Tag Archives: carbon emissions

Riino zero-emission monorail haulage system receives mining company backing

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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.”

BHP and China’s HBIS Group Co Ltd expand partnership to CCUS tech trial

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BHP has signed an agreement for piloting of carbon capture and utilisation technology with China’s HBIS Group Co Ltd (HBIS), one of the world’s largest steelmakers and a major iron ore customer of BHP.

As part of this new project, HBIS and BHP will trial pilot-scale demonstrations of carbon capture and utilisation technologies at HBIS’ steel operations in China. The trial will develop and test technologies that can be integrated into steel production processes to reduce the CO2 emissions. These include Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption, VPSA, an alternative technology to capture the CO2, and two utilisation technologies (slag mineralisation and biological conversion to protein) to sequester the CO2.

In addition, BHP will support HBIS in developing and deploying absorptive desulphurisation at HBIS ZXHT Hydrogen Metallurgy Demonstration Project in Xuanhua, Hebei, intended to enable the utilisation of circa-60,000 t/y of captured CO2 from the direct reduced iron (DRI) process in the food or industrial sectors.

BHP’s Chief Commercial Officer, Vandita Pant, said: “Our multi-faceted partnership with HBIS will now include pilot testing of novel carbon capture technology at their operating sites in Hebei, and builds on the separate carbon capture trial with ArcelorMittal, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry and Mitsubishi Development, announced in October 2022. Hebei province accounts for around 20% of China’s reported steel production and represents one of the locations in which we aim to support future carbon capture, utilisation and storage initiatives. With our support, HBIS will also be pilot testing options for the utilisation of captured carbon dioxide for the production of saleable products and sequestration in waste slag.”

This new agreement expands on the work streams envisaged in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by BHP and HBIS in 2021, together with the Phase 1 research and development work announced in 2022 with HBIS and University of Science and Technology Beijing. In separate work under the MoU, BHP has also supported HBIS in Enhanced Lump trials, aimed at developing processes for improving direct feed iron ore lump use to achieve incremental reductions in carbon dioxide emissions intensity of steel production, at one of the steelmaker’s plants in Hebei province.

BHP’s latest collaboration agreement with HBIS will tap into the investment of up to $15 million over three years proposed by BHP and HBIS in the MoU signed in 2021.

HBIS Chairman, Yu Yong, said: “BHP is a globally renowned resource company and a long-term partner with HBIS with shared goals in relation to the development of technologies to abate carbon emissions in the steel-making sector. The signing of these projects is another milestone since the two parties’ ‘Memorandum of Understanding for Strategic Collaboration in Climate Change’ signed in 2021, it starts a new journey in jointly exploring CCUS technology developments in the steel sector.”

Chairman Yu also stated: “HBIS is committed to being a leader, explorer, and practitioner in the industry’s transition to lower carbon emissions. CCUS has been identified as a breakthrough technology for reducing carbon emissions from steel and this has anchored CCUS technology as a key component in HBIS Group’s low-carbon technology roadmap. In the future, HBIS will continue to focus on the goal of jointly addressing climate change, deepening cooperation with industry value chain partners, adhering to the concept of sustainable development, and consistently cultivating and investing in the green and low-carbon field.”

BHP and Hatch commence design study for an electric smelting furnace pilot

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BHP and global engineering, project management and professional services firm, Hatch, have signed an agreement to design an electric smelting furnace pilot (ESF) plant in support of a decision to construct this facility in Australia.

The facility will aim to demonstrate a pathway to lower carbon dioxide (CO2) intensity in steel production using iron ore from BHP’s Pilbara mines for BHP’s steelmaking customer, BHP says.

The small-scale demonstration plant would be used to collaborate with steel producers and technology providers to generate and share learnings with the aim of accelerating scale up of ESF plant designs.

The pilot facility would be intended to test and optimise production of iron from the ESF, a new type of furnace that is being developed by leading steel producers and technology companies targeting low CO2 emission-intensity steel. The ESF is capable of producing steel from iron ore using renewable electricity and hydrogen replacing coking coal, when combined with a direct reduced iron (DRI) step. Estimates show that reductions of more than 80% in CO2 emission intensity are potentially achievable processing Pilbara iron ores through a DRI-ESF pathway, compared with the current industry average for the conventional blast furnace steel route, BHP says.

The ESF allows for greater flexibility in input raw materials, addressing a key barrier to wider adoption of other lower CO2 emissions production routes, such as use of electric arc furnaces which are designed for scrap steel and high grade DRI only. The ESF also has the potential to be integrated into a steel plant’s existing downstream production units.

The pilot facility will enable deeper and more accurate insights into the performance of this technology for converting iron ores into molten iron and steel. Planned test programs will help de-risk further investment in commercial scale projects, thereby complementing development plans of BHP’s steel customers. This scale-up approach has been utilised by other industry demonstrations such as Sweden’s HYBRIT project, BHP added.

BHP and Hatch will assess several locations in Australia for the proposed facility based on supporting infrastructure, technology skills and the availability of local partnerships to build and operate the facility.

BHP’s Chief Commercial Officer, Vandita Pant, said: “We see the ESF process as a critical breakthrough in significantly reducing the carbon emissions intensity of steel production and one that provides an opportunity for iron ore from our Pilbara mines. The steel industry has identified the ESF as a viable option to use a wider range of raw materials and steel companies globally are looking to build commercial-scale ESF plants as part of their CO2 emission reduction roadmaps.”

BHP’s Group Sales and Marketing Officer, Michiel Hovers, said: “Hatch is a key partner in carbon emissions reduction initiatives across the world. We are pleased that we can collaborate with Hatch, alongside BHP’s existing customer and research partnerships, to further progress the development of pathways towards a lower GHG emission footprint for the steelmaking industry. The ESF technology is very exciting and potentially very relevant for reducing the carbon emissions intensity of steel production and provides new and exciting opportunities for our Pilbara iron ore and our customers.

“BHP and Hatch have collaborated on steel technology and design for reducing GHG emissions from over several years, including the ESF and in collaboration with steel producers, and this project is a natural progression in our partnership.”

Hatch’s Managing Director for Bulk Metals, Joe Petrolito, said: “Hatch is excited to collaborate with BHP on this forward-looking initiative and is honored to contribute to the efforts of an industry leader who is dedicated to driving tangible progress. This project marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of decarbonisation within a challenging sector that underpins global infrastructure and progress.”

Nevada Gold Mines kicks off construction of 200 MWAC TS Solar Facility

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Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) says it is building a 200 MWAC (Megawatt, alternating current) photovoltaic solar facility to accelerate its decarbonisation program in line with Barrick’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Roadmap.

NGM, majority owned and operated by Barrick Gold Corporation, hosted a celebratory groundbreaking ceremony this week, marking the commencement of construction of its TS Solar Facility. The facility is adjacent to NGM’s TS Power Plant near Dunphy, Nevada.

The solar array will be constructed in a single phase with commercial production expected in the June quarter of 2024.

NGM is partnering with three Nevada-based contractors to complete the civil, solar substation and mechanical construction. Domestically-sourced steel piles are arriving on site in preparation for module foundation construction and tracker installation. At peak, the project is expected to employ approximately 250 people.

NGM Executive Managing Director, Peter Richardson, said: “At NGM, we embed the principles of partnership and sustainability into every decision we make. We continually seek opportunities to source materials and labour as close to our projects as possible. The TS Solar Facility is a great example of how we can partner with local resources on a project that not only benefits the environment, but also provides sustainable long-term social and economic benefits.”

Upon completion, the project will supply renewable energy to NGM’s operations and realise 254,000 t of CO2-equivalent emissions reduction per year, according to NGM. This will result in an 8% emission reduction from the company’s 2018 baseline.

NGM has committed to a 20% carbon reduction by 2025, which will be achieved through the TS Solar facility and the modification of NGM’s TS Power Plant, providing the ability to use cleaner burning natural gas as a fuel source.

Barrick is targeting an overall 30% reduction in emissions by 2030 with the goal of achieving net-zero by 2050.

MaxMine Carbon to help mining sector’s ‘net-zero’ transition, du Plessis says

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As miners chase their mid- and long-term ‘net-zero’ ambitions, MaxMine’s CEO, Coert du Plessis, says they can start cutting their open-pit carbon output by 5-20% today with MaxMine Carbon.

MaxMine’s sensors and cloud-based processing system (MaxCube) extract and process 10,000 times more data from mining equipment and operator behaviour than incumbent systems, according to the company.  It is this platform that MaxMine Carbon is leveraging to reduce operations’ carbon emissions.

“MaxMine’s secret is providing highly accurate, trusted data that is automatically converted and contextualised into practical measures that mines can take to significantly reduce their carbon emissions,” it said. “Covering mine, machine and operator performance, urgent actions and decisions are communicated directly to operators, improvement leaders, and mine operators.

“In just 12 months, MaxMine has also increased site productivity by up to 12% at mines all over the world.”

MaxMine Carbon leverages trusted, high-quality data and operator behaviour that helps customers understand and manage their carbon footprint, according to du Plessis. “Our customers will be able to leverage the MaxMine Carbon Driver Tree and our new online MaxMine Carbon Calculator to provide a baseline of their current carbon emissions,” he said.

Backed by over 5 million hours of machine asset and operator data, the Carbon Calculator helps mines build their case for change, according to the company, allowing sites to quantify their current carbon emissions and then make critical trade-off decisions towards reducing emissions, while maintaining and even improving productivity.

“The MaxMine Carbon Calculator really is a first for the industry,” du Plessis said. “The first step in reducing carbon emissions, is being able to accurately quantify your current starting point.”

MaxMine Carbon measures a highly detailed carbon footprint across the entire mine, from every piece of equipment to each individual operator’s behaviour, according to the company.

“There are many operators in the mining chain with vast variations in behaviours,” du Plessis says. “An example might be one worker who drives fast and another slowly who holds up both trucks whilst producing unnecessary diesel CO2 and nitrous oxide. Or both trucks are loaded but not filled.

“Had they been fully loaded, only one carbon-free trip would have been required.”

MaxMine Carbon generates significant $/material tonne cost savings and early mover CO2/tonne of material savings, according to the company.

du Plessis said: “Clients can expect MaxMine Carbon to pay for itself in just 20 weeks from fuel savings alone. When combined with the broader MaxMine suite, this figure drops to less in 10 weeks.

“The average mine site is 150,000 t/y of carbon from the diesel fleet, and we can save up to 30,000 t of that CO2 right now every year.

“If we don’t reduce carbon every year, raw material prices will rise significantly across the supply chain, hampering net-zero for the world.”

Hindustan Zinc accelerates growth plans as it partners with industry leaders

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Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL), a Vedanta Group Company and the world’s second largest integrated producer of zinc and lead, is in acceleration mode, embarking on aggressive expansion and collaboration plans with technology and innovation partners from across the globe.

One of the first mining companies to commit to going “Net Zero” by 2050, it has a strong focus on ESG reinforced by plans to deploy battery-electric vehicles, tap into more solar and wind power potential and recycle waste heat from its captive power plants. Such ambitions are being delivered with up to $1 billion of finance in the next five years to “go green” and, by 2025, achieve focused sustainability goals.

At the same time as it is looking to become an ESG leader, it is boosting its mine and metal production by leveraging “smart mining” and an extensive resource and reserve base.

IM put some questions to Arun Misra, Hindustan Zinc CEO, to find out how the company intends to deliver on its lofty ambitions.

IM: HZL’s 2021 financial year to March 31, 2021, was characterised by record production volumes and profitability; how were you able to achieve such results given the COVID-19-affected constraints on your operations?

AM: The uncertainty has evolved continuously. If I give you an example, we started the year with the uncertainty of COVID only; that is people getting infected leading to absenteeism. It was so contagious, it spread so fast, half of our workforce were down. So, that struck us heavily, but, nevertheless, because we had experience of last year, and this time there was no lockdown of industry, we were able to figure out how to manage and we did manage well, compared to last year’s same quarter, which was also COVID-affected. We had introduced various measures to change the way of working to ensure a safer working environment for the employees. We also got our workforce vaccinated along with their families to further minimise the risks associated with the pandemic.

Hindustan Zinc CEO, Arun Misra, says Hindustan Zinc has been at the forefront of ensuring personal health, be it of its employees or local communities

Furthermore, the automation and digitalisation efforts at Hindustan Zinc are equipped to better withstand these testing times while ensuring quick revival to a normal level of operations.

IM: During the height of the pandemic, HZL – like other socially responsible mining companies – supported communities within or close by to its operations. Can you highlight some of the actions you took over this period and what impact they had?

AM: We at Hindustan Zinc have been at the forefront of ensuring personal health, be it of our employees or local communities. We have gone beyond and extended our support to the state of Rajasthan and the nation at large by contributing significantly to the PM Cares Fund and Rajasthan Chief Minister Relief Fund.

To meet the requirement of oxygen during the second wave of the pandemic, we had set up an oxygen bottling plant at our Dariba unit (Rajsamand district) in a record time of five days and had supplied over 14,000 cylinders of medical oxygen. We even arranged 500 oxygen concentrators to be imported and distributed for use across the state.

We had provided an insulated vaccine van to the Udaipur district medical health office to support a smooth vaccination drive and extended support to the local health administrations, by disinfecting villages by spraying and fumigating with sodium hypochlorite solution and providing medical gear like masks, sanitisers and PPE to local communities.

We even constructed an 8,000 sq.m air-conditioning dome hospital, based on German technology, which has a capacity of 100 beds – including 20 ICU beds – to accommodate patients and provide them with essential COVID treatment and medical facilities.

IM: ESG is obviously a major focus area for HZL, as these examples illustrate. Where specifically are you investing in your mining, power and smelting operations to make them more environmentally friendly?

AM: As a COP26 business leader, we have always been active in tackling the repercussions of climate change and have a strong focus on reducing carbon emissions. We are pioneers in India, declaring our ambition to convert all our mining equipment to battery-operated electric vehicles and will invest $1 billion over the next five years to make our mining operations environmentally friendly.

We are continuously expanding our renewable power of 274 MW of wind and 40 MW of solar under our greenhouse gas reduction goals by converting 50% of our total power to renewable forms in the next five years. We are among the only two metal and mining companies globally – and among four Indian companies – to be part of the coveted CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) ‘A List’ 2020.

Furthermore, we have even published our first Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) Report this year and have also joined the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) forum to understand nature-related risks and opportunities and accelerate the transition towards a nature-positive and carbon-neutral future.

We have set Sustainability Development Goals to 2025 for ourselves where we are aiming towards sustainable operations for a greener tomorrow.

Hindustan Zinc has embarked on a major growth push at its mining operations with six ongoing expansion projects that will see over 100 km of tunnels developed for underground infrastructure and ore access

IM: At the same time as this, HZL has embarked on a major growth push at your mining operations with six ongoing expansion projects that will see over 100 km of tunnels developed for underground infrastructure and ore access. How are you able to balance your sustainable expansion plans with pledges to reduce your overall footprint?

AM: We strive for operational excellence and cost efficiencies and continue to stay on the growth track while being equally cognisant of our environmental, social and governance commitments, as well as our sustainability goals. We are leveraging more digitalisation and automation than we ever have, as well as engaging with technology leaders to do ‘more with less’.

The SmartDrive equipment we plan to use enables higher productivity, lower operating costs and, most importantly, zero local emissions, featuring in-built energy recuperation technology to make the most of regenerative braking energy during downhill driving and deceleration.

Being a power-intensive business, our key focus is always on reducing dependence on non-renewable sources of energy and enhancing our renewable power base.

IM: How important has it been to partner with like-minded technology and solution providers to ensure you meet these ambitious goals? Can you provide some examples here?

AM: We always look for partners who align with our philosophy of running sustainable operations to achieve company goals. We don’t need one-off solutions from companies to meet our targets; we need companies that will engage throughout our medium- and long-term projects and provide an element of customisation that factors in the realities of operating in our underground mines. We look for global partners to work with us where we exchange ideas, insights and knowledge with them in our growth journey.

We believe in providing opportunities to our business partners to leverage collaboration on technology, innovation and digitalisation, for long-term value creation and mutual growth.

To support our expansion plan, it is crucial for Hindustan Zinc to collaborate with mine development and operation partners who share a similar vision to ours, which is to leverage cutting-edge technology to create a positive impact on the entire mining fraternity. We are currently working with companies like Sandvik, Epiroc, Normet, Barminco, RCT, Siemens, etc as our global partners. We have engaged with them to provide end-to-end solutions rather than sourcing a specific supply or service.

Hindustan Zinc has given an equal platform for women engineers in its mining operations, appointing India’s first female underground mine manager in 2021

IM: You have already stated a goal of 1.5 Mt/y of zinc production in the upcoming years and extending your lead as India’s largest integrated zinc-lead producer; what is your vision for the company to 2030 and beyond?

AM: We are excited about our next phase of expansion to take mining capacity from 1.2 Mt per annum to 1.35 Mt/a. We will surely cross 1 Mt and we should be above our guidance if we achieve the desired run rates in our third and fourth quarters.

While our growth plans are a key part of the company’s future, we are also focused on becoming the leading zinc-lead-silver producer from an environmental, social and governance point of view. Our DJSI Ranking of being among the Top 5 companies in the metal and mining sector is testament to this. We are already winning significant awards for our ESG and CSR efforts, and expect this recognition to continue and grow as we head towards mapping out our 2025 sustainability goals.

Also, the mining value chain is changing across the globe and more consumers are becoming aware of the origins of the products they buy and the emissions that come with their production.

To collaborate with Hindustan Zinc on its green growth mission, email [email protected]

BHP, Minmetals trial MineHub’s blockchain platform for first cross-border copper concentrate shipment

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MineHub Technologies says its MineHub platform has been used by BHP and China Minmetals in the first cross-border copper concentrate trial shipment processed on blockchain technology.

Arnoud Star Busmann, CEO at MineHub, said: “The MineHub platform has evolved significantly since BHP, the leading global resources company, completed the first iron ore transactions on it in 2020 with China Baowu. Now another industry-leading innovative company, China Minmetals, working with BHP has used our blockchain platform for secure and transparent inter-company and cross-border data sharing including multiple new use cases like emissions data sharing and a metals assay exchange process.

“We are very excited to complete this pilot transaction with these forward-looking partners. Designing and building with industry for industry is a continuous journey and fundamental to our success.”

At present, the settlement process of copper concentrates is lengthy and complex, suffers from high processing costs, complex pricing mechanisms and vulnerability to errors and fraud, according to MineHub. The information exchange between the two parties of trade execution relies largely on e-mail and paper transmission, involving many parties such as banks, commercial institutions, logistics providers and often government departments. Large numbers of commercial documents are produced as part of the process that need to be exchanged and verified.

As traded volumes of copper concentrate have doubled in recent years in the largest market China, market participants urgently need a safe, stable, efficient, and real-time data sharing system platform, according to MineHub.

“MineHub provides that solution, which has been created to support these complex cross-border commodity transactions,” the company said. “It enables operations teams in companies like BHP and Minmetals to collaborate with each other as well as their banks, service and logistics providers on the basis of shared, real-time data. Data privacy, integrity and control are secured by enterprise blockchain technology.”

The end-to-end post-trade process for this shipment between BHP and Minmetals was completed on the platform, and, according to the company, included the use of several MineHub innovations:

  • Blockchain-based assay exchange, including final assay determination;
  • Carbon emissions data sharing (Scope 1, 2 and 3); and
  • Using MineHub node hosted in mainland China to ensure local data residence.

This was the first transaction of its kind for copper concentrates, and the parties have agreed to continue working together to promote the development and deployment of efficient post-transaction process solutions, create a better customer experience and achieve transparency and tracking of carbon emissions reduction, MineHub said.

MaxMine Carbon seeks to cut emissions at open-pit mining operations

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MaxMine has announced the official launch of ‘MaxMine Carbon’, a technology offering that, it says, will enable mining operators to reduce their carbon emissions by more than 10% for no, or limited, additional capital expenditure.

The MaxMine Carbon offering was unveiled last week at the annual Rotto Tech Fest, as part of the West Tech Fest, held on Rottnest Island in Western Australia.

MaxMine Carbon is a mining productivity tool which captures, processes and analyses vast amounts of data, then translates that data into pragmatic solutions for clients that deliver significant carbon emissions reductions and productivity gains at open-pit mining operations, specifically in load and haul operations, the company explained.

The technology platform harnesses cutting-edge automation capabilities and advanced data analytics to capture up to 10,000 times more data at open-pit mining operations, relative to the industry standard fleet management system products, according to MaxMine.

During extensive trials of MaxMine Carbon at various open-pit mining operations, miners were able to accomplish an average minimum carbon emissions reduction of 10% within just one month. This is the equivalent to replacing more than four trucks in a fleet of 40, with zero-emissions vehicles, for zero capital expenditure, the company estimated.

MaxMine Carbon also allows companies to quantify their carbon emission savings for inclusion in ESG and sustainability reports.

Furthermore, miners experienced an average payload increase of 7% at the operations where the MaxMine Carbon beta product was implemented.

This additional production output, while using the same resources, also translates into significant cost savings and efficiencies for the mine site operators.

“In fact, from a client perspective, MaxMine Carbon is on average expected to pay for itself in just 12 weeks from fuel savings alone, and, coupled with the broader MaxMine suite, this figure drops to six weeks,” the company said.

MaxMine Chief Executive Officer, Coert Du Plessis, said the company’s new offering provides resources companies with a cost-effective solution to achieve emissions reduction targets, as regulators, investors and the broader community increasingly focus on reaching a net zero emissions world.

“Emerging renewable energy solutions for miners that are commercially viable remain at least 5-10 years away, but many mining operators have emissions reductions targets to meet in the short term and medium term,” Du Plessis said.

“This is where MaxMine comes in, as a revolutionary technology offering that can overcome this challenge by empowering miners to reduce their carbon emissions right now and also potentially boost their bottom line. It also enables miners to quantify their carbon emissions reductions.

“Net zero mining starts here.”

The launch of MaxMine Carbon coincides with MaxMine being crowned a winner at the Extreme Tech Challenge Australia last week for its data analytics proficiency and work on MaxMine Carbon.

Since its inception in 2015 in Adelaide, MaxMine has grown from five to 50 people, and expanded its corporate presence to also encompass Perth, Brisbane and Sydney in Australia, as well as Pretoria and Cape Town in South Africa, with further international expansion planned.

Over the past five years MaxMine has achieved revenue growth of between 70-100%/y.

Du Plessis said MaxMine Carbon would underpin sustained growth for the company.

“The demand for tangible solutions for miners to meet ESG criteria is growing by the day, with the cost of capital for miners with the lowest ESG scores up 20-25% higher than those with high ESG scores, so we anticipate strong uptake of our new product,” he said.

BHP and POSCO to collaborate on low-carbon steelmaking technologies

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BHP and South Korea’s POSCO have announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly explore greenhouse gas emissions reduction technologies in integrated steelmaking.

As part of the MoU, the parties intend to undertake pilot and plant trials to lower carbon in the steelmaking process, including optimising coke quality and assessing carbon capture storage and utilisation (CCUS) options to lower carbon intensity in the blast furnace.

POSCO and BHP also intend to share research on hydrogen-based direct reduction technology, the use of biomass in steelmaking, as well as the potential to leverage BHP’s carbon offsetting capabilities in the development of carbon neutral steel products.

BHP intends to invest up to $10 million over the next five years under the MoU, with the opportunity to increase investment in technologies under the trial. BHP’s investment will be drawn from its $400 million Climate Investment Program, announced in 2019 to support projects, partnerships, research and development to help reduce Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.

BHP and POSCO also intend to collaborate on the reporting of carbon emissions through the steel value chain to further progress consistent, transparent and robust global standards.

BHP Chief Commercial Officer, Vandita Pant, said: “The pathway to net zero for steelmaking is not yet clear but we believe that, by working with industry leaders like POSCO, together we will find solutions more quickly to help reduce carbon emissions in steelmaking and along the value chain. BHP recently announced a goal to pursue net zero Scope 3 emissions by 2050 and we are committed to working with industry leaders in steelmaking to address this hard-to-abate sector.

“Steel is a critical product for the world to grow and decarbonise, and we must work hard together to enable greener steel, reducing carbon intensity in the blast furnace and testing new technologies for steel production.”

POSCO’s Head of Steel Business Unit, Hag-Dong Kim, said: “Though achieving carbon neutrality is a difficult path ahead, with POSCO working together with BHP’s outstanding mining expertise and the will to achieve a low-carbon future, I have every reason to believe that we can create a significant turning point in carbon emission reduction across our value chain.”

The MoU with POSCO follows BHP’s earlier partnerships established with major steelmakers China Baowu, JFE Steel and HBIS Group to explore emissions reduction from steelmaking. The combined output of the four steel companies equates to around 12% of reported global steel production.

Rio Tinto Japan joins GVC Network as part of carbon footprint reduction plan

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Rio Tinto Japan has joined Japan’s Green Value Chain Platform Network (GVC Network), a collaboration established by the Ministry of the Environment to lead transparent decarbonisation efforts in the country.

Representative Director and Rio Tinto Japan President, Bill Horie, said: “We are honoured to be welcomed into the Ministry of Environment’s GVC Network and look forward to engaging on innovative approaches with customers, government and industry to help reduce Japan’s carbon footprint.”

Formed in 2018, GVC Network member companies work to set science-based targets for emissions reduction that are economically feasible and effective for the achievement of their Scope 1, 2 and 3 targets; and to share solutions related to renewable energy, energy conservation, or energy storage, Rio said.

Rio Tinto aims to reach net zero emissions across its operations by 2050. Its efforts to support decarbonisation through state-of-the-art solutions such as START Responsible Aluminium – a leading traceability program – aligns with the GVC Network intentions, the company added.

The GVC Network collaborates formally through networking and has 141 members representing a variety of industries including: electronics, machinery and equipment, automotive, airline, pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetics, building and construction, real estate, housing, printing, food and beverage, marine, retailing, publishing and logistics.

To help reach net zero emissions across its operations by 2050, Rio Tinto is targeting a reduction in emissions intensity by 30% and in its absolute emissions by 15%, both by 2030 and from 2018 levels. The company also plans to spend around $1 billion over five years on emissions reduction projects, research and development and activities to enhance the climate resilience of our business.

Rio Tinto has outlined a series of measurable and impactful Scope 3 emissions reduction goals to guide its approach, which features partnerships across China, Japan and South Korea – countries which account for 88% of the company’s value chain emissions (Scope 3).

The company has also committed that its growth over the next decade will be carbon neutral.