Tag Archives: Kankberg

Boliden to implement Hypex Bio climate-friendly explosives at Kankberg mine

Environmental, Explosives and blasting, Mine operation news, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

Boliden says it has become the first mining operator to sign an agreement for the production and delivery of a newly developed explosive from Hypex Bio with significantly improved environmental and climate performance.

In the process, the company’s need for nitrogen treatment of water is being reduced and its climate performance is improving by around 400 t of CO2 per year, it says.

Peter Bergman, General Manager of the Boliden Area, said: “For us, it is important to be part of technology development in many areas and, when it is successful, we also want to be early with implementation. Together with the electrification of transport and other machines, this means another important step towards being able to conduct mining operations that are, in principle, fossil-free.”

The agreement with the Swedish explosives supplier Hypex Bio is for the production and delivery of nitrate-free and environmentally friendly explosives to Kankbergsgruvan, Boliden. Boliden and Hypex will cooperate on the production and delivery of nitrate-free and environmentally friendly explosives to the Kankberg mine, which includes the establishment of a production facility at the mine as well as a delivery and service agreement.

The supply and service agreement for Hypex’s explosives solution spans five years, starting in 2024. The production quantity is expected to amount to 400-450 t and, thus, largely meet the Kankberg mine’s annual needs. In addition to the fact that the explosive drastically reduces the need for nitrogen treatment of water, the climate impact is reduced by approximately 400 t of CO2 per year (Scope 3), Boliden added.

The collaboration between Hypex Bio and Boliden has been ongoing since 2020, where the nitrate-free explosive has been developed and tested in the Kankberg mine. The technology has proven to meet Boliden’s requirements for safety, performance, environment and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Tests have also been carried out in the Garpenberg mine and are to be started in the Aitik copper mine, the company says.

Back in October, Omnia Holdings announced a strategic partnership with Hypex Bio and the acquisition of a minority equity stake in the company.

Boliden, Ericsson and Telia celebrate world first 5G underground mine network deployment

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , ,

SIMS project partners Boliden and Ericsson, together with Telia, say they have deployed the world’s first 5G network using New Radio in an operational underground mine, the Boliden Kankberg mine in Sweden.

The deployment comes less than a month since Telia and Luleå University of Technology, in Sweden, inaugurated a 5G-testbed as part of its Wireless Innovation Arena project.

The Kankberg mine is located around 10 km west of the Boliden Area Operations process plant in Boliden, and produces gold and tellurium. The mine has been in production since 2012 and has since then increased the annual production capacity to around 450,000 t. In 2018, the mine produced 456,979 t grading 4.4 g/t Au, 10.7 g/t Ag and 188.3 g/t Te.

SIMS, or Sustainable Intelligent Mining Systems, is part of the Horizon 2020 program, the biggest EU-backed research and innovation program ever with nearly €80 billion ($90.1 billion) of funding available over seven years (2014 to 2020).

“Productivity and safety requirements are very high in the mining industry. This customer configured network can function standalone, allowing mining operations to continue even if communication is disrupted to the mine,” SIMS said.

The 5G technology is superior to other communication solutions for connectivity in demanding environments like mining and manufacturing where continuous operations and close monitoring of processes are required, according to SIMS. With characteristics like very low response times and the option for local data handling, 5G is the best suited technology to meet the safety and efficiency requirements of the mine, it added.

Magnus Frodigh, Head of Ericsson Research, said: “5G is designed to support industry automation and industrial IoT and will be a platform for innovation in industries. The Boliden underground mine is a great example of a sector with tough requirements that will benefit immediately. [This technology]…will ensure connectivity for applications with high performance requirements.”

Magnus Leonhardt, Head of Strategy and Innovation at Telia, said: “Industry 4.0 is becoming a reality. This is another good example of how 5G can be used to build networks adapted to the customer’s operations. To guarantee safety in the mine, for example, the network must function even if communications to the outside world is disrupted. Reliable communications can now be secured with the network we have built.”

Peter Burman, Program Manager at Boliden, said: “We work actively with robotisation to improve productivity and safety in the mine which requires future proof communication solutions. 5G is an important component enabling advanced automation and by that, a safer and more sustainable mine.”