using low-cost conventional detonators, the company says.

Olitek said the dispatch represents a major commercialisation milestone.

Riino zero-emission monorail haulage system receives mining company backing

Riino, a company incorporating technology influences from monorails, subway systems and the mechanised raise climber, is a step closer to bringing its zero-emission material movement concept to reality, having signed up three mining company backers for a technology scoping study, utilising a consortium approach, supported by the Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC).

Agnico Eagle Mines, Rio Tinto and Vale are now all part of a CMIC-backed consortium pushing the Riino project forward under CMIC’s Surface Mining Alternative Haulage project. In addition, Riino has also been successful in achieving funding as part of Canadian government backing through the Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator Network.

Riino is an innovative monorail haulage system targeting the reduction of the industry’s carbon emissions and achieving net-zero goals, CMIC says. It is designed to receive its power from internal, train-mounted motors as well as auxiliary on-board batteries for a complete electric and automated operation.

The Riino concept originated out of President and CEO Aaron Lambert’s experience as a contract miner in Sudbury – a role that saw him interact and engage with many different technologies.

The standard 120-t (18% grade) or 400-t payload numbers used by Riino have been influenced by existing underground or open-pit mining profiles

Lambert has been working on Riino for several years, with the initial plan to produce a system that is both capex- and opex-efficient. The headline numbers associated with this are a targeted 50-80% reduction in haulage operating costs.

As time has gone by, the zero-emission element has created a further selling point for Riino, encouraging mining companies to consider its use alongside a host of other ‘green’ haulage alternatives to the standard diesel-powered truck and shovel fleet.

All three of the mining companies attached to the ongoing scoping study have been interrogating the data and designs Lambert and his team have assembled over recent months, and are now pledging financial resources to wrap some in-depth numbers and technical data around what it will take to build a prototype to a sufficient technology readiness level.

To this point, the power requirements for Riino have been based off existing specifications for both open-pit and underground mines. The standard 120-t (18% grade) or 400-t payload numbers have also been influenced by existing underground or open-pit mining profiles.

“We’ve had great early engagement from mining companies since we started the Riino project, and the latest backing from Agnico, Rio and Vale is tangible evidence of that,” Lambert told IM.

The three mining companies and Riino are currently engaged in this four-month study, which will be concluded by the end of this year. The idea is to then engage in another staged development process that could result in a full-scale prototype being built for testing at a location in Sudbury, owned by Rainbow Concrete Industries.

Trevor Kelly, Innovation Manager at CMIC, said: “We see the scoping study as a good opportunity for the industry to look at this solution. It offers a low-cost entry point and definitive outcome to enable companies to get involved initially, quickly. As with many other CMIC projects, we work with entrepreneurs and mining companies to find the ‘sweet spot’ between what money and resources are available, matching that to a relevant technology scope.

“As a result, it gives Riino and the mining companies a view on the potential of this technology and the possible paths forward.”

Gary Molloy, Innovation Manager at CMIC, added on the scoping study: “At this stage, it is all about building confidence in your company and your product.”

Each Riino locomotive – of which there are several making up a system – has internal, train-mounted motors to offer optimal driveline power across the system. These locomotives also come with wheels that have full attachment to the rails – via load-bearing, side-attachment and under-attachment wheels – similar to that of a rollercoaster. This eliminates the potential for train derailments, according to Lambert, saving potential system damage as well as downtime.

The inclusion of a Busbar able to provide 750 V of DC power comes out of the subway and surface transit space, meanwhile.

On top of this, the system has auxiliary on-board batteries to eliminate a significant amount of electrical infrastructure such as power cables and additional sub-stations.

This makes for a system able to offer speeds of up to 80 km/h, transport material lump sizes up to -760 mm, carry 120 t on a standard 18% incline road/ramp and navigate road widths of 1.8 m.

The Riino system has auxiliary on-board batteries to eliminate a significant amount of electrical infrastructure such as power cables and additional sub-stations

Lambert concluded: “Riino’s ambitious journey to revolutionise material movement in mining has gained substantial momentum and is swiftly progressing toward realisation.

“This pivotal phase, marked by rigorous study and financial commitments, aims to propel Riino towards a prototype build, positioned for testing in Sudbury. With a scoping study drawing to a close by year-end and subsequent developmental stages on the horizon, Riino stands poised to redefine mining logistics, offering a glimpse into a greener, more efficient future.”

E-Tech evaluating Novamera’s surgical mining technologies for Eureka project

E-Tech Resources Inc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Novamera Inc to evaluate the use of surgical mining and Novamera’s technologies as the extraction method for its Eureka project in Namibia.

The MoU sets out a series of milestones that include a conceptual surgical mining economic desktop evaluation (commencing immediately), Guidance Tool calibration activities and a bulk sample. The parties are planning to initiate these activities over the next 12 months.

The solution could provide a more cost-effective and faster path to production, while also radically reducing environmental and social impact, E-Tech says. It aligns well with E-Tech’s values of being a sustainable and responsible company with the goal of supporting the green energy transition.

The Eureka project focuses on two rare earth elements (REEs), neodymium and praseodymium. The project’s mineralogy, processability and favourable logistics have the potential to make it one of the simplest and most accessible sources of REE supply to the global market, according to the company.

Todd Burlingame, E-Tech CEO, said: “E-Tech is advancing the development of the Eureka deposit by utilising innovative and leading-edge technology. The minerals of the future will require techniques and approaches that are in line with the ESG principles of their end use. We believe that Novamera’s technologies are revolutionary and E-Tech is thrilled to be at the forefront of exploring new mining methods.

“We are committed to finding sustainable and cost-efficient ways to mine the materials essential for building a low carbon economy, while also protecting and preserving the environment.”

Dustin Angelo, Novamera CEO, said: “We are excited to be working with E-Tech and demonstrating the capabilities of our surgical mining technologies. Mining companies like E-Tech are looking for solutions to bring deposits into production with a smaller environmental footprint than that of conventional mining methods. The willingness to look at a different business model will open more strategic options to generate value for their shareholders and realise positive cash flow sooner for a project.”

Novamera’s proprietary hardware and software seamlessly combine with conventional drilling equipment, allowing mining companies to surgically extract deposits while minimising dilution, according to the company. Real-time data, machine learning and production analytics drive the ‘surgical mining cycle’ to make extraction of complex, narrow-vein deposits not only viable but highly profitable.

A low capital expenditure solution requiring minimal mine development, surgical mining presents miners with a flexible, scalable mining method that can help get into ore quickly with small-scale deposits, it says.

Working together with conventional drilling equipment and operations, the solution generates circa-95% less waste and less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of selective mining methods, according to Novamera. In addition, a closed-loop system is employed to minimise water discharge and real-time backfilling reduces environmental impact and tailings storage needs.

A 2021 proof of concept was designed to test the entire surgical mining system and process, which is made up of three steps. This includes drilling a hole with a standard NQ-sized diamond core rig and sending Novamera’s proprietary guidance tool down through the core barrel on wireline to image the orebody in high resolution and with close spacing; bringing in a large-diameter drill, coupled with the company’s course correction device and positioning control system, to drill to depth following the trajectory provided by the guidance tool and transporting the cuttings using reverse circulation air-lift assist; and backfilling the holes thereafter.

The latest in-field demonstration, completed in late 2022, took place in Baie Verte, Newfoundland, at the same Signal Gold-owned site (the Romeo and Juliet deposit). The trial highlighted the technical capabilities of the guidance tool, the operational impact of real-time data in a production setting and the economic potential of surgical mining, according to Novamera.

Carried out under the auspices of the Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC), the demonstration highlighted to the sponsors – OZ Minerals, Vale and an unnamed global gold producer among them – that the guidance tool was integral to effective surgical mining.

In terms of the next steps for the technologies, Angelo told IM back in June that the company was keen to fabricate a “course correction device” able to compensate for the impacts of gravity on drilling such holes and the rock dynamics at play, equip the drill rig with a 2-m-diameter cutting head (as opposed to the 1-m-diameter head used in the proof of concept), prove out the guidance tool at a number of sites to build up a “geological database” and then get to a full production test at a chosen mine site.

Such a mine site test was confirmed around this time after the Government of Canada announced the 24 recipients of support selected through the Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) Network’s second call for proposals. Novamera was named within this select pool, with the government granting it C$850,005 ($643,984) for a project to deploy its surgical mining technologies at the Hammerdown mine site, in Newfoundland, Canada, a site owned by Maritime Resources.

Australia and Canada ‘coopertition’ to be highlighted at IMARC

Australia and Canada have a lot in common when it comes to mining and resources and are critical to the industry’s global transformation. While both countries are mining super-powers in their own right and are supplying a significant percentage of the resources needed for the global energy transition, they are also using their leadership to guide the global industry’s transition to a sustainable future, according to the organisers of IMARC.

Australia and Canada are recognised as the two largest exploration destinations in dollar value terms, with stock exchanges that reflect the enormous contribution mining and resources makes to each economy.

Similarly, both countries offer substantial and relatively untapped resources, conducive investment environments, supportive governments and well-established plans for the development of the critical minerals needed for the global energy transition.

Because both have a long history of operating in complex environmental and social contexts, they also have extensive experience in sustainable practices and meaningful engagement with First Nations and local communities.

Leading the transformation

This strong shared focus on ESG principles and commitment to contemporary mining practices have seen Canada and Australia emerge in the past decade as key leaders in the global industry’s response to the challenges facing mining globally.

Carl Weatherell, CEO of the Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC), says the leadership of the mature mining countries such as Canada and Australia are critical to achieving the mining industry’s global environmental goals.

“In order to reduce the mining industry’s energy use, water use and environmental footprint by 50% by 2027, the major players have not only an opportunity but a responsibility to work together on innovations that reduce waste, lower costs and mitigate environmental impacts across all aspects of exploration and development,” he says.

“Canada and Australia are global leaders in the mining industry with decades of experience and innovation behind them, so they have a natural role in leading mining’s transformation to a more responsive, sustainable and resilient industry.

“It’s incumbent on the two countries and their companies to work together to redefine and rethink the future of the industry in terms of in terms of how we collaborate, who we collaborate with and what we work together on.

“Coopertition”

Weatherell says while the global mining industry is competitive by nature, it also has a shared destiny, and, by necessity, has pursued active collaboration on shared challenges, particularly around decarbonisation.

“We call this ‘coopertition’ and it is one of the reasons events like IMARC are so important when it comes to pursuing these shared goals.”

He believes Canadian and Australian mining operators and innovators have long understood the need for a cooperative effort toward a more efficient, sustainable industry, recognising these goals can only be achieved if all stakeholders sign up to a clear vision for the future and work towards it together.

“The mining and resources industries in Canada and Australia are leading the way when it comes to embracing the decarbonisation challenge and lending their expertise and experience to countries where they invest,” he said.

“As we like to say, net zero is easy; zero is hard. But through exporting their leadership and best practice globally, Australia and Canada are playing a key role in meeting the challenge.”

The same, but different

From an investor perspective, Canada and Australia are considered low-risk jurisdictions, with policies and regulatory settings that welcome, encourage and incentivise exploration and development, particularly of the resources needed to fuel the global energy transition.

Both countries share a similar legal heritage, providing a level of comfort when it comes to assessing risk and a pragmatic approach to managing the energy transition.

Principal and Founder of BRIDGE©, Siri C. Genik, says while both are young countries who offer investors stable jurisdictions, strong legal frameworks and respect for the rule of law, there are also differences which can impact on the risk appetite for investors.

Genik said: “We certainly see a consistent approach to issues such as health and safety, environmental and stakeholder management, EDI, governance and more broadly sustainability. Both countries demonstrate best practices in respect of human rights and a commitment to managing the industry’s carbon footprint.

“There are common core values and opportunities for greater investment, but there are differences between both countries, including permitting processes and timelines, and different risk appetites and investment approaches.”

She says Australian companies – from mine operators to exploration and METS companies – are looking to Canada as a key source of the critical minerals needed for a renewable future such as copper, nickel, lithium and graphite.

One such company is the Andrew Forrest-backed Wyloo Metals, which is expanding its operations in Canada with a focus on nickel and copper.

Wyloo Metals CEO, Luca Giacovazzi, says the company’s investments, particularly in the establishment of a Future Metals Hub in Ontario, underscore his belief in Canada’s long-term potential to be a globally relevant producer of reliable and responsibly sourced battery metals.

“Canada has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish itself as a major player in the new economy,” Giacovazzi said. “Our proposed Future Metals Hub provides the cornerstone for a globally relevant battery material supply chain in Canada, while creating economic opportunities for local communities to thrive.”

But according to Genik, while investment in Canada is at healthy levels, fewer Canadian companies have been investing in projects in Australia. She said this may be a reflection of a global mining and resources industry in transition, with older investment paradigms being challenged and new alliances being formed, particularly around resource supply resilience.

Despite this, she said the shift in globalisation also represents opportunities for Canadian and Australian companies.

She said: “There are new relationships and alliances being formed as nations are increasingly wanting to stand on their own and – to the extent they can – be more self-reliant and work with partners with shared values.

“It’s not just the Russia-Ukraine situation that is driving this, but you’re also seeing similar trends across Asia and South America, creating new opportunities for investment for countries like Canada and Australia.

“As the EU is striving to ensure increased sustainable value chains for all products being included in the goods they manufacture, it has been an important game changer. They have adopted a number of very stringent sustainability requirements and regulations that all players in the industry will need to meet if they want their products to be included in products manufactured or assembled in the EU.

“Other nations are striving to also meet these requirements, and again, Australian and Canadian companies can talk to.

“The appetite is still there, the investors continue to seek a return on their investment, but not at any cost, and not always seeking instant gratification. Markets are much more fickle today and more complex, with geopolitics creating challenging dynamics for investors. We are seeing investor expectations go beyond the value of the asset and focussing on a wholistic approach to the company. Investors want to make sure that they’re understanding and including these non-technical risks and that they understand what impact and purpose is.

“The opportunity for Canada and Australia is to continue to position themselves as sustainable leaders to be successful in this era of shifting and transition.”

Canada comes to IMARC 2023 in Sydney

Canada will continue its long association with the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) being held in Sydney, Australia this year with a delegation promoting the country’s vision to be the leading mining nation in the 21st century.

The delegation promises to be the largest ever and includes Canadian companies showcasing their products and services to the global mining and resources market, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, and a team from Global Affairs Canada promoting investment opportunities for companies to establish or expand their operations in Canada.

Senior Investment Officer at Global Affairs Canada, Bertrand Raoult, said Canada provides a highly competitive value proposition for investors.

Raoult said: “Canada is a global mining leader, producing over 60 minerals and metals and home to advanced exploration projects for lithium, rare earths and other critical minerals the world needs for a cleaner future. We have strong mineral exploration, mining and mineral processing sectors and these are attracting downstream manufacturing, as we are moving toward vertically integrated supply chains.”

Raoult said Canada is one of the most mining-friendly jurisdictions in the world and supports the sector through generous programs and incentives, competitive tax policies, a rich innovation ecosystem and Free-Trade agreements that give investors access to more than 50 markets.

“But it is perhaps our environmental, social and governance expertise that truly sets Canada apart from competitors,” Raoult said. “Thanks to generous programs, our minerals and metals sector industry is adopting clean and cutting-edge technologies to make mining and processing greener, safer, smarter and more efficient.

“As a result, Canada has one of the lowest ESG risks across global mining projects on average performing particularly well in categories such as water usage, community engagement, conservation and governance.”

The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy highlights the importance of mining and resources to the nation’s global competitiveness and prosperity. The industry accounts for 626,000 direct and indirect jobs and is the largest employer for Indigenous Peoples and 19% of Canada’s total domestic exports, and approximately $47 billion in mineral production come from mines and quarries across all regions.

Raoult said: “Canada’s vision is to responsibly develop its geological resources, including critical minerals, advance the participation of indigenous peoples, ensure sustainable mining and rehabilitation practices, drive world-leading innovation, build community support for sustainable mineral development and attract underrepresented groups to this high-tech sector that is key to a green economy.”

The International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) is returning to the ICC Sydney from October 31-November 2, 2023. International Mining is a media sponsor of the event and will be attending.

Novamera plots path forward for surgical mining technologies

Having completed a proof of concept of its entire surgical mining technologies portfolio in 2021, Novamera has furthered its credentials in the narrow-vein mining space by proving out its proprietary guidance tool in the same setting and testing out the ability to transport the concept to an underground mining environment.

Novamera’s proprietary hardware and software seamlessly combine with conventional drilling equipment, allowing mining companies to surgically extract deposits while minimising dilution, according to the company. Real-time data, machine learning and production analytics drive the ‘surgical mining cycle’ to make extraction of complex, narrow-vein deposits not only viable but highly profitable.

A low capital expenditure solution requiring minimal mine development, surgical mining presents miners with a flexible, scalable mining method that can help get into ore quickly with small-scale deposits, it says.

Working together with conventional drilling equipment and operations, the solution generates circa-95% less waste and less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of selective mining methods, according to Novamera. In addition, a closed-loop system is employed to minimise water discharge and real-time backfilling reduces environmental impact and tailings storage needs.

The 2021 proof of concept was designed to test the entire surgical mining system and process, which is made up of three steps. This includes drilling a hole with a standard NQ-sized diamond core rig and sending Novamera’s proprietary guidance tool down through the core barrel on wireline to image the orebody in high resolution and with close spacing; bringing in a large-diameter drill, coupled with the company’s course correction device and positioning control system, to drill to depth following the trajectory provided by the guidance tool and transporting the cuttings using reverse circulation air-lift assist; and backfilling the holes thereafter.

The latest in-field demonstration, completed in late 2022, took place in Baie Verte, Newfoundland, at the same Signal Gold-owned site (the Romeo and Juliet deposit). The trial highlighted the technical capabilities of the guidance tool, the operational impact of real-time data in a production setting and the economic potential of surgical mining, according to Novamera.

Carried out under the auspices of the Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC), the demonstration highlighted to the sponsors – OZ Minerals, Vale and an unnamed global gold producer among them – that the guidance tool was integral to effective surgical mining.

Dustin Angelo, CEO of Novamera, expanded on this.

“Throughout the technology development, we have had questions or statements about the ability to carry out the type of narrow-vein mining we are talking about by simply using a large diameter drill rig to extract the orebody following a conventional resource model,” he told IM. “The typical spacing a narrow-vein orebody is drilled on – traditional cross-cutting holes associated with exploration and infill work – is too wide to get the resolution needed for an exact picture of the orebody geometry.

“What we were able to demonstrate in the latest trial is that you need a tool like ours to collect, in real time, the amount of data required to accurately extract the orebody in question.”

Novamera demonstrated this in a March webinar, which highlighted the existing infill model at the Romeo and Julie deposit implied a large-diameter drill hole could be drilled on a 62° dip angle to accurately extract the orebody.

“In actuality when we imaged the hole and used our guidance tool, it suggested the orebody was on a 67° dip angle,” Angelo said. “We validated this assessment with data and then reconciled the results to show the impact.”

The original drill hole dip angle coordinates would have resulted in only 60% of the orebody being extracted, whereas Novamera’s guidance tool-aided drilling obtained 87% of the orebody.

“At the same time, the data coming back allowed us to locate where the other 13% would be, allowing the company to pick the remainder up with the next hole,” Angelo said.

Also part of the CMIC consortium, the company brought the guidance tool to an underground mine and was able to successfully operate it in that underground environment.

“We had never been underground, so we simply wanted to show we could take the tool underground, operate it and gather data in real time,” Angelo said.

Able to break the unit down into two pieces and mount the technology in stages on the drill rig, this was a pivotal demonstration for the company, opening up further possibilities with its solution.

“Novamera’s technologies can go underground; it is the large diameter drill we are piggybacking off that has issues due to its sheer size,” Angelo said. “We are working with OEMs and contractors to augment existing large diameter drilling equipment so it can be easily deployed in the confines of an underground deposit for the surgical mining application.”

In terms of the next steps for the technologies, Angelo was keen to fabricate a “course correction device” able to compensate for the impacts of gravity on drilling such holes and the rock dynamics at play, equip the drill rig with a 2-m-diameter cutting head (as opposed to the 1-m-diameter head used in the proof of concept), prove out the guidance tool at a number of sites to build up a “geological database” and then get to a full production test at a chosen mine site.

Such a mine site test was recently confirmed after the Government of Canada announced the 24 recipients of support selected through the Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) Network’s second call for proposals. Novamera was named within this select pool, with the government granting it C$850,005 ($643,984) for a project to deploy its surgical mining technologies at the Hammerdown mine site, in Newfoundland, Canada, a site owned by Maritime Resources.

This project, which has a budget of circa-C$8 million – will see the company test out its technologies on a vein located outside the current proposed open-pit mine plan, demonstrating one use case where surgical mining can help mining companies add production to supplement the conventional method being employed.

Angelo said of such testing: “When we get to this point, it is no longer about simply a proof of concept, it is about demonstrating the capabilities and value of our technologies to enable surgical mining by reconciling the grade and tonnes associated with that mining exercise against an already established resource model.

“This is where we will really generate significant interest from the mining community, when we can show that we can help mining companies add production and extend mine life from currently uneconomic, steeply-dipping narrow vein deposits or zones in their mineral resource portfolio.”

Novamera concludes in-field demonstration of surgical mining, backed by Vale and OZ Minerals

Novamera says it has completed an in-field demonstration of its surgical mining technologies, sponsored by Vale, OZ Minerals and a leading global gold producer, with the results set to be presented shortly.

The in-field demonstration, completed in late 2022, took place in Baie Verte, Newfoundland, and highlighted the technical capabilities of the proprietary guidance tool, the operational impact of real-time data in a production setting and the economic potential of surgical mining, according to Novamera.

Surgical mining, powered by Novamera’s proprietary technology, could unlock trillions in currently uneconomic narrow-vein mineral deposits to meet the increasing demand for metals, while also supporting environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets, the company says.

The Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC) has been steering a industry consortium of mining companies to trial Novamera’s near borehole imaging tool at various project sites, including this latest trial.

Novamera’s proprietary hardware and software seamlessly combine with conventional drilling equipment, allowing mining companies to surgically extract deposits while minimising dilution, Novamera explains. Real-time data, machine learning and production analytics drive the ‘surgical mining cycle’ to make extraction of complex, narrow-vein deposits not only viable but highly profitable. A low capital expenditure solution requiring minimal mine development, miners have a flexible, scalable mining method that can help get into ore quickly with small-scale deposits.

Working together with conventional drilling equipment and operations, the solution generates circa-95% less waste and less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of selective mining methods, according to the company. In addition, a closed loop system was created to minimise water discharge and real-time backfilling reduces environmental impact and tailings storage needs.

CMIC CEO, Carl Weatherell, said: “Novamera’s surgical mining solution supports our vision of transforming mining into a zero-waste industry. We are thrilled to be part of this new era of mining innovation that increases safety, efficiency, social licence and environmental stewardship, while providing greater financial returns for the industry.”

Dustin Angelo, CEO of Novamera, said: “The industry needs innovative new solutions. Consortiums and the participation of industry leaders like Vale and OZ Minerals are critical to enabling new technologies to enter the market. Using technology, we can now unlock thousands of smaller-scale deposits and zones within existing mines that were previously uneconomic, allowing the industry to quickly add to production – meeting the rapidly growing global demand for metals.”

Riino: changing the way we mine

“There is nothing like the Riino in the mining market or, in fact, in any other industry,” Aaron Lambert, President and CEO of Riino, told IM.

That statement is worth unpacking, which Lambert does by sharing the industrial influences that has resulted in the zero-emission monorail concept he is now looking to turn into a reality for both underground and open-pit mining.

“The concept has come from my past experience in mining and using different technologies,” he says, referencing stints at underground mines in the Sudbury Basin of Canada as a contractor and a period with another innovative rail haulage company that saw him help design and install three installations of the rail-based mining system.

“A lot of the things that I have incorporated into this design come from monorails,” he said. “The rail structure is very similar to a rollercoaster design; it also incorporates components from a subway system; and the rail element is also very modular like an Alimak raise climber – it is pre-constructed and bolted together.”

The obvious reference point mining companies will look to when evaluating Riino is Railveyor – which is comprised of a light rail train propelled by stationary drive stations.

The two have applications in underground and open-pit mining, but Lambert was keen to emphasise the uniqueness of the two technologies as opposed to the similarities.

“The only real similarities between Riino and Railveyor are the fact both systems elongate the payload with a low profile, and both are rail-based that can travel on inclines.”

The resemblance to monorail trains comes in the form of each Riino locomotive – of which there are several making up a system – having internal, train-mounted motors. This aspect, according to Lambert, enables the company to apply a large amount of driveline power across the system. It also allows it to add or remove locomotives in line with the inclines navigated or required payload, all without compromising on power.

The resemblance to monorail trains comes in the form of each Riino locomotive – of which there are several making up a system – having internal, train-mounted motors

The rollercoaster analogue relates to the way the wheels have full attachment to the rails – via load-bearing, side-attachment and under-attachment wheels. This eliminates the potential for train derailments, according to Lambert, saving potential system damage as well as downtime.

The inclusion of a Busbar able to provide 750 V of DC power comes out of the subway and surface transit space, meanwhile.

“It also has auxiliary on-board batteries,” Lambert explained. “This means you eliminate a significant amount of electrical infrastructure – you’re not running power cables to every drive motor, adding additional sub-stations, etc. You are only converting the mine power supply to a third rail busbar and the trains take it from there.”

The assortment of influences aboard Riino is tied to the need for the system to tick off a list of 50 criteria Lambert started with early on in the R&D process. The list was designed to provide a solution that fundamentally shifted the efficiency and productivity associated with haulage, while getting mining companies to pause for thought before simply adding rubber-tyred vehicles to every mine haulage design profile.

While the goal is to “change the way we mine”, the design reflects the realities of the infrastructure miners already have on site.

The power requirements are based off existing specifications for both open-pit and underground mines, and the standard 120-t (18% grade) or 400-t payload numbers quoted will fit into many existing underground or open-pit mining profiles.

The Sudbury-based company can also tailor the solution to the client’s specifications, thanks to the aforementioned modularity.

Yet Lambert is trying to ‘walk before he can run’ with technology, acknowledging that the Riino proposition will require some new thinking from a historically-conservative mining sector.

“Most trucks underground are from 30-60 t and, on surface, from 100-400 t,” he said. “I wanted to get a design that could be scaled up and down with a default configuration.

“I have completed a feasibility study where we can carry 120 t on a standard 18% incline road/ramp; we know the speed and power consumption associated with this and we know we can plug it into the existing mine power infrastructure and get it going immediately.”

The road width required for the Riino is only 1.8 m, while the minimum turn radius is 7.6 m. Offering speeds of up to 80 km/h, Riino can transport material lump sizes of up to -700 mm.

Offering speeds of up to 80 km/h, Riino can transport material lump sizes of up to -700 mm

Lambert has been working on Riino for several years, with the initial plan to produce a system that is both capex- and opex-efficient. The headline numbers associated with this are a targeted 50% reduction in capital expenditure compared with “competitors” and a 50-80% cut in haulage operating costs.

As time has gone by, the zero-emission element has created a further selling point, encouraging mining companies to consider Riino alongside a host of other ‘green’ haulage alternatives to the standard diesel-powered truck and shovel fleet.

Lambert has been making significant headway of late on backing up these numbers with a practical example.

The company recently teamed up with the Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC) within its Surface Mining Alternative Haulage project to collaborate and co-develop the technology. This could see a full-scale machine built, which is able to demonstrate the technology’s credentials on a Sudbury-based test site.

To this point a consortium of companies, including two mining houses, have agreed, in principle, to back the CMIC-aligned project.

Trevor Kelly, Innovation Manager at CMIC, said of the project: “The Riino project has raised significant industry interest. CMIC continues to communicate this collaborative project opportunity, both inside and outside our CMIC membership. We feel that this is a great opportunity for others to learn more about Riino and to share the costs and reap the reward going forward.“

Lambert says the CMIC-backed project – which will see the final build design completed, with a full-scale prototype fabricated and demonstrated – could last 24 months and result in operational testing at a mine site owned by one of the consortium members.

This testing is set to push the machine to the limit, going beyond the headline numbers to gauge how revolutionary the Riino could prove if fully embraced.

“The original concept of designing Riino is around changing the mine design and changing the way we mine,” Lambert said. “Mining has evolved over the last hundred years: from horses pulling carts underground; to train locomotives underground; and that turned into the rubber tyred equipment.

“Now is the time to have a re-think about the most effective and efficient mine design principles, and I think Riino should be considered as part of the process.”

BluVein’s underground dynamic charging developments accelerating

BluVein, after officially receiving agreement and project approval from all project partners, has initiated the third phase of technology development and testing of its underground mine electrification solution, BluVein1, it says.

BluVein is a joint venture between Australia-based mining innovator Olitek and Sweden-based electric highways developer Evias. The company has devised a patented slotted (electric) rail system, which uses an enclosed electrified e-rail system mounted above or beside the mining vehicle together with the BluVein hammer that connects the electric vehicle to the rail.

The system, which is OEM agnostic, provides power for driving the vehicle, typically a mine truck, and charging the truck’s batteries while the truck is hauling load up the ramp and out of an underground mine.

The underground-focused development under BluVein is coined BluVein1, with the open-pit development looking to offer dynamic charging for ultra-class haul trucks called BluVein XL. This latter project was recently named among eight winning ideas selected to progress to the next stage of the Charge On Innovation Challenge.

The purpose of the third phase of the BluVein1 technology development is to:

  • Conduct a full-scale refined hammer (collector) and arm design and testing with a second prototype;
  • Execute early integration works with mining partners and OEMs;
  • Provide full-power dynamic energy transfer for a vehicle demonstration on a local test site; and
  • Confirm a local test site for development.

IM understands that the company is close to sealing an agreement for a local test site where it will carry out trials of the dynamic charging technology.

James Oliver, CEO, BluVein, said the third phase represents an essential final pre-pilot stage of BluVein1.

“It excites me that the BluVein solution is becoming an industry reality,” he said. “The faster BluVein1 is ready for deployment, the better for our partners and the mining industry globally.”

BluVein recently entered a Memorandum of Understanding with Epiroc, where the Sweden-based OEM will provide the first ever diesel-to-battery-converted Minetruck MT42 underground truck for pilot testing on the slotted electric rail system from BluVein.

“This MoU also ensures that we are designing and developing the system into a real-world BEV for full-scale live testing and demonstration on a pilot site in 2023,” BluVein says.

In addition to Epiroc, IM understands BluVein is working with Sandvik, MacLean, Volvo and Scania, among others, on preparing demonstration vehicles for the BluVein1 pilot site.

The BluVein1 consortium welcomed South32 into the project in May, joining Northern Star Resources, Newcrest Mining, Vale, Glencore, Agnico Eagle, AngloGold Ashanti and BHP, all of which have signed a consortium project agreement that aims to enable final system development and the construction of a technology demonstration pilot site in Australia.

The project is being conducted through the consortium model by Rethink Mining, powered by the Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC), which CMIC says is a unique collaboration structure that fast-tracks mining innovation technologies such as BluVein and CAHM (Conjugate Anvil Hammer Mill).

Carl Weatherell, Executive Director and CEO, CMIC/President Rethink Mining Ventures, said: “With the urgent need to decarbonise, CMIC’s approach to co-develop and co-deploy new platform technologies is the way to accelerate to net zero greenhouse gases. The BluVein consortium is a perfect example of how to accelerate co-development of new technology platforms.”

Oliver concluded: “The BluVein1 consortium is a great reminder that many hands make light work, and through this open collaboration with OEMs and mining companies, we’re moving faster together towards a cleaner, greener future for mining.”

Novamera and OZ Minerals to take surgical mining concept forward with new MoU

Novamera Inc and OZ Minerals have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that, they say, provides a basis of common understanding to support the creation of a “collaborative innovation relationship” between the parties.

The two companies share a desire to unlock value in stranded mineral assets, transform the mining project lifecycle and enable the world’s raw material needs to be met responsibly, equitably and sustainably, they said. To that end, the partnership plans to engage in certain activities including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Participation by OZ Minerals in the Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC) Consortium of Mining Companies to trial Novamera’s near borehole imaging tool (NBIT) at various project sites later in 2022;
  • Assess the potential of deploying Novamera’s technology within OZ Minerals’ project portfolio;
  • Collaboratively evaluate potential project opportunities; and
  • Co-develop collateral to articulate the operational experience and value proposition associated with Novamera’s technology.

The agreement follows Novamera being named as one of seven companies in OZ Minerals’ ‘Scalable and Adaptable’ mining cohort to work together to explore flexible mine design, in September. The challenge was run as a partnership between OZ Minerals’ Think & Act Differently Incubator, Canada-based Inspire Resources and Unearthed.

Dustin Angelo, President and CEO of Novamera, said: “Since last September, we have been working with the Think & Act Differently team on the Scalable & Adaptable Mining Challenge. Over that period of time, we realised we share common goals and ideas on the direction of the mining industry and where to unlock value. The MoU will allow us to focus our efforts collectively and begin to leverage our individual core competencies to create a tremendous amount of value for each of our companies.”

Katie Hulmes, General Manager Transformation at OZ Minerals, added: “The Novamera technology can enable surgical mining. This approach has the potential to operate with less waste, water, energy and a smaller footprint. We look forward to working with Novamera as part of the CMIC Consortium and various internal projects.”

Novamera, through surgical mining, has set out to adapt a combination of drilling and imaging techniques already proven in the oil & gas industry for the narrow-vein mining sector, providing the technical and economical means to mine steeply dipping narrow-vein orebodies with the reduced footprint disturbance modern mining operations require.

Last year it carried out a proof of concept trial of the technology at the Signal Gold-owned Romeo and Juliet deposit in Newfoundland, Canada, which was designed to test the entire surgical mining system and process, which is made up of three steps. This includes drilling a pilot hole with a standard NQ-sized diamond core rig and sending imaging tools down through the core barrel on wireline; bringing in a large-diameter drill to drill to depth following the trajectory provided by the imaging tool and extracting the cuttings; and backfilling the holes thereafter.

Angelo told IM recently that the company had assembled a consortium of companies looking to co-fund a field trial of the company’s minimum viable product version of the NBIT (the version used at Romeo and Juliet, pictured), which is the key enabling technology within surgical mining, through CMIC.

CMIC’s CanMicro technology wins top prize in Crush It! Challenge

The Canada Mining Innovation Council’s cleantech solution, CanMicro, has been named as the grand prize winner of the Crush It! Challenge, being awarded a C$5 million ($3.9 million) grant to further develop the solution.

CanMicro combines microwave-assisted comminution and multi-sensor ore sorting technology to selectively break particles and sort waste from desired minerals, reducing crushing and grinding requirements. CMIC says the CanMicro technology can provide over 35% energy savings across several commodities.

The Crush It! Challenge was announced in October 2018 by Natural Resources Canada (NRC) with the aim to realise an innovative breakthrough in the mining industry’s most energy-intensive and inefficient processes: crushing and grinding.

The primary objectives of the challenge are to fight climate change by creating innovative technologies that reduce energy consumption and pollution, increase competitiveness by developing world-leading clean technologies, and transform the mining cycle to establish a new “future in mining”.

Semi-finalists (up to 12) received C$10,000 to help them pitch their ideas to the Challenge Jury, with up to six finalists being granted up to C$860,000 to build and test their clean technologies. The winner and innovator demonstrating the most superior energy breakthrough to crush and grind rocks was awarded a C$5 million prize to fully develop and roll out their solution.

The grand prize winner of the Crush it! Challenge was selected through a competitive and rigorous process designed and delivered by NRC.

Crush It! is one of six initial clean technology challenges led by NRC under the Impact Canada Initiative – a government-wide approach to introduce innovative approaches to help solve Canada’s biggest economic, environmental and social challenges. NRCan invested C$75 million in its cleantech challenges: Crush It! Challenge, Charging the Future Challenge, Indigenous Off-diesel Initiative, Power Forward Challenge, Women in Cleantech Challenge and The Sky’s the Limit Challenge.

CanMicro is the only technology to combine microwave-assisted comminution and sorting, according to CMIC. The treatment selectively heats value minerals, resulting in micro-fractures along grain boundaries that help reduce ore competency and increase mineral liberation after grinding. It also generates a thermal signature that can be used to sort ore particles so that only those containing value minerals are subjected to fine grinding.

Aside from the potential energy savings, which the team – made up of CMIC (Project Administrator), Dr Erin Bobicki (Technical Lead), Sepro Mineral Systems (Project Participants), Glencore Canada (Project Participants), COREM (Project Participants) and Queens University (Subject Matter Experts) – believe could be up to 70%, this has significant environmental implications for tailings.