Tag Archives: Greg Hayne

Dyno Nobel to partner with SCCL on Saudi Arabia technical ammonium nitrate plant

18th January 2024Explosives and blasting, Mining servicesBlasting, Dyno Nobel, Explosives, Greg Hayne, Incitec Pivot, Ras Al-Khair, Rob Rounsley, Saudi Arabia, Technical Ammonium NitrateDaniel Gleeson

Incitec Pivot Limited’s Dyno Nobel says it will partner with Saudi Chemical Company Limited (SCCL) to investigate the development and operation of a technical ammonium nitrate plant in Saudi Arabia.

Under a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into between the parties last month, Dyno Nobel will provide a range of expertise to assist the development and operation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s first ever Technical Ammonium Nitrate (TAN) Plant.

Dyno Nobel says it brings to the partnership global expertise in developing and operating plants across three continents and world-class project management and manufacturing skills. It will support the project’s Front End Engineering Design and project services for the development of the 300,000 MTPA TAN plant in Ras Al-Khair, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

A key part of the MoU is the future establishment of a joint venture with SCCL and the investment company for construction and operation of the plant. The joint venture would supply TAN and nitric acid to Saudi regional mining and industrial users and enable Dyno Nobel to supply TAN to its international mining customer base, Incitec Pivot says.

Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific President, Greg Hayne, said: “We are very pleased to partner on developing this exciting project which provides significant potential for the development of the Middle East’s mining industry.

“Our team’s technical knowledge and TAN expertise is an excellent fit and a key advantage for the project.

“The project also aligns with our long-term strategy to grow our global footprint and further expand our manufacturing operations and sales in the broader Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.”

Incitec Pivot Limited Chief Technology Development Officer, Rob Rounsley, said: “This partnership aligns with our EMEA blasting technology strategy to support surface and underground mining, civil tunnelling, quarrying, and general construction across the Saudi and EMEA mining sectors.”

Dyno Nobel, Fortescue sign tech alliance focused on drill and blast decarbonisation

25th October 2023Environmental, Explosives and blasting, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable miningChristmas Creek, Cloudbreak, decarbonisation, DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY, Dino Otranto, Drill and blast, Dyno Nobel, Eliwana, Explosives, Fortescue Metals, greenhouse gas emissions, Greg Hayne, Incitec Pivot, Iron Bridge, Real Zero, renewable energy, SolomonDaniel Gleeson

Incitec Pivot Limited’s Dyno Nobel is to extend its supply relationship with Fortescue, with the two parties agreeing to a long-term extension that will see Dyno Nobel continue providing explosives technology and collaborating on key decarbonisation projects to assist Fortescue in reaching its ‘Real Zero’ goal.

A key focus of the new agreement is an innovative technology alliance. As part of this, Dyno Nobel will invest A$5 million ($3.2 million) in new technologies to support Fortescue’s decarbonisation efforts within its drill and blast process. The new agreement will apply across Fortescue’s Pilbara operations: Cloudbreak, Christmas Creek, Solomon and Eliwana. The Iron Bridge project, which Fortescue has a majority stake in, is supplied by Dyno Nobel under a separate contract the two companies announced last year.

Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific President, Greg Hayne, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our relationship with Fortescue who are at the forefront of efforts to decarbonise the mining industry. The agreement will see us ramp up our decarbonisation efforts which will include conversion of our MPU (mobile processing unit) fleet to renewable energy sources and investigating the use of lower carbon footprint, bio-fuel based explosives.

“This is about providing our customers with technology solutions that lower our carbon footprint and, in turn, theirs.”

Fortescue Metals CEO, Dino Otranto, said: “We’re looking forward to continuing our successful partnership with Dyno Nobel, which will deliver blasting services as well as provide new technologies to help us achieve our industry leading target of Real Zero emissions across our Australian iron ore operations.”

The agreement will provide Fortescue with the opportunity to benefit from Dyno Nobel’s commercialisation of a reduced GHG emissions DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY® solution, an explosives method that tailors the energy delivered to different rock layers within a blast hole and across a blast. The efficiencies generated through the use of DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY reduce both overall mining costs and emission volumes for customers, according to Dyno Nobel, with the reduced emissions solution able to reduce Scope 1 emissions by up to 25% in normal blasting circumstances.

Hayne said that since Dyno Nobel’s DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY technology was introduced to the Australian market in 2018 it has provided customers with production and environmental benefits.

“Fortescue has already seen the technology deliver value at their Iron Bridge operations, one of the first sites in Australia to fully benefit from DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY and the results have been very positive. We are now pleased to be increasing these advantages via a reduced emissions offering. It is just another example of our technology innovation happening on the ground.”

He said Dyno Nobel’s technology development aligned with Fortescue’s vision.

“We are looking forward to continuing our successful partnership with Fortescue which has evolved into finding innovative and sustainable solutions for the future by working together,” he said.

Dyno Nobel’s CyberDet I underground wireless blasting tech hits the mark at Westgold’s Big Bell

8th June 2021Communications in mining, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mine operation news, Precious metalsCyberDet I, DMIRS, Dyno Nobel, Greg Hayne, Incitec Pivot, Robert Rounsley, Westgold, wireless blastingDaniel Gleeson

Dyno Nobel says it has completed the first ever underground wireless detonator blast in Western Australia, using its ground-breaking wireless technology, CyberDet I®.

The blast, on June 1, 2021 at Westgold’s Big Bell underground gold mine, saw 34 CyberDet I detonators fired, producing “outstanding results”, including a well fragmented muckpile, the Incitec Pivot Ltd business reported.

Big Bell is a premier asset in Westgold’s Cue portfolio of mines (expected to produce 100,000-110,000 oz/y for Westgold over the long-term, underwritten by output from the Big Bell mine, Westgold says) and the blast was undertaken following approval from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.

Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific President, Greg Hayne, said the blast in Western Australia’s mid-west region was a significant milestone for Dyno Nobel’s wireless detonator offering.

“We are so pleased to be able to partner with Westgold on the first underground wireless blast ever in WA,” Hayne said. “The blast was a great success and it’s been really pleasing to hear Westgold’s feedback that it believes CyberDet I will deliver improved safety and efficiency.”

CyberDet I is designed to allow operators to work in a safer environment during the blast loading process. The technology also facilitates a shorter blast cycle, providing the potential to increase the number of tonnes mined.

“CyberDet I is Dyno Nobel’s through-the-earth wireless detonator offering, developed on the back of customers telling us it’s technology they need,” Hayne said.

Incitec Pivot Ltd Chief Technology Officer, Robert Rounsley, said CyberDet I highlighted the group’s commitment to advanced technology development.

“One of the key advantages of our wireless offering is its portable design,” he said. “The flexible nature of our communications antenna provides significant operational advantages for our users.”

The next step for CyberDet I will be further trials in Australia, with several customers already interested in the wireless technology, according to the company.

“We’re looking forward to showing more of our customers the benefits of CyberDet I.” Hayne said. “It is just one of our premium technology offerings focused on meeting the needs of our customers. We are proud of our customer partnerships which are creating innovative, practical improvements in safety, productivity and environmental performance.”

Electronic blasting demand sees Dyno Nobel boost manufacturing output

2nd June 2020Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining servicesBHP Mitsubishi Alliance, Caval Ridge, DigiShot®Plus.4G, Dyno Nobel, electronic blasting, Greg Hayne, Incitec Pivot, Jeanne JohnsDaniel Gleeson

Demand from customers for Dyno Nobel’s electronic blasting technology is, the company says, boosting manufacturing in regional Queensland, Australia.

The Helidon plant, in southeast Queensland, has expanded to increase electronic detonator production, helping boost regional employment, it said.

Since the plant expansion late last year, the number of employees has grown to 103, up 63%, with more people needed at the plant to manufacture the company’s premium technology, which Dyno Nobel says has seen continued growth.

A business of Incitec Pivot, Dyno Nobel’s half-year results released in May showed a 14% increase in electronic initiating systems sales in Asia Pacific, compared with the same time last year.

Incitec Pivot Managing Director and CEO, Jeanne Johns, said: “Dyno Nobel’s overall mining volumes continue to be supported by our premium technology offering. We are seeing strong demand for our technology from customers who want to improve their productivity and safety outcomes, while also reducing the impact on the environment.

“We tailor our premium technology solutions to manage specific sites requirements and issues and, as a result, our customers are getting better blast outcomes.”

President of Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific, Greg Hayne, said Australia’s mining sector was continuing to operate well.

“We are continuing to invest strongly in our technology pipeline, assisting our customers and supporting the Australian economy with local jobs in manufacturing,” he said.

Looking forward, Dyno Nobel is focused on rolling out its DigiShot®Plus.4G system to further improve safety and productivity at mines across Australia. Released in 2018, DigiShot Plus.4G is designed to help reduce overall costs and increase productivity by reducing blasting delays and introducing programming speeds seven times faster than existing systems.

It was this technology that produced a world record blast at BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) Caval Ridge Mine in Queensland last December.

Dyno Nobel’s record blast saw 8,144 DigiShot Plus.4G electronic detonators fired in single blast event that took 14 days to prepare and involved loading 2,194 t of bulk explosive into 3,899 blastholes.

“As we continue to develop our technology road map, it’s nice to see these types of outcomes, which reinforce the way our technology aligns with the needs of our customers,” Hayne said.